Collar Styles

[back_to_shaving]

What's your favorite collar style? Spread? Club?

Also what's the difference between a band collar, a grandad collar and a mandarin collar? If I'm not mistaken the former two have their origin in Europe while the latter has its origins in China (although there's paintings of this collar type in India from around the same time or before China). But style wise what's the difference?

 

[Atlantic59]

What's your favorite collar style? Spread? Club?

Also what's the difference between a band collar, a grandad collar and a mandarin collar? If I'm not mistaken the former two have their origin in Europe while the latter has its origins in China (although there's paintings of this collar type in India from around the same time or before China). But style wise what's the difference?

All these styles are variations on the same idea, varying in tailoring details, like how tall the collar is and if it stands up, or lays flat. Some old European shirts had a flat band around the neckline, originally intended to be worn with a detachable collar.

The grandad shirt is a specific style of shirt from the UK that has a band collar.

The name Mandarin comes from Chinese officials who wore shirts with this type of collar.

Indian shirts may have this type of collar, called kurtas.

 

[back_to_shaving]

So band collars are pretty universal then huh?

 

[tankerjohn]

Ooo, fun topic. My favorite open collar is probably a button down with a nice roll. With a tie, a normal point work for me. I look goofy with anything too fancy.

As far as band collars - I am FAR from a sartorial expert. But here's what I always thought and I'd love to know where I'm mistaken:

Band collar - general term for this sort of collar
Granddad - short-to-no band; button closure
Mandarin - high band; clasp closure; on Western clothing, I think of it as more of a jacket collar than a shirt collar; in the military, we call it a "choker".

In the same vein, you could add the Roman collar, which is of course traditionally worn by Christian clergy...and Joe Exotic.

 

[Aldwyn]

I have never been a fan of the spread/cutaway collar. With that said, I own several with that collar type because it was "in style" and that was all my usual shops were carrying.

My favorite is the old school button down, or classic for dress shirts.

And when it comes to tux jackets... gotta be a scroll collar for me! Loves me some scroll collars!

So, anyone else a nerd like me and have a small collection of vintage tuxedo jackets?

 

[Natsoi]

For casual I like a button down and for formal with a tie I prefer a spread or cutaway.

 

[mata_66]

Here's a quick guide to some common dress shirt collars:
HSS Guide to Dress Shirt Collars