Shirt collar oddities - Boardwalk Empire Shirt Collars

[scotrace]

The whole thing is in a thread here
It appears to be a size 38.

 

[Shfle]

i'll never understand what they were trying to achieve with the mid teens trend for stiff collars with no tie gap:

it looks like the poor tie knot is trapped behind some stuck elevator doors waiting for them to open.

not to mention how uncomfortable that stiff collar looks.

I've got a collar like that (A reproduction one from Darcy clothing). It's not quite as uncomfortable as it looks, in fact it's fine, so long as you don't need to do anything overly energetic in it, like bend your neck

 

[Claudio]

Not from BE but an oddity non the less. Here is Mussolini in late 20's/early 30's sporting what looks to be a polo shirt with a 'dipped' back collar, the same detail you would see in mid 60's and I later picked up in the late 90's for my line of shirts (still the only one doing this off the peg)
Not a detail you see often and wouldn't think it goes so back in time

 

[herringbonekid]

Claudio, i have a 1940s Euro shirt with that feature. short sleeved too. i'll try and post a pic later.

 

[Claudio]

Nice, thanks. Really different that detail, something I personally wouldnt expect in that early time period (after all its totally useless and is purely exthetical). The 60's of course was all esthetics and stylistic experimentation but late 20's for such a minute detail to exist I find very interesting.

 

[Fastuni]

The buttonable collar back is a detail that can be found on German WW2 field-shirts as well.

 

[Claudio]

with the 'dip' Fastuni or you mean just the back button?

 

[Dostioffsky]

Back on the topic of bib-shirts, these two just arrived from ebay!



They are really nice. Completely unworn and with nice, long sleeves! The bib-fronts are lightly starched and backed with some sort of canvas. So they are relatively heavy/sturdy and they take shirt studs. The white fabric doesn't seem like cheap replacement at all. It has a nice embroidered fancy diamond pattern.

As to the reason for the bibs, my best guess is that in the case of this shirt, it's the same as with formal dress shirts: neat looking, but where possible, light and comfortable. And if comfort is the reason and not money, why not have fancy diamonds?




Close-up of the embroidery-pattern:

 

[herringbonekid]

great shirts Dosti !

will you wear them with a waistcoat or do you want to show the bib off ?

 

[Dostioffsky]

Thanks!

I think I'll do both. Wearing with a waistcoat and jacket really makes the horizontal stripes stand out. But I like the contrasting bib look too. Even if it looks a bit illogical (or perhaps, because it looks a bit illogical )

 

[Fastuni]

Claudio, both the dip and button.

 

[Dostioffsky]

To continue our conversation from the British workwear thread about collars and specifically collars with link buttons...

The 'Pinehurst' in the following picture is the closest example I have found of what looks like a 'tape link' two buttons attached to a tape. You can see something that looks like it could be the tape underneath the tie. You can also see that both sides of the collar are pulled together. As opposed to the 'Hanbury' where the buttons are placed on the band, more like a button-down collar.

This picture also clearly shows the difference between 'button on band' and 'tape links' (or 'button tapes', they use a few variations on the term) collars.

It also shows the 'Tooke hook', which is a piece of elastic (?) tape with with two hooks that attaches on the inside of the collar.

More pictures of the Tooke hook:

Lastly, there is also this system:

And an actual picture of what seem to be 'tape links':

A little while ago I made myself this collar trying out the link button-system. Just two buttons attached to a bit of thicker thread. Works and looks well I think, just a bit of a hassle to put on...

 

[esteban68]

Great stuff , those adverts are great and good work on the collar....I have a Tooke tie somewhere.

 

[herringbonekid]

thanks for posting these Dostioffsky !

 

[simonc]

Dostioffsky how did you link the buttons, elastic? What do you think they were originally linked with?

 

[Dostioffsky]

I just used a bit of thread. Works well enough to hold the collar together, but of course it is not quite ideal.



I don't know exactly what they used back then, in the Tooke ads it's always referred to as 'tape', so I image it's that. But how they attached the buttons to the tape..?

Elasticity doesn't seem to be needed, but it might make it easier to put the collar on. It's a bit annoying having to put the button through the buttonhole from the inside, while your tie is also in the way. Although it is still quicker/easier than a collar bar, I think. You don't have to a lot of adjusting.

By the way, I just saw the dress shirts thread on your forums. That link button club collar shirt looks fantastic!

 

[Dostioffsky]

1919 Picture of Walt Disney with a 'button on band' collar (I think?)

 

[herringbonekid]

yes, those ads are curious. i've seen no illustrations or photographic evidence of striped collars worn with plain shirts, but knowing how whacky that period was i wouldn't be surprised if it happened !

Well, if, apparently, they tried to sell coloured collars they might as well have sold striped ones! Though I haven't seen any pictures of them either..

1923:

 

[Nick D]

I don't know exactly what they used back then, in the Tooke ads it's always referred to as 'tape', so I image it's that. But how they attached the buttons to the tape..?

Home-sewing patterns from the '20s for mens shirts with this feature indicate a piece of 1/4" twill tape with the buttons sewn on either end.

 

[Dostioffsky]

1923:

[/IMG]

Ha! So they did exist! Do you like the look? I think it works quite well with the striped tie.

Home-sewing patterns from the '20s for mens shirts with this feature indicate a piece of 1/4" twill tape with the buttons sewn on either end.

Oh, great! Thank you for that information!