We need an explanation as to these developments.
(OK I'll play)
Here’s the best explanation direct from my own wardrobe:
Over half of my tailored clothing collection is British and all of the cloth it is made of is British.
All of my shoes are British.
All of my hats, and umbrellas are British.
All of my knitwear is British.
All of my ties are British. (Yes, Marinella ties are British.)
Not a single of my 150 piece bespoke shirt collection is British.
British industry makes fine shirts and it has and will continue to do just fine without my custom.
I just found much better elsewhere.
But back to my point:
The shirt's collar is the soul of a great shirt. The very first question out of a new clients mouth when visiting a tailor should be "let me see your collars!" Tiny collars with no tie space should send you out the door in no time flat.
How many times over the last decades have I seen men wearing thousands of dollars of custom clothing who wind up looking like hobos because their shirtmaker has let them down. Even a moments perusal of the current set of the web’s fashion gadflies will confirm this calamity.
I have written tomes, published articles in prestigious journals and filmed full length feature videos on the subject of the nexus of shirt collar and tie. To no avail…the hobo look is impervious to critique.
And yet, makers like T&A did make awesome collars once upon a time, for Prince Michael in the 80s. They were maybe a bit exaggerated for most tastes, but I would take princely over hobo in a heart’s beat.
The shirt is the most important first step in bespoke. Neglect this fundamental lesson at your peril. And the shirt’s collar is the most important first step in shirts. So pay close attention to its crafting. And the second most important feature in a proper shirt is a high arm hole, yes, just like in your coats. If the shirt does not have a high, properly sized and shaped armhole, it works against the comfort of the coat and nullifies it. And few glorified MTM shirts are made with correct armholes. The computer doesn't know how to make them.
Tiny collars are for tiny men with tiny style.
And tiny, splayed open collars with no tie space where the tie’s knot is crushed, hidden and otherwise molested from each side are nothing short of a sartorial atrocity.
And tiny, splayed open collars with no tie space where the tie’s knot is crushed, hidden and otherwise molested from each side that are too small and makes its wearer resemble a blow fish complete with bulging eyes…well, you get the idea…that is what I normally see you all wearing. Burn the shirts and start over.
Cheers
PS: As regards the degree of openness in a collar: if you make a mistake, make it on the side of being too closed. The wide open so called and falsely called “French” collar that look like twin, thin helicopter blades is the ultimate in arriviste bad taste.
90% of my bespoke shirts are English. The maker is a deliciously grumpy man who likes to scare some of this customers but has never let me down. His shirts fit, basta for me.