While it might occasionally seem that the collar is not a terribly important part of a tailored dress shirt, the fact of the matter is that a collar can make or break a shirt. The collar is not only a part of your shirt; it helps to frame your face. If the collar is wrong it can drastically alter your appearance from what you desire.
Types of Collars
Straight Collar - The straight collar is the most basic type of collar found in tailored dress shirts. It spreads out at a diagonal beneath your chin and there is a gap of about 2 ½ to 3 inches between the ends. For the average man this will suit their body type and face fine. The spread is small enough that it is acceptable to not wear a tie.
Spread Collar - A spread collar is a collar with a wider spread than that found on the straight collar. Anything over 3 inches is considered a spread collar: spreads can go up to about 6 inches. Generally speaking, men with wider or rounder faces should avoid spread collars as it will accentuate this wideness or roundness of face.
Button-down Collar
As the name implies, a button-down collar is a collar which buttons to your shirt. The spread can vary, just as with non-button collars. It is generally considered to be a less formal tie. For more formal occasions a non-button tie with collar studs would be more appropriate.
Tab Collar
The tab collar has a very slim spread. It gets its name because behind the tie knot there is a tab which is used to bring the collar edges together right behind the tie knot.. This tends to press out the tie knot and make the tie a bit more prominent than with other collars. Slender men, men with long necks as well as wide faced men often do well with tab collars on their tailored dress shirts.
Rounded or Club Collar
The rounded collar, also known as the club collar, is the most distinctive of the collar types. While most collars have straight edges, the edges of a rounded collar are rounded, as the name implies. Generally the spread is very small, and has a somewhat stubby look to it.
Pinned Collar
A pinned collar is so named because a pin is used to bring the two sides of the collar together. The pin can be changed, thus providing a bit of variety with the collar. The pin is generally attached along with the tie knot, which makes the tie more prominent in a similar way to the tab collar.
Choosing the right Collar for You
When choosing a collar, you want to pick one that not only makes your shirt look good but will also make your face look good. As mentioned in discussing the types of collars, different collars will go differently with different faces. However these are only rules of thumb, and do not always apply. Try several different collars out, and see which type you think best suits your face. Also look at how formal you need to be. For formal situations a more formal collar such as the rounded or pinned collar may be required.
Copyright (c) 2008 Wes Fernley
Wrinkled, disheveled, un-tucked, blousy...sound like someone you know?
Everywhere you look, there are men with long, dangling sleeves, bulging necks squeezed by collars that are too tight or with enough fabric billowing around their waists to sail the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Many men seem to be either drowning in their dress shirts or look like stuffed sausage links.
Renowned image consultant and men's clothing designer Janine Giorgenti has spent 20 years measuring thousands of men for dress shirts. After listening to their frustrations, she has come to the conclusion that men want to look crisp and neat, but cannot find a darn shirt that fits!
Homogenized America
With the onslaught of Walmart and the "superstores," men's specialty stores that once serviced individuals became extinct like the dodo bird.
Mass production overseas, coupled with the American drive to make products as cheaply as possible, caused men's dress shirt manufacturers to "simplify" and pare-down size options to maximize productivity.
How does this relate to you? Well, it's like, fat chance finding that once available 14 ½ neck with a 35 sleeve and more like, "Tough noogies, we have a 14 ½ neck with a combo 32/33 sleeve, (leaving the guy with longer than average arms looking like the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz,) so take it or leave it." Wow! You just got a great bargain to look silly. What a deal!
Who is Outside of the So-called Norm?
- Guys with big necks and thinner bodies. (If the shirt fits your neck, then the body looks like a parachute.)
- Guys with small necks and long arms. The industry makes the assumption that all men with narrow necks also are short with short arms.)
- Guys with an athletic build. (Fuggedaboutit! If it fits your chest and shoulders, the rest of the shirt will be a tent. If it fits you from the waist down, you might as well be in a straitjacket.)
- Guy with short necks. (The collar will be up to your gills.)
- Guy with long necks. (When you speak, we expect to hear, "Gobble, gobble!")
- Guys with neck sizes over 18 ½. (If you have short arms, be prepared to have your sleeves dangling down at your sides.)
- Short guys. (The proportions of the available dress shirts will make you look like you're a kid playing dress-up in your father's shirt.)
- Tall, thin guys. (Good luck finding a long enough sleeve and shirt tail length with a body that doesn't fit two of you.)
How a Men's Dress Shirt Should Fit: Five Tips to a Great-Fitting Dress Shirt
The Neck: The shirt collar should allow you to slide two fingers down the neck-band, between your throat and collar, while buttoned, without gagging. There should be room for your head to turn and move without choking. The shirt should initially have an extra ¼ - ½″ to allow for shrinkage.
The Shoulders and Body: You should be able to move your arms freely without the shirt pulling uncomfortably across the shoulders. The body of the shirt should not be baggy and shapeless, nor should it pull or pucker.
The Cuffs: The cuffs should be just tight enough that they do not hang over your hand and you should not be able to slip your hand through the cuffs without first unbuttoning them.
The Sleeves: When your arms are at your sides, your cuffs should end slightly below your wrist bones with just enough blouse at the cuffs to make it easy to bend your arms.
The Shirt Tail: Your shirt tail should not be so long that it bunches up when tucked in, but it also should not be so short that it comes out of your pants when you raise your arms.
For Every Action, There is an Equal and Opposite Reaction!
Newton was right!
The industry has reduced consumer options, making it impossible to buy a man's dress shirt unless it is white, blue or the "color de jour," in other than a limited size range. This extreme limitation and "dumbing-down" of the men's dress shirt market, has spawned a resurgence of the custom shirt industry.
Custom shirts were once an expensive luxury, only available to the rich. Because of the demand for a shirt that fits and is affordable, the custom shirt has come back with a vengeance, in a new form: The convenient, online, affordable custom shirt...that you can order while still in your underwear.
Just Google "Men's Custom Dress Shirt," and you will see affordable options available. Has this become the counter revolution to the limited mass produced shirt? We think so.
Custom Versus Off-the-Rack
Now that you know how your shirts should fit, it is time to explore your options.
If you have had success with off-the-rack, then you are lucky, as long as you can live with limited selections.
For men who have fit challenges, a custom made shirt is a better option than having your shirts "retrofitted" by a tailor. This usually produces poor results and ends up costing more than a custom shirt, when you add in expensive alteration costs on top the price of the shirt.
Having your shirts custom made is the best and most affordable way to get a true custom fit. Believe it or not, this is not just a luxury for the rich and famous. It is much more convenient and affordable than you might think. Prices vary, but you can generally find a nice quality custom dress shirt for no more than you would pay for an off-the-rack shirt at your local department store, and turn-around time is usually about four weeks.
Whether you go to a local tailor or design your custom shirts online, the most important thing to remember is to comparison shop and go with a source that has a good guarantee, a comprehensive measurement system, and a good selection of high-quality fabrics.
Both Wes Fernley & Janine Giorgenti are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Janine Giorgenti has sinced written about articles on various topics from Modelling, Social Issues and Health. Janine Giorgenti is a renowned fourth generation Italian designer, image consultant and custom clothier. Visit her website at for more. Janine Giorgenti's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.