Things That Please Me

nickelcobalt:

drinkinanddronin:

Glad to see a high leaf-collar explained as it’s normally not explained.

Most makers will offer a basic ‘B’ height (something you will find on nearly every RTW shirt). From there, custom shirt makers will provide the option to raise the leaf higher to a ‘C’, ‘D’, or even ‘E’. In my opinion, NEVER go above a ‘D’ unless you want to look like an Edwardian caricature as GW states.

Beyond the letter for the leaf collar, there are numbers for the point and spread length. Makers will sometimes differ but the ones I’ve seen and experienced will have the first number as the spread width (pin point - 3/modified spread - 4/traditional spread - 5/English spread - 6/Straight away spread - 7) and the second number will notate the length of the point (3” - 2/3.25” - 3/3.5” - 4/3.75” - 5/4” - 6).

Obviously, if you’re in an appointment for shirts…you will not need to explain all of this to the degree I have listed. The tailor should know exactly what you want through a little detail explained, as well as to offer assistance to build the collar that your frame and proportion will need.

For instance, my personals will normally involve button-down collars that are rolled to C54 and my dress collars are explicitly C55 and C64.

mostexerent:

FYI - The bottom three pics are of my bespoke Ascot Chang shirts. AC are the only shirt makers that have been able to accommodate my sloped shoulders & not so tall neck with a 2 button band. What’ s most impressive is that it only took 2 fittings. For sure money & time well spent. Whilst many bemoan the entry price for a shirt from Ascot Chang, let’s not forget you get what you pay for.

putthison:

The High Collar

I’ve always liked slightly higher collars. Such collars are made with a taller collar band, longer collar points, and are designed to sit a bit higher on the neck. The result is a quasi-Edwardian look that I think has a bit more panache. This style was popular seven or ten years ago among certain style enthusiasts, but I think it has since lost its cache. In Rome and Naples, however, many well-dressed men seem to still wear them. 

To wear such collars, you need to consider a few things. First, though the collar will always peak out from your jacket a bit more than orthodoxy would advise, you need to make sure its relationship to your neck stays within some range. If the collar is too tall, it can quickly end up looking like a neck brace. As such, if you have a short neck, you should avoid these altogether. Second, I’ve found that the collar points have to be made just right. The points should be slightly longer in order to maintain a balance, and they should be constructed with a softer interfacing. This will allow the more prominent collar to look soft and casual, not stiff or domineering. 

You may also want to consider getting two-buttons on the band. This helps prevent a couple of things. First, because the collar band is quite tall, a single button can act like a hinge and allow the band to rotate, which would then create an awkward opening below the collar. Having a second button helps act as a lock to prevent that rotation. The other problem, which is almost always present on any collar, is that the left side can droop down a bit. This is because the left side of the band goes over the right when its buttoned, so it essentially holds the right side up. When you have only one button, centered from the top to bottom, the left side can fall, so you need a second button to keep things in place. 

Of course, it can be difficult to find this off-the-rack, and even custom makers will have to go through a few iterations before they get something that looks right on you. After all that time and effort, you may find that you don’t like high collars after all. If you do end up liking it, however, I think it can add a really nice detail to a tailored look. 

* Photos taken from Ethan Desu, MostExerent, and The Sartorialist

this is now the most menswear tumblr post in history

I was talking to the tailor on Saturday about higher collars. Really interesting to see how different ones look on me. When I get ready to have a few custom shirts made, I’ll likely go up one size from normal to account for my longer neck and overall height.