Men's Shirt Collars: A Frame for the Face

Men's Shirt Collars: A Frame for the Face

Collar is the most important element of a dress shirt. They are the frame for the face. Regardless of the type of suit jacket or tie, ones shirt collar is always visible, and plays a major role in determining how the wearer's face will appear to observers. Choosing the right shirt collar will ensure you enhance your facial strengths while downplaying any irregularities. The detail of the collar also represents a major part of the quality of a dress shirt.

Classic Collar (Point Collar)- It is the most common collar style. Longer, more closely set points tend to draw the eye down towards the tie and away from the face, while a more moderate cut frames the tie and completes the arrow effect pointing at the face.

Italian Collar (Cutaway or Spread Collar) - These collars reveal more of the upper shirt area and leaving additional room for larger tie knots. Like the classic collar, spread collars come in a variety of widths, with more moderate ones resembling slightly flared point collars, while more extreme versions can be nearly horizontal. The particular dimensions are best left to the wearer's preference and body type, with very wide spreads tending to accentuate wider figures while creating a more fully proportioned look on thin gentlemen.

Button Down Collar - It is most often seen on casual shirts. These collars have small buttonholes at the tip of each point, corresponding to a small button on each side of the shirtfront. While this collar can be worn successfully with a tie, it is the least formal of all the collar choices and is an excellent choice for open collar. The buttons on the collar, however, are always fastened; to appear with undone collar buttons would be inappropriate.

Wing Collar
Wing collars – familiar to most as the collar frequently worn with the tuxedo – consists of a short shirt collar with no turndown, and two small "wings" at the front which are tucked behind the bow-tie. Wing collars are reserved for formal wear.

Pin and Tab Collar - Pin collar has small holes in each point, allowing the insertion of a decorative pin or bar behind the tie knot, which thrusts the tie knot forward and up while adding extra decoration to the collar itself. Tab collar employs a small tab extending from the middle of each point, which is fixed together – usually with a hook-and-loop closure – behind the tie. Similar to pin collar, this forces the tie forward and up, creating the "standing" look of more elaborate knots. Neither the pin or tab collar should be worn without a tie; the empty holes and flapping tabs present an untidy appearance.

When choosing the collar of a dress shirt, you need to consider the level of formality; more importantly, how the collar goes with the shape of your face. Those with narrower faces do better with slightly shorter collars, while round faces carry well above long collar points. As a general rule, the greater the angle between the short sides of the collar points, the more formal the presentation.

The white contrast collar, in any style, is a favorite of power-dressers, since it certainly raises a suit-and-tie above the masses.

On most decent dress shirts, the collar's points are kept straight by collar stays. Usually they are made of plastics. These 2- to 3-inch pointed splints are inserted into slots on the underside of the collar.