Why do my collars look like this...?

[sonvolt10]

Invariably, whatever dress shirt I've bought (Lewin, Armani, Tyrwhitt, Boss, etc.) or had made (Jantzaen, MyTailor, Saks, etc.) my collars wind up looking terrible with the button area bending and folding down. It looks very sloppy and ill fitting. Why???

How do I get a shirt collar that lays flat and looks clean and neat?

(A related question: Why do collars such as this one that appear large enough to wear comfortably, still wind up stangling me?)

This a Lewin shirt that was received 2 weeks ago and laundered one time. (I loosened my tie so the problem is clear)

Attachment 17149

 

[rexor12]

I get exactly the same problem with some of my shirts. Im thinking it has something to do with ironing and then hanging on in an improper way. Because it usually happens after washing a brand new shirt

 

[grimslade]

rexor may have a point. Do you button the collar when you hang your shirts and use a decent shaped hanger?

 

[sonvolt10]

This particular shirt was folded after being laundered.

Usually, I will leave the shirt on the wired hanger from the cleaners.

 

[FIHTies]

When the cleaners irons (steams it actually) it they dont take care to fold the collar along the seam where it is joined to the shirt. so the shirt rolls by the collar and pulls the rest of it down.

If they would fold it sharply at the seam you would have less of this problem.

 

[HORNS]

Originally Posted by FIHTies

When the cleaners irons (steams it actually) it they dont take care to fold the collar along the seam where it is joined to the shirt. so the shirt rolls by the collar and pulls the rest of it down.

If they would fold it sharply at the seam you would have less of this problem.

This makes the most sense to me.

 

[Sterling Gillette]

This happens due to incorrect fit in the neck area. Your collar band seems to wide so that it rumples slightly when you fasten your tie knot in order to achieve the width that would be right for you. The curling above the top button is simply a result of the button placement being wrong for your neck.

 

[Chouse]

Could be button placement as mentioned before. But I also had this happen with shirts that were simply a little bit too tight with too small neck size...

 

[Smahatma]

Mine do the exact same when laundered by the local cleaners. If I wash and iron them myself, taking care to press the collar properly, I have no such issue.

 

[Despos]

Proper laundering and pressing is the solution. Poor construction is the cause. Most of the brands mentioned are fused collars and the fusing shrinks. The outside edge of the collar leaf becomes smaller from shrinkage and it pulls and bends the collar band. That is why your collars are too small after laundering as well.

 

[whiteslashasian]

Originally Posted by Smahatma

Mine do the exact same when laundered by the local cleaners. If I wash and iron them myself, taking care to press the collar properly, I have no such issue.

I get this problem on some of my collars that are slightly large and when I don't iron them properly in this area.

It's not as big of a problem on the better fitting collars or when I iron carefully around the area.

 

[spatten]

Originally Posted by Sterling Gillette

This happens due to incorrect fit in the neck area. Your collar band seems to wide so that it rumples slightly when you fasten your tie knot in order to achieve the width that would be right for you. The curling above the top button is simply a result of the button placement being wrong for your neck.

At first this seemed like a plausible answer to me, but then I couldn't fathom what would be unique about his neck that would cause the neck band to be too wide.

Rather it does look like the collar is pulling the collar band down. I could see this happening because of either poor ironing, or because one side of the collar shrink when fused and sewn.

It's actually rather tricky to sew a fused collar so that it doesn't curve, as one side (the noninterfaced side) stretches more than the interfaced side.

 

[The_Foxx]

yep, agreed-- because you have your shirts sent out for cleaning, and they mash the **** out of the collars to finish them. Good shirt laungering is hard to find, in my opinion.

You can either steam iron the unfolded collars out on your ironing board at home before putting them back on the hangers (I did this for a while, and it corrects the problem) or better yet launder and iron at home. i went to the latter and have not regretted it since, other than my Saturday mornings are a little busier at home (well, when I'm not working overseas).

 

[Cordovan]

+1

Sending shirts out to the dry cleaner will do this.

Cordovan

 

[Ricardo Malocchio]

All those brands have fused collars? Even Jantzens and Tyrwhitts? I'm truly surprised, and that's a deal-breaker for me.

After wrestling for far too long with these "one wash and they're ruined" shirts, I've only purchased Barbas, Borrellis, a couple of Isaias and 1 Kiton in the past few years.

And after having to re-press all the collar-mashed shirts I'd get back from the cleaners, I started laundering my own. After doing this a couple of times, I've found it to be so easy. 1. Treat collar/cuff/underarm stains with Oxyclean, Borax soap, etc. 2. Wash like-colored shirts in gentle cycles with Tide-Free or similar. 3. Smooth out the damp shirt and hang it over a chair or on a hanger until it's nearly dry. 4. Iron while still slightly damp (makes it much easier) and put it on a hanger with collar button-buttoned and collar carefully folded into position.

So, basically, buy shirts with better collars and care for them yourself (though I remain surprised that all those brands have fused collars... ugh!).