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A dress shirt collar is like the frame of a painting it can make or break a masterpiece that surrounds it. But this important piece of menswear anatomy is somehow hidden from view. While getting the fit of your dress shirt collar correct can make for a significant difference in your appearance, both in terms of your comfort for a long day of wear and your appearance, getting the collar fit correct is an annoying mystery of men’s style. In this article, we’re going to shoot some sunlight into the darkness of a dress shirt collar fit to reveal information any guy can use to improve his comfort and how tight should a dress shirt collar be.
The Value of a Dress Shirt Collar That Fits Well
Your shirt’s collar is not an incidental appurtenance. Try a collar that’s too tight, and you’ll feel strangulated. You come across a collar that’s too loose as a blasé or lazy person might wear a wreath. A collar that doesn’t fit makes you look wrong as if you’ve just rolled out of bed. And all too obvious to the exacting eye of a fashionista, a poorly fitting collar can alter your attitude at the very least during your day.
The Impact on Comfort and Confidence
The ‘fishtail’ effect of your dress shirt collar shouldn’t cut off your breathing, let alone your movement. You should skim the height of your collars’ ridges with your index and middle fingers when buttoned up, allowing for enough space to slip in at least two fingers. Any tighter, and you have a problem any looser, and you have a larger problem.
Understanding Collar Fit
How tight should a dress shirt collar fit? This is a factor of three separate ideas: we need to define what we mean by ‘collar fit’, and then we need to know the options available.
What Exactly Is Collar Fit?
The fit of the collar refers to how well your shirt collar works with your neck, which is a function of your neck’s circumference and the specific shape of your collar.
Why Does It Matter?
An ill-fitting collar will skew the proportions of the whole of your attire. This can result in a rumpled mess that, in the working world, can say more than you want it to. A collar that is too tight will simply be uncomfortable, creating a circulation problem, and leading to that prickle you can’t quite free yourself of all day.
The Devil Is in the Details: The Perfect Collar Fit
And in one place your collar should sit perfectly. There are several other things to think about to make that perfect fit for your shape your silhouette, and your style.
Factors Affecting Collar Fit: How Tight Should A Dress Shirt Collar Be
Neck SizeThe first step to finding the right fit is to know the circumference of your neck. To determine if your shirt collar is the right size. Collars differ in diameter.
Collar Type: Does this design have a spread collar, a pointed collar, or a band collar? Details on fit come with the different types: spread collar requires a larger neck than a pointed collar, etc.
Tips for Determining the Right Collar Fit
Common Collar Fit Mistakes to Avoid
Under-tightening a tourniquet doesn’t stop anything from escaping, but over-tightening it introduces a whole set of complications. Similarly, ‘fit’ goes too far when it results in bad style choices and everyday discomfort.
Too Tight Collars
A shrunken, fitted shirt can be hip, but a collar that’s too small is anything but. It forces constant adjusting, and leaves an ugly mark around the neck before lunch. At worst can lead to headaches from pressure on the cranial nerves near the base of the skull.
Too Loose Collars
A necktie long tie, on the other hand, is rigidly masculine and therefore conspicuously out of place A collar that’s too big has that ‘rumpled’ look that is rarely deliberate. It also loses its usefulness when you wear a tie.
Adjusting Collar Fit: Tailoring and Tricks
Some of them might even be willing to take a shirt in exchange if the collar size is just a bit off. When you pay for a shirt, upon entering the dressing room you become less of a consumer and more of a tailor.
Tailoring Options for Improving Collar Fit
Professionals be able to take in or let out a shirt collar for a better fit in the neck circumference. The spread or shape of the collar might be adjusted to your liking (provided the collar type permits such adjustments).
DIY Adjustments and Tricks
For the slightly DIY inclined: collar stays to add some structure to a floppy collar re-sewing part of the button placket to close up a gap slightly.
Conclusion
The collar of your dress shirt is likely the very first thing people see when they look at you so it’s worth taking the extra time to get it right, don’t you think? A little knowledge regarding what makes for a good fit, what to look out for, and which pitfalls you can avoid. As well as having some simple tools and tricks at your disposal, can help to ensure that your collar fit is checked and balanced for all eventualities.
Therefore, the next time you’re buying or buttoning up a dress shirt. Take an extra glance at how your collar fits. And always remember that it’s how you wear it, as much as what you wear, that dictates your style. Doesn’t your dress shirt collar want to make you feel good? Let’s put our throats back where they belong, out in the open, so that style can be seen by others.
A dress shirt’s collar tends to make or break your entire look. And can affect whether you feel comfortable and look confident all day. Your collar is already a large portion of your outfit; don’t fail with it. If you’ve taken the tips in this article into consideration, your collar will always be on your side.
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