How Snug Should a Shirt Collar Fit?
While hunting for a perfectly fitted dress shirt, we rarely consider the collar fitting since most of our focus is on the fitting of the shirt around the torso, shoulders, and arms. However, this one mistake can ruin your aesthetic since a poorly fitted collar will grab everyone's attention at first glance, acting as a sore in the eye.
Thus, to avoid this styling mistake, you need to learn How Snug Should A Shirt Collar Fit. A general rule of thumb is that your collar should not be too tight to bite into your neck, nor should it be too loose to hang around freely. Instead, it should be snug enough to frame your face perfectly and keep the tie knot in place without choking your neck. In simpler words, your collar should be as tight as comfortably possible.
To achieve this perfect collar fitting, we usually recommend our clients go with the two-finger rule which is as follows;
Two finger rule
This rule is used to check whether a shirt collar is too tight, too loose, or fits just right. For this, you need to wear a shirt and button up the collar. If it's taking much effort or more than 10 seconds to button up the collar, it means it's too tight. However, if the collar can be buttoned easily, you need to slide your finger between the space between your collar and neck.
Try to insert your middle and index finger one inch deep down the collar. If you can do so easily, without pushing hard, it means the collar is perfectly fit. However, your fingers should not be running freely between the space between fabric and your neck but there should be some tightness as well. This way, on removing your fingers, you should feel properly comfortable without any pressure from the fabric.
If your dress shirt collar passes this two-finger test, it means the collar will be sufficiently tight and loose - loose enough to sit comfortably around your neck the whole day and tight enough to put all things nicely together without any absurd gap.
FAQs
Yes, like every other element of a dress shirt, collarss are also prone to shrink.
It's almost impossible for a tailor to alter collar size since this alteration may change the fitting of entire shirt, causing tension lines to appear.
To measure your collar size, you need to measure the area of your neck where the collar will sit. After measuring your neck around, add 1-1.5 inches to the measurements to provide room for comfort and easy movement.
