Here's the thing about dress shirts. You need white, and you need black. Have you ever seen Cary Grant in a blue dress shirt?
- Tom Ford
- Tom Ford
It's time for another knowledge bomb and this time I welcome you to the wonderful world of the humble shirt collar.
The shirt collar is another part of menswear that seems to make people really confused and I'm regularly asked to make my suggestions on what shape, size and length guys should be choosing.
My number one rule when giving fashion advice is to suggest that you always keep your proportions correct. That holds true for when you're choosing your pant or shirt length (or like previously discussed, your lapel width) and I can't stress enough just how important it is when it comes to dressing and looking your best.
Just as the lapel draws your eye up towards the neck and face, the collar is generally the focal point of a shirt and your shirt collar will actually help to frame your face - Different collar styles will suit different face shapes and it's easy to choose the right style for yourself if you think of your face as a piece of art and your collar as the frame. Smaller pictures require a smaller frame and larger pictures a larger frame (and so on and so on).
The shirt collar is another part of menswear that seems to make people really confused and I'm regularly asked to make my suggestions on what shape, size and length guys should be choosing.
My number one rule when giving fashion advice is to suggest that you always keep your proportions correct. That holds true for when you're choosing your pant or shirt length (or like previously discussed, your lapel width) and I can't stress enough just how important it is when it comes to dressing and looking your best.
Just as the lapel draws your eye up towards the neck and face, the collar is generally the focal point of a shirt and your shirt collar will actually help to frame your face - Different collar styles will suit different face shapes and it's easy to choose the right style for yourself if you think of your face as a piece of art and your collar as the frame. Smaller pictures require a smaller frame and larger pictures a larger frame (and so on and so on).
Here is a good example of how a small collar can make a big face/head look bigger!
The right collar and proportions.
Another point to take into consideration is the shape and style of your collar; for example a collar with a medium to long point will slim down a wide face, a spread collar will counter-balance a narrow face. Guys with longer necks can also balance their proportions by raising their collar height.
Just remember that your collar should sit flush alongside the lapel of your jacket, giving a smooth transition from layer to layer and proper framing.
The perfect balance between a larger face/head and shirt collar
Another perfect balance, even when the jacket is open the collar sits neatly under the collar/lapel