William Shakespeare in a sheer linen collar of the early 17th century, a direct ancestor of the modern shirt collar.

In clothing, a collar is the part of a shirt, dress, coat or blouse that fastens around or frames the neck. A collar may also be a separate or detachable accessory worn around the neck. Image File history File links Shakespeare. ... Image File history File links Shakespeare. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... A baby wearing many items of winter clothing: headband, cap, fur-lined coat, shawl and sweater. ... Business shirt In American English, shirt can refer to almost any upper-body garment other than coats and bras (the term top is sometimes used in ladieswear). ... Look up dress in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Double-breasted coat, 1876 For other meanings than clothing, see Coat (Disambiguation) A coat (a term frequently interchangeable with jacket) is an outer garment worn by both men and women, for warmth and/ or fashion. ... A blouse A blouse most commonly refers to a womans shirt, although the term is also used for some mens military uniform shirts. ... For other uses, see Neck (disambiguation). ...

Origins

The Oxford English Dictionary traces collar in its modern meaning to c. 1300. Today's shirt collars descend from the ruffle created by the drawstring at the neck of the medieval chemise, through the Elizabethan ruff and its successors, the whisk collar and falling band. The Oxford English Dictionary print set The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP), and is the most successful dictionary of the English language, (not to be confused with the one-volume Oxford Dictionary of English, formerly New Oxford Dictionary of English, of... Portrait of a woman wearing a heavily ruffled cap, 1789 . In sewing and dressmaking, a ruffle or frill is a strip of fabric, lace or ribbon tightly gathered or pleated on one edge and applied to a garment, bedding, curtain or other textile as a form of trimming. ... For other uses, see Neck (disambiguation). ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... Fashionable young men in early 16th century Germany showed a lot of fine linen in a studied negligence. ... Elizabethan redirects here. ... == Ruff of c. ... A Band is a form of formal neckwear, worn by some clergy and lawyers. ...

Separate collars have existed alongside attached collars since the mid-16th century, usually to allow starching and other fine finishing. Starch (CAS# 9005-25-8, chemical formula (C6H10O5)n,[1]) is a mixture of amylose and amylopectin (usually in 20:80 or 30:70 ratios). ...

Terminology

• Band - a strip of fabric that fastens around the neck, perpendicular to the body of the garment, to which a collar proper may be attached.
• Collar stiffeners, bones or stays - strips of metal, horn, mother of pearl, or plastic, rounded at one end and pointed at the other, inserted into a man's shirt collar to stiffen it and prevent the points from curling up; usually inserted into the underside of the collar through small slits but sometimes permanently sewn in place.
• Points - the corners of a collar; in a buttoned-down collar, the points are fitted with buttonholes that attach to small buttons on the body of the shirt to hold the collar neatly in place.
• Spread - the distance between the points of a shirt collar.
• Stand - the band on a coat or shirt collar that supports the collar itself.

Fig. ... Collar stays (sometimes known as collar bones, and in the UK, collar stiffeners) are shirt accessories. ... This article is about metallic materials. ... Highland cow, a very old long-horned breed from Scotland. ... A piece of nacre Nacre, also known as mother of pearl, is an organic mixture of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of platy crystals of aragonite and conchiolin (a scleroprotein). ... For other uses, see Plastic (disambiguation). ... A small flat button Metal, plastic and leather shank buttons. ...

Types of collars

Collars can be categorized as:

• Standing or stand-up, fitting up around the neck and not lying on the shoulders.
• Turnover, standing around the neck and then folded or rolled over.
• Flat or falling, lying flat on the shoulders.

Collars may also be stiffened, traditionally with starch; modern wash-and-wear shirt collars may be stiffened with interfacing. Shirt collars which are not stiffened are described as soft. Starch (CAS# 9005-25-8, chemical formula (C6H10O5)n,[1]) is a mixture of amylose and amylopectin (usually in 20:80 or 30:70 ratios). ... Interfacing is a common term for a variety of materials used on the unseen or wrong side of fabrics in sewing. ...

The shape of collars is also controlled by the shape of the neckline to which they are attached. Most collars are fitted to a jewel neck, a neckline sitting at the base of the neck all around; if the garment opens down the front, the top edges may be folded back to form lapels and a V-shaped opening, and the cut of the collar will be adjusted accordingly. The neckline is the top edge of a garment that surrounds the neck. ... The word lapel can mean:- In standard office-type jackets, each of the two triangular pieces of cloth which are folded back below the throat, leaving a triangular opening between. ... Cut in clothing, sewing and tailoring, is the style or shape of a garment as opposed to its fabric or trimmings. ...

Collar styles

Names for specific styles of collars vary with the vagaries of fashion. In the 1930s and 1940s, especially, historical styles were adapted by fashion designers; thus the Victorian bertha collar, a cape-like collar fitted to a low scooping neckline, was adapted in the 1940s but generally attached to a V-neckline. For other uses, see Fashion (disambiguation). ... Brief introduction on the history of fashion design and designers Fashion design is the art dedicated to the creation of wearing apparel and lifestyle. ... Windsor Castle in Modern Times by Landseer depicts the Queen and the Prince Consort at home in the 1840s. ...

Some specific styles of collars include:

• Ascot collar or stock collar, a very tall standing collar with the points turned up over the chin, to be worn with a cravat.
• Band collar, a collar with a small standing band, usually buttoned, in the style worn with detachable collars.
• Barrymore collar, a turnover shirt collar with long points, as worn by the actor John Barrymore. The style reappeared in the 1970s; particularly during that time it was often known as a "tapered collar", and could accompany fashionable wide ties on dress shirts.
• Bertha collar, a wide, flat, round collar, often of lace or sheer fabric, worn with a low neckline in the Victorian era and resurrected in the 1940s.
• Buster Brown collar, a wide, flat, round collar, sometimes with a ruffle, usually worn with a floppy bow tie, characteristic of boys' shirts from c. 1880-1920.
• Butterfly collar, same as wing collar.
• Button-down collar, a collar with buttonholes on the points to fasten them to the body of the shirt.
• Cadet collar, same as mandarin collar.
• Chinese collar, same as mandarin collar.
• Cape collar, a collar fashioned like a cape and hanging over the shoulders.
• Chelsea collar, a woman's collar for a low V-neckline, with a stand and long points, popular in the 1960s and 1970s.
• Clerical collar, band collar worn as part of clerical clothing
• Convertible collar, a collar designed to be worn with the neck button either fastened or unfastened.
• Cossack collar a high standing collar opening to one side and frequently trimmed with embroidery; popular under the influence of the 1965 film Doctor Zhivago.
• Detachable collar or false-collar, a collar made as a separate accessory to be worn with a band-collared shirt.
• Eton collar, a wide stiff buttoned collar forming part of the uniform of Eton College starting in the late 19th century.
• Falling band, a collar with rectanglar points falling over the chest, worn in the 17th century and remaining part of Anglican clerical clothing into the 19th century.
• Fichu collar, a collar styled like an 18th century fichu, a large neckerchief folded into a triangular shape and worn with the point in the back and the front corners tied over the breast.

Gentleman in a Gladstone-collared shirt and a coat with a velvet collar, 1876.

• Gladstone collar, a standing collar with the points pressed to stick out horizontally at the side-fronts, worn with a scarf or ascot; popularized by the British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone.
• Grandad collar, same as band collar.
• Imperial collar, a stiff standing collar for men's formal wear; sometimes referred to as a poke collar
• Jabot collar, a standing collar with a pleated, ruffled, or lace-trimmed frill down the front.
• Johnny collar, a women's style with an open, short V-neck and a flat, often knit collar.
• Lacoste collar, the un-starched, flat, protruding collar of a tennis shirt, invented by René Lacoste.
• Mandarin collar, a small standing collar, open at the front, based on traditional Manchu or Mongol-influenced Asian garments.
• Man-tailored collar, a woman's shirt collar made like a man's shirt collar with a stand and stiffened or buttoned-down points.
• Mao collar, a short, almost straight standing collar folded over, with the points extending only to the base of the band, characteristic of the Mao suit.
• Medici collar, a flared, fan-shaped collar with a V-opening at the front popular in the 1540s and 1550s, after similar styles seen in portraits of Catherine de' Medici.
• Middy collar, a sailor collar (from midshipman), popular for women's and children's clothing in the early 20th century
• Mock or mockneck, a knitted collar similar to a turtleneck but without a turnover
• Nehru collar, a small standing collar, meeting at the front, based on traditional Indian garments, popular in the 1960s with the Nehru jacket.
• Peter Pan collar, a small, flat, round-cornered collar without a stand, popular for women's and children's clothing in the mid-20th century.
• Pierrot collar, a round, flat, limp collar based on the costume worn by the Commedia dell'Arte character Pierrot.

Poet collar: Lord Byron

• Poet collar, a soft shirt collar, often with long points, worn by Romantic poets such as Lord Byron, or a 1970s style reminiscent of this.
• Poke collar, a stiff standing collar for men's formal wear; also referred to as an imperial collar
• Prince of Wales collar, a dress-shirt collar style inspired by Edward VIII when he was Prince of Wales. A cutaway collar, like a Windsor collar, but not as wide-set, less stiff, and with longer points.
• Revere collar, flat V-shaped collar often found on blouses.
• Rolled collar, any collar that is softly rolled where it folds down from the stand (as opposed to a collar with a pressed crease at the fold).
• Round collar, any collar with rounded points.
• Ruff collar a high standing pleated collar popular in the renaissance period made of starched linen or lace, or a similar fashion popular late seventeenth century and again in the early nineteenth century.
• Sailor collar, a collar with a deep V-neck in front, no stand, and a square back, based on traditional sailor's uniforms
• Shawl collar, a round collar for a V-neckline that is extended to form lapels, often used on cardigan sweaters, dinner jackets and women's blouses.
• Spread collar, a shirt collar with a wide spread between the points, which can accommodate a bulky necktie knot.
• Swiecicki Collar (U.S.), a popular Polish collar worn by bankers.
• Tab collar, a shirt collar with a small tab that fastens the points together underneath the knot of the necktie.
• Upturned collar, an otherwise flat, protruding collar of either a shirt (especially a tennis shirt), jacket, or coat that has been turned upward, either for sport use, warmth, or as either a "fashion signal" or a perceived status symbol.

Van Dyke collar: Triple portrait of Charles I of England by Anthony van Dyck.

• Van Dyke or vandyke collar, a large collar with deep points standing high on the neck and falling onto the shoulders, usually trimmed with lace or reticella, worn in the second quarter of the 17th century, as seen in portraits by Anthony Van Dyck.
• Windsor collar, a dress-shirt collar that is slightly stiff, with a wide spread (space between the points) to accommodate a Windsor knot tie. Popularized in the 1930s.
• Wing collar (or, incorrectly, wingtip collar), a small standing collar with the points pressed to stick out horizontally, resembling "wings", worn with men's evening dress (white tie or black tie); a descendant of Gladstone collar. Used by barristers in the UK and Canada.
• Wing or whisk, a stiffened half-circle collar with a tall stand, worn in the early 17th century.

Modern neckties, shown here tied as if they were on a person, may be found in a plethora of colours and designs. ... A Band Collar is a standing band-shaped collar that encircles the neck without a full turndown or a collar cape. It can be any height or stand, but is usually under 2 at the front, so as not to push up into the chin. ... This article is about John Barrymore, Sr. ... For other uses, see Cape (disambiguation). ... On the right, an example of a Clerical collar. ... Clerical clothing is non-liturgical clothing worn exclusively by clergy. ... Embroidery in silk thread on linen, 19th century Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with designs stitched in strands of thread or yarn using a needle. ... Doctor Zhivago (Russian: Доктор Живаго) is a 1965 film directed by David Lean and loosely based on the famous novel of the same name by Boris Pasternak. ... The false collar is a detachable collar fastened by two metal studs, one attached at the front and one at the back to hold the collar to the shirt, using a false collar on a shirt means the shirt can be washed with no need for the starched collar, which... The Kings College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor, commonly known as Eton College or just Eton, is a public school (privately funded and independent) for boys, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. It is located in Eton, near Windsor in England, north of Windsor Castle, and... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... Clerical clothing is non-liturgical clothing worn exclusively by clergy. ... Fichu I (Courtesy of Dictionary. ... Some dogs are adorned with neckerchiefs or bandannas, as an extenion of their owners personality. ... Image File history File links Major-General_The_Hon. ... Image File history File links Major-General_The_Hon. ... In astronomy, geography, geometry and related sciences and contexts, a plane is said to be horizontal at a given point if it is locally perpendicular to the gradient of the gravity field, i. ... This article is about the article of clothing. ... William Ewart Gladstone (29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British Liberal Party statesman and Prime Minister (1868–1874, 1880–1885, 1886 and 1892–1894). ... Skirt with narrow knife pleats at the hip line, 1929. ... For other uses, see Lace (disambiguation). ... Portrait of a woman wearing a heavily ruffled cap, 1789 . In sewing and dressmaking, a ruffle or frill is a strip of fabric, lace or ribbon tightly gathered or pleated on one edge and applied to a garment, bedding, curtain or other textile as a form of trimming. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... René Lacoste Jean René Lacoste (July 2, 1904 - October 12, 1996) was a famous French tennis player, businessman, and innovator, nicknamed the crocodile by fans; he is now mostly known as being the namesake of the Lacoste tennis shirt, which he introduced in 1929. ... A mandarin collar is a short unfolded stand-up collar style on a shirt or jacket. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... Zhongshan suit The Mao suit, also known as Chinese tunic suit or tunic suit, is the western name for the style of male attire known in China as the Zhongshan suit (Traditional Chinese: 中山裝; Simplified Chinese: 中山装; pinyin: Zhōngshān zhuāng, or Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhōngshān fú); named after... Catherine de Medici (April 13, 1519 – January 5, 1589) was born in Florence, Italy, as Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de Medici. ... A midshipman is a subordinate officer, or alternatively a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the navies of several English-speaking countries. ... The Nehru jacket is an article of clothing that originates in India and became popular in the West in the 1960s. ... Commedia redirects here. ... Harlequin and Pierrot, André Derain commedia dellarte c. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Romanticism largely began as a reaction against the prevailing Enlightenment ideals of the day. ... Lord Byron, English poet Lord Byron (1803), as painted by Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, (January 22, 1788 – April 19, 1824) was the most widely read English language poet of his day. ... == Ruff of c. ... This article is about maritime crew. ... For other uses, see Uniform (disambiguation). ... The word lapel can mean:- In standard office-type jackets, each of the two triangular pieces of cloth which are folded back below the throat, leaving a triangular opening between. ... A cardigan is a type of sweater/jumper with buttons or zips down the front; by contrast, a pullover does not open in front, but forms a solid tube around the torso. ... For the grappling position, see double collar tie. ... KNOT is a commercial Classic Country music radio station in Prescott, Arizona, broadcasting to the Flagstaff-Prescott, Arizona area on 1450 AM. Query the FCCs AM station database for KNOT Radio Locator Information on KNOT AM radio stations in the Flagstaff-Prescott, Arizona market (Arbitron #151) By frequency: By... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... A tennis shirt with an upturned collar An upturned collar is an otherwise flat, protruding collar of either a shirt, jacket, or coat that has been turned upward. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Anthony van Dyck, Charles Is court painter, created the famous Charles I, King of England, from Three Angles, commonly known as the Triple Portrait. ... Anthony van Dyck, Charles Is court painter, created the famous Charles I, King of England, from Three Angles, commonly known as the Triple Portrait. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. ... Self Portrait With a Sunflower Sir Anthony (Anton) van Dyck (22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish artist who became the leading court painter in England. ... Reticella is a needle lace dating from the 15th century. ... Self Portrait With a Sunflower Sir Anthony (Anton) van Dyck (22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish artist who became the leading court painter in England. ... Horizontal is an orientation relating to, or in parallel with the horizon, and thus perpendicular to the vertical. ... Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with Commonwealth Prime Ministers, in the 1950s. ... Formal evening dress is more strictly regulated than other forms of dress, and properly consists of: Black tailcoat with silk (ribbed or satin) facings, sharply cut-away at the front Black trousers with a single stripe of satin or braid in the US or two stripes in Europe White stiff... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... British barristers wearing traditional dress. ...

Extended meanings

From the contrast between the starched white shirt collars worn by businessmen in the early 20th century and the blue chambray workshirts worn by laborers comes the use of collar colors in job designation, the "workforce colorwheel". Examples are blue-collar, pink-collar and white-collar. A blue-collar worker is a working class employee who performs manual or technical labor, such as in a factory or in technical maintenance trades, in contrast to a white-collar worker, who does non-manual work generally at a desk. ... A pink-collar worker does work that is traditionally or most likely done by women, or work that is performed in an office-environment but does not require the professional training of white-collar work. ... White-collar workers perform tasks which are less laborious yet often more highly paid than blue-collar workers, who do manual work. ...

Modern cultural significance

The act of "popping one's collar" is one which turns the collar up from its resting position so it stands on its own around the neck. It is a sign of self-aggrandizement in flirtation. The act is especially cherished in the popular American rock culture of the 1970s and is finding a revival in modern hip hop. A tennis shirt with an upturned collar An upturned collar is an otherwise flat, protruding collar of either a shirt, jacket, or coat that has been turned upward. ... Flirting is often described as casual conversation with a romantic touch, but it need not be spoken interaction at all. ...

See also

• Chemise
• Dress shirt
• Necktie
• Polo neck
• Ruff
• Shirt
• Top button
• Upturned collar
• Collar (disambiguation)
• Collar (BDSM)

Fashionable young men in early 16th century Germany showed a lot of fine linen in a studied negligence. ... In American English, a dress shirt is a mens shirt with a collar, a full-length opening up the front from the collar to the hem, and full length sleeves with cuffs. ... For the grappling position, see double collar tie. ... An example of a classic polo neck. ... == Ruff of c. ... Business shirt In American English, shirt can refer to almost any upper-body garment other than coats and bras (the term top is sometimes used in ladieswear). ... A Top Button is the highest button on a shirt, holding the collar of the shirt together. ... A tennis shirt with an upturned collar An upturned collar is an otherwise flat, protruding collar of either a shirt, jacket, or coat that has been turned upward. ... Generally, a collar is something which goes around the neck. ... A BDSM-style collar that buckles in the neck. ...

References

• Oxford English Dictionary
• Picken, Mary Brooks: The Fashion Dictionary, Funk and Wagnalls, 1957. (1973 edition ISBN 0-308-10052-2)

The Oxford English Dictionary print set The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP), and is the most successful dictionary of the English language, (not to be confused with the one-volume Oxford Dictionary of English, formerly New Oxford Dictionary of English, of...

External links

• Stylopedia -- an online dictionary of fashion details
• ApparelSeach glossary of textile and apparel terms
• Collar Styles - Image gallery of various collar styles