# How tight are your shirt collars?



## qwerty (Jun 24, 2005)

I am having a bit of a crisis. I am worried that my neck is getting fatter.

I do not wear ties too often, but I have recently noticed that few of my shirts is 100% comfortable to wear buttoned. I can't tell if I have just become more sensitive to buttoning all the way up, or if my neck has outgrown several (about 20!) of my shirts.

What should one's neck measure with a tape measure if one wears a size 15 neck shirt?

I can fit two fingers in the side of the collar, when the fingers are placed side by side with the insides of both fingers touching my neck (so minimizing the distance between my collar and my neck). Still, though, the Adam's Apple area feels a bit tight.

Any advice? I am particularly interested in what one's neck should measure with a measuring tape if one's neck size shirt is X inches...


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## Hard2Fit (May 11, 2005)

I wear a 15 neck shirt. My neck measures just over 14.5 inches (tape measure snug at Adam's apple, no extra fingers for spacing). Be aware that shirts shrink (especially if you dry clean them regularly). I'd recommend measuring the neck (inside of collar from center of button to far point of button hole) of a shirt that fits you well. Record that number and then compare it to shirts that feel 'tight'.


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## Frank aka The Minotaur (Nov 12, 2004)

I had a big problem with shirt collars being too tight before I started losing weight. Most of my shirts are 17 1/2. But even now, having lost some weight that allows the 17 1/2s to be comfortable, I am buying 18s. My neck measures between 17 and 17 1/2 by tape measure. I rarely ever wear a tie, but if I do I now have enough 18s, just for a little wiggle room. And though I rarely ever wear a tie and have to button my collars, I wanted to be able to just on principle.

You may have to go up a neck size in shirts. I read that a man's neck does thicken as he gets older, but then it shrinks again in later years. My "uswag" (unscientific wild-ass guess) is that it's hormonal... testosterone fluctuations through mid- and later life. And then of course, there is the simple weight gain reason.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

Since high school, my neck has always hovered between 15 1/2 and 16 inches. Usually when the collars start to get tight, it's a signal I need to strap on the running shoes more often and drop a few pounds! Through trial and error, I've found the necks on "better" shirts like those from B2 tend to run true to size (maybe slightly bigger) and hold up best to repeatedly laundering. I like the value and relative quality of OCBDs from LE, but I find after a year or so of trips to the cleaners, they tend to shrink up (which is why I normally go up a half-size) in the neck and arms. I guess the lesson here is that you get what you pay for, as with most things in life. Stick with shirts from B2, Gitman, et. al.

BTW...I suspect Frank is correct. Even if we drop weight (or maintain weight as I have done) when we get older, hormones tend to make our bodies "thicker" for some reason.


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## marlinspike (Jun 4, 2007)

I think it's just that you are more sensitive since two fingers and one finger are both considered acceptable colllar tightnesses (with the distinction coming down to personal preference).


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## Keith T (May 15, 2006)

I would say that if you can comfortably fit two fingers between your neck and shirt collar that you should be all right. Collars buttoned all the way up aren't supposed to be particularly comfortable, I suppose, but they shouldn't be unbearable, or even distracting for that matter. FWIW, I wear 16" collars and my neck measures about 15.5 by tape.


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## EastVillageTrad (May 12, 2006)

"Wonder Button"

They work. https://jack0204.tripod.com/wonderbuttons/index.html


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## dpihl (Oct 2, 2005)

EastVillageTrad said:


> "Wonder Button"
> 
> They work. https://jack0204.tripod.com/wonderbuttons/index.html


I can attest to that.


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## Southern Comfort (Jul 25, 2007)

Since I rarely wear ties, I have a "tie neck size" of 16 and a casual shirt neck size of 15 to 15.5. Therefore, all of my dress shirts are a 16. Sometimes I can get away with wearing one without a tie, but it often feels too loose.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

Someone who wears a tie every day will usually not notice a slightly tighter collar than will the occasional tie wearer. I personally can't stand even a hint of tightness around my throat. My dress shirts are all Land's End Tailored Fit which allows me to buy a slightly larger neck size and still have a shirt that fits everywhere else without alterations. Of course you could do this with just about any shirt that comes in a slim fit.


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## bd79cc (Dec 20, 2006)

My neck measures between a 16" and a 16-1/2". A Brooks 17" OCBD fits loose, but without too much gapping or bunching. I like my collar and tie to be loose enough for me not to notice them during my daily functions, _e.g.,_ eating, whipping my head around to eye an interesting pair of cordovan loafers, craning my neck to peek over a high shelf, _etc._ This allows me to be comfortable in a tie all through the day.


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## rsmeyer (May 14, 2006)

EastVillageTrad said:


> "Wonder Button"
> 
> They work. https://jack0204.tripod.com/wonderbuttons/index.html


Also available at J. Press


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

rsmeyer said:


> Also available at J. Press


I was in J C Penney yesterday and they had them at the check out counter in the Menswear Dept.


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

Sadly, I have gone from a 15 1/2 to a 16 1/2 in thirty years.


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## Bog (May 13, 2007)

I buy only shirts that fit loosely around the collar. Why? Because they shrink, and because if you have a thick neck, and have a lot to say, and you do it wearing a tie, you need to breathe a well.

This is the real reason most people are going tie-less, and why those who wear bespoke suits and MTM shirts are always looking so comfortable even though they are dressed up and wearing ties all day.

So, when RTW choosing shirts, make sure the collar fits loosely, three fingers.

If this means that the shirt fits like a balloon, you need to head over to the tailor and get it altered. This is cheaper than buying MTM and results in a fine fit almost as good.

See: 
https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=72547


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## msphotog (Jul 5, 2006)

I normaly wear a 17-1/2-36, but I have noticed recently that my BB Non-iron shirts measure about 17-3/4 or 18, even though they have been laundered quite a few times. I have also noticed that my OCBD's that are non-non-iron are exactly 17-1/2. They are also somewhat tight, and I'm wondering if maybe the shirts are made with a little extra in the neck, but the non-non-iron OCBD's shrink a little more. What do you all think?

Mark S.


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

I've had a similar impression:

Based on my (rather limited) experience w/ noniron shirts, they do seem to shrink less in the collar. It must be the resin coating somehow.

Should you decide that your collars have become decisively too tight but you feel loath simply to discard the shirt or shirts, Mike Maldonado of Maldonado Custom Shirts in San Antonio, TX, can replace the collar with a custom-made model (any shape or style you want) of a larger size for $20:

https://www.collarreplacement.com/

He'll do white contrast collars (my normal choice) of course, but if you prefer a "self" collar he'll craft a fresh one out of a piece of your shirt's tail which he then replaces with a panel of near-matching fabric (obviously we're talking tuck-in shirts here):

I've used Mike's services to my great satisfaction--he recently salvaged one of my favorite T&A shirts--and have found that he's very engaging and enjoyable to work with (Mike is a real "shirt guy" who loves his work).

I should also mention that if you do have any old shirts that you no longer want but whose bodies are still in good shape, you can send them to him and he'll donate them (with new collars and cuffs attached) to a nearby transitional men's shelter in San Antonio and give you a $5 credit per shirt on your account:


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

The general rule of thumb, IMO, is to add 1/2 inch to whatever your neck measures, unless you like your collars tight.


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## Orgetorix (May 20, 2005)

My bare-skin neck measurement is 15.75 inches. A 16 inch collar is comfortable, so long as it doesn't shrink. If I anticipate shrinkage with a particular shirt, I go 16.5 inches.


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## philm (Jun 17, 2007)

KenR said:


> Sadly, I have gone from a 15 1/2 to a 16 1/2 in thirty years.


That is an interesting proportion over time. I've gone from 14 1/2 to 17 (and probably should be doing 17 1/2 in forty or so years.

I've found that BB is best for the looser collar that, as someone said above, shrinks slightly into a comfortable feeling and collar roll after a few washings. Hickey Freeman has great roll but tends to be a bit tight. So does F. A. MacCluer. However, Gitman Bros and Talbott seems always to be just right for comfort around the collar. I've had problems around the neck with Kenneth Gordon and don't buy those any more because of the tightness. Nothing against that brand; it is probably just moi.


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## philm (Jun 17, 2007)

KentW said:


> The general rule of thumb, IMO, is to add 1/2 inch to whatever your neck measures, unless you like your collars tight.


+1 . . . I read this rule somewhere else also. I also would rather have collars a bit tighter than looser for better presentation of the roll and the tie knot. I've had BB's that nearly cover up the knot the first few times I've worn them. This point might respond to some of the information provided above. It is a highly individual thing.


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## cglex (Oct 23, 2006)

As time goes by, our necks get thicker, even with a constant weight. Also, collars shrink. So get measured and buy a new shirt. As an example, I have an old BB 16 1/2 that feels tight, a few newer ones at that size that feel good, and a recent Hemranji that measured at 17 1/4 and is splendid.


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