Choosing the appropriate dress shirt for your body should be guided first by the size of the collar to the face. It should never be dictated by the current fashion. Just as a small picture would require a small frame, so would a smaller face require a smaller collar. Conversely, a large frame would require a wider spread collar.

There are at least 6 different styles of collars available on shirts. Below each is described and when each is appropriate.

1. Straight-point Collar: Most neutral of all collars. Can be worn with any sports coat or suit. The narrow opening favors a rounder, oval-shaped face. Not suitable for a narrow face.
    
2. Spread Collar: Today’s most important dress shirt collar. Inherently dressy & elegant. Collar height, point length, and openness vary greatly. Therefore, some variety of the collar should be in every man’s wardrobe. Usually worn with a Windsor Knot as it can easily fill the spread space.
    
3. Rounded Collar: Popular with the well-heeled Eaton School System.  Originated as a separately attached collar to a banded shirt. Often worn today by athletically chiseled men to balance curved facial features.
    
4. Tab Collar: Popularized in the 20’ and 30’s, the tab collar has lost interest due to the business casual fashions. Perfectly designed so that the tie rests in the collar’s opening. The tabs under the knot hold the collar’s points in place, moving the collar and necktie knot higher under the chin. Men with long necks and round or square shaped faces are complimented by its balance.
    
5. Pinned Collar: Although seen as ‘too fussy’ by some, the pinned collar acts in the same way as the tab collar. It too thrusts the tie and collar high under the wearer’s chin. Worn by men with long necks to balance the neck to jaw line and to act as a counterpoint to the rounded or oval head or chin.
    
6. Button-Down Collar: Popularized in the 20’s and 30’s, the button down is Americas only contribution to the dress shirt. Like the navy blazer, the button down can be dressed up or down. It is most often times recognized as a more casual dress shirt.

Posted by Karen Hughes on January 3rd, 2008 in Articles, Image, Style, Trends