Convert shirt to button down?

[Popol]

I've got a few dress shirts that I mostly wear with the top button undone and I was wondering: is it possible to convert the regular medium spread collar into a button-down collar? Also, if it is possible just how easy do you guys think it would be? I'm pretty sure the collar is supple enough to make into a button-down provided that I remove the tabs but besides that, should I have any concern that I might ruin a good dress shirt? It's a project I want to try and I would appreciate input, whether it comes from experience or pure speculation I'm open to it.

 

[binge]

Who will be doing the conversion?

 

[Popol]

Me and a friend who studies in fashion design. We have all the tools to create button holes and such but I just don't want to forget something trivial and ruin my shirt.

 

[Mr.K]

It is very easy to do. I had my tailor put the holes on a coupe of my shirt collars and then add the buttons.

 

[KObalto]

I wonder if the collar will have enough roll if you do this.

 

[chrisb0109]

Quite simple and will turn out well if the collar is not too stiff and if your friend has practice with the buttonhole machine. They can be finicky.

 

[Don Carlos]

Originally Posted by KObalto

I wonder if the collar will have enough roll if you do this.

Most likely it will not. Proper button-down shirts are designed with a softer collar from the outset. So it's not just the buttons on the button-down collar that matter. Converting a non-button collar into a button-down collar simply by adding buttons is a bit like painting an apple orange and then calling it an orange.

 

[Tomasso]

I have some button down collars that were intentionally cut without a roll and with stays. They function similarly to a tab collar.

 

[VANDERHAHN]

How did this turn out? I'm considering doing the same with several of my shirts. Thanks!

 

[VANDERHAHN]

How did this turn out? I'm considering doing the same with several of my shirts. Thanks!

 

[Bounder]

I have done this. It works fine, especially for casual wear. Though you may not get the perfect roll that, this being SF, people are always going on about.

I have even taken this a bit farther. Most dress shirts are quite large. Even many slim-fit shirts are larger than you might want to wear casually, especially without a jacket. But if you have no intention of ever buttoning the top button -- not unreasonable with a button-down collar -- you can size down so that the shirt actually fits properly. I have several shirts I've added buttons to that have the collars an inch too small and they're great.

You can also play around with different collars. I have some of the only semi-spread OCBDs on the planet.