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