Men’s Body Shapes: How Different Collars Can Change Your Look
A collared button-down shirt may just feel like a button-down shirt, but there are, surprisingly, many varieties for men to choose from. When it comes to men’s dress shirts, there are many styles of collars that accompany the button-down. There’s the straight-point collar, a wingtip collar, button-down collar, band collar, and many more. Each style of collar has a time and place and can dress up or dress down a pair of men’s dress pants.
In other words, you need different styles of collared shirts in your wardrobe: some are casual others are dressy, but all are necessary. Here are some common types of men’s shirt collars and how you can add them to your daily wardrobe.
A Straight-Point Collar
Men’s button-down shirts that have a straight-point collar are a more formal collar option. According to dmarge.com, straight-point collars have a distinct look. They are “cut using straight lines, which end in a point, and is distinguished by its small spread." Additionally, the style is “mostly associated with the traditional men’s dress shirt.” They’re great for all kinds of events but are most commonly seen at weddings and at office jobs, the article notes.
They’re a shirt style that goes well with men’s chino pants or men’s dress pants. For shoes, leather dress shoes are the best choice to ensure your look is appropriate for the formal occasion.
A Button-Down Collar
A button-down collar is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a collar with two small buttons that are attached to the shirt. According to the dmarge.com article, the button-down collar look is the most casual of dress shirts and is a great shirt to wear with a pair of jeans and boots.
In fact, many men’s flannel shirt collars have a button-down collar style, so you can likely imagine just how casual this type of shirt is. You wouldn’t wear your flannel shirt with a pair of dress shoes, right? Choose this shirt style for a day of errands when cheering on your kids at soccer practice. The button-down collar is a nice change of pace from the more formal collars that are normally associated with men’s collared shirts.
A Spread Collar
A spread collar button-down shirt is another formal shirt option, according to dmarge.com. “The style is best suited to formal occasions and traditionally worn with a larger knot tie,” the article says and notes that this shirt should never be worn without a men’s tie. This type of collared shirt is great for high-stakes business meetings or a fancy date night. It should be worn with dress pants and the most formal dress shoes in your closet. It’s a style of shirt that is meant for an occasion and will have you feeling special as soon as you button it up.
A Wingtip Collar
Choose a shirt with a wingtip collar only when you’re attending a very formal event like a black-tie wedding or a gala. This style of shirt pairs best with tuxedos but is not a necessary investment for most people. In most cases, according to the dmarge.com article, you can wear other formal collared shirts for dressy occasions.
A Polo Shirt
Men’s polo shirts are a less formal, but classic men’s shirt style. According to Merriam-webster.com, a polo shirt is “a close-fitting pullover often knit shirt with short or long sleeves and turnover collar or banded neck.” Polo shirts are seen in all kinds of environments: on the golf course, at the office, or for a casual day of running errands. The shirt style is versatile.
When worn with a pair of men’s jeans, polo shirts dress up the typically casual style of pants, making the jeans and polo look acceptable for a casual day at work, when worn with a pair of boat shoes or loafers. When worn with dress pants, polo shirts make the outfit a little more casual, ideal for parent-teacher conferences or an after-work happy hour. Best of all, polo shirts are usually made from soft, comfortable (and even stretchy) fabric that will keep you moving all day.
By investing in a few different styles of men’s collared shirts, you can have a full wardrobe of versatile shirts that can be worn for different occasions throughout your life. By just swapping in a different style of collared shirt, you can have an entirely new look ideal for all the day-to-day tasks.