Collars and cuffs: the choices made before cutting

Questions people ask

Can a collar be changed after the shirt is made?

Only by unpicking the shirt at the yoke and building a new collar, which costs more than the difference between any two choices made at the order. The collar is constructed first, with its own interlining, and it is one of the parts holding the garment’s shape. Decide it at the order and it costs nothing. That is the general rule of made-to-measure work: the decisions that cannot be undone are the cheap ones, provided you make them at the right moment. Two minutes at the order is worth more here than anything that can be done to the shirt later.

Which collar suits my face?

Point or semi-spread for a wider face, cutaway or spread for a narrower one, button-down if you mostly wear shirts open-necked. Semi-spread is the collar that works on almost everybody and with or without a tie, which is why it is the sensible default if you are unsure. Bring a shirt whose collar you already like and it can be measured off and reproduced exactly, which beats any description.

What collar height should I choose?

Taller if you have a longer neck or want the collar to fill the gap at the back of a jacket, lower if you want something cooler and less insistent. Height is the measurement most people inherit rather than choose, and it affects how the shirt feels far more than shape does. Too low and the collar vanishes under a jacket; too high and it presses at the neck all day. Height is decided at the order rather than discovered later. It is worth choosing deliberately.

Single or double cuffs?

Single buttoned cuffs for ordinary wear, double cuffs with links when you want the formality. In Bangkok the climate is a real argument: a double cuff is two layers of cloth folded back at the wrist and it is noticeably warmer. Depth matters more than either, and it is set against your wrist.

Can I have a different collar on each shirt?

Yes. The pattern holds your body measurements, and collar and cuff are chosen per shirt on top of that. Ordering three shirts with three different collars is an ordinary request, and it is a good way to find which one you actually reach for before committing to a set. The body measurements stay the same across all of them; only the collar and cuff change.

What is a cutaway collar for?

It opens out towards the shoulders and leaves room for a wider tie knot, which is why it reads as formal and deliberate. Worn without a tie the points have nothing to frame and can look adrift, so choose it if you wear ties and something narrower if you mostly do not.

Do you make button-down collars?

Yes. It is the least formal of the collar shapes and the most comfortable open-necked, because the points are fastened to the shirt and stay where they are put. It is not the collar to choose for a suit and tie, where an unfastened point collar or semi-spread does the job better.

Can you copy the collar from a shirt I own?

Yes, and it is the shortest route to a collar you like: height, shape and spread are measured off the garment and reproduced. The shirt is not cut up and goes home with you. Bring it in, or photograph it on WhatsApp first if you want to check before travelling. Bring the shirt on your first visit and the measurement is taken in a couple of minutes.