Contrast collars are the new skinny ties

I'll give our old friend Ralph some credit here; he's been trying to make contrast collars The Hot New Thing for at least a year now. And it seems to be working. I see them everywhere these days: be it on TV, in magazines, on the street, etc. Most often worn tieless with jeans, distressing though that news may be to the more conservative dressers here.

Just a bit annoying, as I am a big fan of contrast collars/cuffs, and now I risk looking trendy.

Where are we on the hype cycle for this look?

Originally Posted by Arrogant Bastard

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I'll give our old friend Ralph some credit here; he's been trying to make contrast collars The Hot New Thing for at least a year now. And it seems to be working. I see them everywhere these days: be it on TV, in magazines, on the street, etc. Most often worn tieless with jeans, distressing though that news may be to the more conservative dressers here.

Just a bit annoying, as I am a big fan of contrast collars/cuffs, and now I risk looking trendy.

Where are we on the hype cycle for this look?

Stuck on backlash for the last 5 years?

Originally Posted by Macallan9

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Stuck on backlash for the last 5 years?

Well, then we're entering backlash to the backlash if that's the case.

Originally Posted by Arrogant Bastard

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Just a bit annoying, as I am a big fan of contrast collars/cuffs, and now I risk looking trendy.

Where are we on the hype cycle for this look?


God forbid.

If you care about not appearing trendy, you're no better than people following the trends. What difference does it make?

Originally Posted by chrisb0109

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God forbid.

If you care about not appearing trendy, you're no better than people following the trends. What difference does it make?

Sorry, I'll remember to use my <joke></joke> tags next time.

Originally Posted by Arrogant Bastard

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Most often worn tieless with jeans, distressing though that news may be to the more conservative dressers here.

I think a contrasting club collar shirt looks fine with jeans.

I would not compare them to skinny ties but they do seem to be making a greater apperance in the past couple of months. Skinny ties I fee while vastly popular over the last year really isn't all that great of a look, just some over done gorish fad. where as contrasting collars have been around for sometime now, it is a very elegant and classy style and I am glad it is making a resurgence. Only now I will not stand out as much when I wear them, if others are joining the ranks.

I am going on 20 years wearing them, they will come into fashion, and fade out of fashion, and I won't notice.

When my friends and I go to happy hour, it always seems that the loudest, most obnoxious/miserable assholes in the bar are the guys harassing the waitresses and proudly sporting loud, ill-fitting, light blue shirting with a bright white collar.

These are the guys who hit on girls mercilessly claiming that they're "bankers" when, in fact, they are bank tellers or - at best - one of those guys who calls you from your local bank after your balance has exceeded some arbitrary amount ($10,000) and they want you to stop in as soon as possible so that they can 'splain all the amazing **** they can do to your account now that you're a super duper highfalutin VIP customer of the bank.

These douches have permanently turned me off to a classic look, one that traces back to a day when rich men showed off their wealth and ability to clean their detachable, starched collars after each wear by commissioning a contrasting collar for their blue shirting. Dah, well. Collars don't detach any more (unless you're Bown's Bespoke and you're into costumish get-ups), so this look has outlived its usefulness anyway.

Beware the bright white collar on the light blue shirt. It is steadily firming-up its place as the international sign of douchebaggotry, something of a sartorial Von Dutch or Ed Hardy.

It seems the majority of RTW shirts are blue with a white contrast collar and that if you want something other than blue, then you have to go MTM or bespoke.

Pity.

I have several shirts with contrast collars, and have had contrast collar shirts in my rotation for a decade.

In fashion, already on backlash, possibly farther. For the stylish guy where it's a part of his rotation, then i say rock on.

Originally Posted by harvey_birdman

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I have several shirts with contrast collars, and have had contrast collar shirts in my rotation for a decade.
There seems to be some misunderstanding/confusion here. I wasn't really starting this thread to weigh in on whether contrast collars are "new" or "classic" or "stylish" or any other qualifier other than that they appear to be quite trendy all of a sudden. I've worn some in my rotation throughout my professional life; I am not disputing that they are a classic item. Was just commenting on the fact that, while always stylish, they are now fashionable (or, perhaps, recently were). This took me by surprise, as they had never really been trendy or fashionable in my lifetime prior to very recently. Other than in Wall St circles.

Originally Posted by Arrogant Bastard

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I'll give our old friend Ralph some credit here; he's been trying to make contrast collars The Hot New Thing for at least a year now. And it seems to be working. I see them everywhere these days: be it on TV, in magazines, on the street, etc. Most often worn tieless with jeans, distressing though that news may be to the more conservative dressers here.

Just a bit annoying, as I am a big fan of contrast collars/cuffs, and now I risk looking trendy.

Where are we on the hype cycle for this look?


I think it looks good. It kind of reminds me of the 80s banker look. I like it. Wall Street style.



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Am I the only one who thinks contrast collars (almost) always look bad?