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that much more quickly.
Innovations continued during the twentieth century. In 1920, the semi-stiff collar was
introduced by John Manning Van Heusen; eight years later, Cluett Peabody & Co.
invented the Sanforizing process, which prevented the shirt from shrinking when it was
laundered; and in the 1950s, Brooks Brothers became the first store to offer a
polyester-blend dress shirt, a move that, up until the oil crisis of the late 1970s, kept the
cost of shirts down and unfortunately had the effect of sanctioning the use of synthetic
fibers in the industry.
Since the 1950s, while manufacturers' changes have been few, styles have changed
radically. Paralleling the excesses of the Peacock Revolution, shirt collars grew to
disproportionate lengths while colors took on the nightmarish hues of Day-Glo paints
and subway graffiti. Today, the palette has sobered and the collar styles have returned
to more traditional proportions that are more in keeping with the current conservative
mood of the country. It's quite simple, really: fine-quality dress shirts are made of 100
percent cotton. Naturally, they cost more than polyester blends, but what you pay for is
unrivaled comfort and a look that bespeaks luxury and tradition. As a natural fiber,
cotton respects the natural needs of the body. It breathes, allowing the body to cool
itself when necessary, and its absorbs moisture when the body perspires. As the article
of clothing most in contact with the body, the shirt needs to act almost as a second
skin. Cotton performs this function best.
Beyond comfort, finely combed cotton shirtings look better because of the density of
their weave as well as because of cotton's ability to take color, thus giving a truer
response to dyes. There is a clarity and richness to their color which simply cannot be
duplicated with blended fabrics.
The natural sheen of fine cotton shirting is warm and subtle, not at all like the
harshness of pure polyester. Except during the 1920s, when, perhaps due to the
influence of those like the fictional Jay Gatsby, there was a brief flirtation with silk,
cotton has always been and continues to be the shirting fabric of the well-dressed man.
Once the shirt material has been examined, the next place to look is the shirt collar.
Indeed, there are some haberdashers who would suggest that this might be the first
place to look, since the collar is all one ever sees of the shirt, that and perhaps one-half
inch of cuff. In many respects, the shirt collar plays a role similar to that of the
silhouette of the suit. It sets the tone of one's dressing style and is probably the key to
the shirt's longevity.
Perhaps the most important aspect to consider is the relationship of the shirt collar to
one's own physical proportions. Proper balance is the ideal. If a man is large, with a
broad face and bullish neck, nothing will appear sillier under his chin than a tiny collar
- rounded, spread, or otherwise. Conversely, a high-set collar with 3 1/2-inch points
will overwhelm a small man with delicate features.
For the average-size man wearing a standard regular straight-point collar, the collar
points should be no smaller than 2 3/4 inches nor larger than 3 1/4 inches. A man much
larger would do better with a 3-inch to 3 1/4-inch collar. Generally speaking, the larger
the man, the larger the collar he can take. But one oughtn't push this notion too far. The
proportions of the shirt collar can either draw attention to a man's physical
irregularities or de-emphasize them, which is generally the more flattering course to
follow. Therefore, if you have a short neck, look for shirt collars that lie flat. If your
neck is particularly long, a higher band collar seems to shorten its length. No matter
what size you neck is, however, the shirt collar should always show approximately
one-half inch of material above the collar of the jacket. In the end, let common sense
prevail.
The ideal shirt collar forms an upside down V, with the edges of the collar meeting at
the throat. No space should be left between the edges. If the shape and width of your
tie is appropriate to the shape and size of the shirt collar, no extra space is ever needed.
Such collars are not always easy to find today because mass manufacturers want their
shirts to fit any size tie and knot. However, one should try to find shirts whose collars
have the least tie space between them so that a small elegant knot will not be left in a
vacuum between the collar points.
One more thing to remember about a shirt collar: a fine collar is always stitched around
the edges to stiffen and hold the folded material in place. In general, this stitching
should not be more than one-quarter inch from the collar's edge. The finer the shirt, the
finer the stitching. High-quality shirts are sewn with a single needle, which produces a
very small stitch - usually twenty-two to twenty-four to the inch. Contrast stitching will
act to destroy the quiet relationship between the tie and shirt and can easily appear to
be an affectation. No stitching at all gives the collar a cheap, mass-produced look.
In choosing the proper shirt collar to wear with a specific suite or sports jacket, one
must first consider the image the suit projects. Sports jackets and tweedy suits are
informal, casual. Obviously, then, they should not be worn with a highly starched
white collar but, rather, with a soft button-down or rounded collar, or perhaps even
with a straight-pointed collar that can be gathered together with a pin. For dark, more
dressy attire, one should wear a stiffer collar with sharp points that are straight or
widely spread, such as the short cutaway the Duke of Windsor used to sport.
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