Different collars offer a different amount of spread around the Neck. When choosing a collar you need to think of your own sense of style and the type of Neck Tie you will be wearing, or even if you will be wearing a Neck Tie at all. As you can see from the photo of the different Neck Ties Knots above, The Half Windsor Knot is larger than the Windsor Knot and the Four In Hand Knot is the smallest of them all. We offer an extensive array of different collars, although any of the Knots shown above can be worn any of the traditional business collars we offer, some are more applicable than others, but this is purely a personal choice. All of the collar photos below are shown using a Four In Hand Knot.
The Knots shown in the photo above can easily be tied, Neck Tie Knots can be learned by clicking on the link above.
The Traditional Collar is the collar that you will find on most "standard" or store bought shirts. Although you can wear a neck tie with a Windsor or Half Windsor Knot, this collar has a smaller spread and is ideal for a Four In Hand Knot. A Traditional Collar with a neck tie using a Four In Hand Knot is a basic style that is very common with American executives. If you are not wearing a neck tie, there will be a slight spread with the collar but it should still be comfortable to wear.
The Tab Collar is business collar and can only be worn with a neck tie. When determining the size of the tab to be used, we factor in the size of the Neck itself. We will normally cut smaller Necks with a 3/4" tab and larger Necks with a 1" tab. That gives the customer enough flexibility to choose the Tie Knot that is most appropriate. If you want to "squeeze" the tab sides together a Four In Hand Knot is probably most appropriate.
The Band Collar is purely an informal collar, it is a great collar to wear for business casual. If you close the top button for a more formal look you can wear it with the appropriate blazer. It can also be worn un-buttoned and is great for a casual Linen Shirt or Silk Shirt. A Band Collar is not just for the clergy!
The Button Down Collar is as traditional as it gets. The Button Down Collar can be worn with a Neck Tie or it can be worn without in a more casual style. Because of the way the collar adjusts, you can wear any Tie Knot that you want but this would be another collar where a Four In Hand Knot is probably most appropriate. In a twist to the traditional Button Down Collar, we also offer an Inside Button Down Collar where the buttons are on the inside of the collar (invisible) and attach to a tab on the inside. What you end up with is similar to a Tab Collar where the collar halves are held down. You can see this Collar below.
The Pin Collar - Straight Collar is another business collar where the neck tie gets squeezed between the collar halves. Instead of using a tab to achieve that, a pair of holes are cut into the collar so that a Tie Pin can be thread between the halves and keep the spread small. The Tie Pin has to be purchased by you, we do not sell or provide them. This collar is not appropriate for wear without a neck tie. The type of knot that you use is up to you and the size of your Tie Pin, but a Four In Hand Knot is probably best.
The Pin Collar - Round is another business collar where the neck tie gets squeezed between the collar halves. It is the same as the straight collar except the bottom edges are rounded for a softer look. Instead of using a tab to achieve that, a pair of holes are cut into the collar so that a Tie Pin can be thread between the halves and keep the spread small. The Tie Pin has to be purchased by you, we do not sell or provide them. This collar is not appropriate for wear without a neck tie. The type of knot that you use is up to you and the size of your Tie Pin, but a Four In Hand Knot is probably best.
The Quarter Spread Collar is one of the larger spread collars that we offer, this is sometimes considered a more "European" collar. The Quarter Spread Collar is halfway between the Traditional Collar (little spread) and the Half Spread. With a Quarter Spread Collar it is more appropriate to use a Windsor Knot or a Half Windsor Knot. The fullness of these knots covers some of the spread at the collar. These collars can be worn without a neck tie but you might find that the collar points will stick up on your collar bones making he back of the collar not rest flush with your Neck, but instead will bowing away.
The Half Spread Collar has the largest spread that we offer, this is sometimes considered a more "European" collar. The Half Spread is cut so the spread looks somewhat vertical on your shirt. On a Half Spread Collar it is more appropriate to use a Windsor Knot or a Half Windsor Knot. The fullness of these knots is going to help cover some of the spread at the Neck. These collars can be worn without a neck tie but you might find that the collar points will hang up on your collar bones and make the back of the Neck of your collar not rest flush with your Neck, but instead will bow out away from the back of your Neck.
The Wing Collar is a tuxedo collar and can only be worn with a Bow Tie.
The Round Collar is the same collar as the Traditional Collar except the points are rounded for a softer look. This collar is best used with a Four In Hand Knot but could be used with other knots. Sometimes this is called the "Great Gatsby Collar" because this collar was popular in the 1920s and was shown in the movie. Today this collar is not very common, but can be worn for a unique style. This collar can be worn without a neck tie, we sometimes get requests for a Round Collar on short sleeve linen shirts.
The Inside Button Down Collar is the same as the standard Button Down Collar except the buttons are placed inside the collar. A tab is also added to the inside of the collar so that they can attach to the buttons. This way you can have the collar stay in the same position as the Traditional Collar but have the collar points stay close to the shoulder blades at all times. This collar is another option if you like the Tab Collar but do not like to "squeeze" the two halves of the collar together.
The Close Spread Collar is another unique collar, it has very little spread with the collar halves coming almost straight down. The edges of the collar are rounded for a softer look. There is a small space at the top of the collar for wearing a neck tie. This shirt should be worn with a neck tie. This collar is sometimes called a "Soprano Collar" or "Mafia Collar" or even a "Good Fellas Collar" because it is as close as you will get to the collars worn in that movie. The spread of the collars in the movie was extreme, with this collar you can still wear a neck tie normally.
NOTE: Standard dress shirt collar height is 3" fold to tip in the front and 1 3/4" in the back. If you want a different collar height just mention that in the special instructions section of your order.
You can select internal contrasting collar/cuffs on your dress shirts. This option allows you to add some style to your shirts. The combinations you can create are almost limitless due to the large number of fabrics we sell at execshirts. If you do not want this option just leave it blank and we will not add this to your shirts.