Collars: which shape works with which face and which jacket

A collar frames the face and provides the structure that a tie knot sits within. Its two variables are the spread — the angle between the points — and the point length.

The styles

Point collar. Narrow spread, longer points. The most traditional and the most conservative. Suits a wider face by adding vertical line, and works with a small knot — a four-in-hand. With a large knot the points get pushed apart and it looks strained.

Semi-spread. A moderate angle. The most versatile collar and the sensible default if you own one shirt. Works with almost any knot and any jacket lapel.

Spread or cutaway. Wide angle, points pulled back toward the shoulders. Frames a larger knot — half-Windsor or full Windsor — and suits a narrower face by adding horizontal width. An extreme cutaway with a small knot looks empty.

Button-down. Points fastened to the shirt with small buttons. Originated in polo, where the points were secured to stop them flapping. Distinctly less formal than any other collar. The roll of the collar between button and neckband is the aesthetic point — a good button-down has a soft, pronounced roll rather than lying flat.

Club or rounded. Rounded points. Distinctive, period-associated, and a specific look rather than a neutral one.

Tab and pin collars. A fabric tab or a pin holds the points together behind the knot, pushing it forward and up. Dressy, formal, and a deliberate statement.

Wing collar. Small folded points. Reserved for formal evening wear and worn with a bow tie.

Collar and face shape

The general principle is to contrast, loosely.

A narrower or longer face is generally balanced by a wider spread, which adds horizontal width.

A wider or rounder face is generally balanced by a narrower point collar with longer points, which adds vertical line.

This is a tendency rather than a rule, and it matters less than fit does.

Collar and jacket lapel

The relationship people miss.

The collar and the lapel sit adjacent to each other and are read together. A wide lapel pairs better with a wider collar spread; a narrow lapel with a narrower collar.

A very wide cutaway collar with a narrow notch lapel produces a visual mismatch at exactly the point everyone looks.

Collar height

Under-discussed and important, particularly if you wear a jacket.

The collar should be tall enough at the back to show above the jacket collar — around a centimetre is conventional. Too short and it disappears, leaving the jacket collar sitting directly against the neck. Too tall and it presses uncomfortably.

Collar height also relates to neck length. A longer neck can carry a taller collar; a shorter neck is constricted by one.

Construction

The single most important quality factor in a shirt.

A collar has an interlining between its two layers. Fused interlining is glued and produces a stiff, board-like collar that eventually bubbles as the adhesive degrades — irreparably. Sewn-in or floating interlining is attached only at the edges and produces distinct layers that move against each other.

Pinch the collar and feel for the layers. One stiff sheet means fused.

Collar stays — removable stiffeners in the points — keep the points flat. Metal stays outperform plastic and do not warp in the wash. Remove them before washing.

Wearing a collar without a tie

Increasingly the normal case and it changes what works.

Without a tie, a collar has to hold its own shape. Soft, unstructured collars and button-downs do this well. Very stiff formal collars designed to frame a knot frequently collapse or gape without one.

A collar that stands slightly and does not splay outward is what you want. Button-downs are the most reliable for this, which is why they have become the default open-necked shirt.

One button undone is standard. Two starts to be a deliberate look and depends on the collar being tall enough not to fall open entirely.