Collar code

A crisp, neatly pressed collar is as old as the hills. It not only sends out a powerful message of conservatism but style gurus say that a collar, like your accent, instantly places you within a social structure. Long before all the fashion show parades, vivid season-inspired sartorial trends, ‘it’ or must-have accessories, etc. there was the white collar and blue collar, and — arguably the mother of all fashion statements — the flash of white collar.

“Removable collars were invented in 1827 by Hannah Lord Montague of Troy, New York,” informs designer Pallavi Mohan. She adds, “They fastened either at the front or the back of a shirt with a collar button, a stud on a shank, or shaft, that slipped through two small eyelets on a collar. They became popular money-saving items when clothing was custom-sewn and expensive. Collars detached from the body of shirts for laundering separately, which extended the life of the shirt. Even after shirts became mass-manufactured, removable collars remained popular.  Montague’s invention so impressed manufacturers in Troy that they began mass-producing detachable collars locally for sale to a world market. And that venture made Troy known as ‘collar city’, with twenty-five collar factories by 1897.”

She goes on, “One of the other most popular collars, the Peter Pan collar, came to life when Maude Adams, who played Peter Pan in a children’s play, wore the collar creating a significant trend. Therefore, this collar was back then quite commonly used in children’s clothing, especially boys who wanted to be like Peter Pan. It was around the 1920s that the Peter Pan collar evolved into the Club collar — smaller and well fitted with a collar pin, small tie knot, underneath a suit for a traditional look. The Tab collar also soon got introduced but instead of a collar pin, the Tab collar had two small tabs that you can attach to each other bringing the collar ends together.”  

There was a time when a man loosened his tie and top button, shaking the shape and stiffness out of his collar, to signify the end of the working day. Now, the opposite is true. Collars don’t mean work any longer. They mean fashion. And fashion is in a mood to party. “Party collars — the beady, sparkly and embellished ones — are everywhere these days. Dress up your black frock with a white shirt with a starched white collar underneath it or add a statement collar to your LBD to turn it into an edgy eveningwear. Go for strong colours, or different textures, or vivid embellishments, to turn up the volume. However, be careful not to go all the way to fairyland. You don’t want to look like a Tinkerbell in a costume,” asserts designer Mansi Bhasin.   

Most collared dresses opt for two colours, with a typically monochrome collar to contrast against either a print or other hue on the body of the piece. Designer duo Saaksha & Kinni share, “You can flip this formula and go for a dress with a collar that sports an oversized floral, making it the stand-out part of the garment.”

For those who are less keen on the collared look, try opting for a ‘blink and you might’ miss sort of subtle buttoned-up neckline on a dress. If you’re not sure about a collared dress the fits your style, don't feel pressure to go out and spend money on one. You can easily re-create the look using items you already have in your closet. Take a collared button-down shirt or even buy a detachable collar and wear it under your favourite dress, preferably one with a round neckline.”