Shirt Types

If, when it comes to shirts, regardless of color, you are one of those who thought there were only two types - short-sleeved and long-sleeved - you urgently need to read this article... 

 

For shirts, obviously with long sleeves, and focusing on the color white, since no color in the world surpasses white in elegance, balance, practicality, and style (not even black), there will always be a collar type that suits a particular occasion better, makes a tie look better on you, or even enhances your facial features.

These are the most important collar types, what they pair best with, and what occasions they suit.

 

 

English Collar Shirt

It is a traditional shirt, the quintessential dress collar, characterized by longer points and the narrowest spread of all existing shirt collar types.

When wearing a tie, keep in mind that since the collar is narrower, the tie knot should be slimmer and tighter. It is a very formal and serious shirt, so to speak, making it ideal for work events, diplomatic occasions, and even funerals. 

 

 

The added touch of this shirt is its buttoned French cuff, which gives it greater elegance. If you want to break up the seriousness a little, wear fun patterned cufflinks, which will give you more style and a youthful touch. 

It suits all kinds of features, but especially rounder head shapes and people of short or average height, because it lengthens the neck and sharpens the contrast with the shoulders, making the chest appear broader. In short, it gives you extra inches and creates the optical illusion of losing about three kilos.

 

 

 

Italian Collar Shirt

Practical, comfortable, and elegant. Its semi-spread collar is not as closed as the English collar, nor as open as the cutaway. It allows you to tie simple or double necktie knots.

For those with, shall we say, more prominent heads and low necks - in other words, people who would never wear a turtleneck in their lives - this type of shirt is ideal. It has considerable spacing between the collar points, which are slightly shorter, making it perfect for wearing with a Windsor knot or even a bow tie. 

 

 

The space between its points makes large knots stand out perfectly. 

It flatters all face shapes, but is especially beneficial for the profile mentioned above because it creates a more streamlined illusion. 

The perfect accompaniment for this type of collar is French cuffs, which make it more elegant. 

 

 

Cutaway Collar Shirt

This design can be considered an evolution of the Italian collar with a small variation. It remains short, with spread points, but its distinctive feature is that the cut of the collar leaves includes a slight curve, making it more special and flattering.

This style is primarily chosen by men who follow fashion and the latest trends. Contrary to what many do, to make it look its best, it should be worn with a simple, very narrow tie knot.

 

 

This effect makes the face look more refined yet defined; in other words, the shape of the chin and cheekbones will be more noticeable, as the face’s volume is balanced toward the small tie knot within a well-positioned collar space. It is perfect for gentlemen with more angular faces. 

 

 

Shirt with an American or Button-Down collar

Originally, this shirt was worn as an elegant uniform by athletes. That is why it is common to see Anglo-Saxons wearing this garment with a tie and suit. In contrast, according to European tradition, wearing it with a tie is avoided, and it is reserved for more casual situations. Its collar, designed to be worn without a tie and to keep the points from opening, makes it a sport shirt. 

 

 

The collar is as closed as the English collar, making it very traditional as well. If you wear it with a tie, keep in mind that, since it is narrower, the tie knot should be slimmer and tighter. This shirt always has button cuffs.

Although it is classified as sporty or casual, when worn properly in white, this shirt adds an extra touch of elegance. 

 

 

Shirt with a wing collar or for a tuxedo

This shirt is reserved exclusively for ceremonies or gala events. It is a classic that will never go out of style and is always present at the most important moments the world has witnessed.

 

 

The collar design makes this shirt very striking. In addition, many fashion houses have added their special touch by incorporating printed designs, textures, and lace on the bib. A dress shirt with this type of “decoration” is best worn with a jacket that has no contrasting fabric on the lapel and with button cuffs.

What is truly interesting about this model is that, although it may seem to shorten the neck, it actually enhances it by making it look longer, because it creates distance from the bow tie, something that is not achieved with a tie that falls directly from the neck; as a result, any gentleman, regardless of his proportions, looks much more handsome.