Duke of Windor's shirt collar

[Concordia]

Interestingly the collar actually comes with a fair amount of tie space, but it seems Brosnan tightened his tie for each shot.

I had T&A pull out Brosnan's pattern and make me some shirts with this collar, which they did, and as you can see from the below photo, there is quite a bit of tie space there:



BB

I've said elsewhere that President Reagan was known within T&A to have his collars made without a top button. That way, no matter what kind of salty food, jet lag, or other stress he was under, he could simply tighten his tie until the collar fit perfectly. One of the benefits of spending your early career on camera and being graded on your appearance.

[bond_and_beyond]

A video this time showing the Duke's collar in all its simplicity and elegance:

https://media.gettyimages.com/videos/ed ... d537650294

BB

[voxsartoria]

The notion that the body of a dress shirt should fit closely is a relatively modern one, and a function of shirts that button from neck down all the way to the hem.

A man of the Duke's generation would have been accustomed to shirts that one would have to pull over your head. If you think about this, since most dress shirt material is not very stretchable, the body would need to be at least as wide as one's shoulders, making for a square rather than tapered fit to the waist.

I've posted photographs of Tony Biddle's shirts from Charvet elsewhere where one can see this clearly. You should be able to search for these images.

So, even when such men were convinced to modernize their shirt configuration, I suspect they felt far more comfortable with the roomy fit of their youth rather than a snug contemporary fit.

[couch]

Vox, thanks for this. I'm sure you're right. You remind me of the scene in "Swann in Love" (based on Proust's Swann's Way), set in fin de siècle Paris, in which Charles Swann (Jeremy Irons) is dressing with the assistance of his valet. Indeed the fastidiously pressed linen shirt is drawn over his head before the collar is attached. And eventually wrapped in a very fitted waistcoat and frock coat. The film was nominated for a BAFTA Film award, and won the French César award, for best costume design.

[Concordia]

So-- for pop-top shirt not worn casually, a waistcoat helps. I wonder if DB was also considered appropriate there? Or if the prospect of unbuttoning once in a while made a full-length placket inevitable?

[Nem500]

BB

Looks great. (I would love a few meters of his shirting.)

It looks like he is wearing a wool or heavy silk tie, the knot is probably more substantial than it appears at this oblique angle, and there is a good deal of tie space, so the overall dimensions of the collar might a little bigger. But whatever the size of the collar what should earn our attention, above all else, is the perfect balance of the collar. Take it up in size or bring it down, according to your build, it will look understated and elegant for its balance.

Cheers

Interesting point. Has the club ever produced shirting?