Brooks Brothers’ collars: Londoner and Button-Down

16668 Views 8 Replies 8 Participants Last post by smile, Nov 17, 2010

P C

Discussion Starter · May 25, 2009 (Edited)

Hello. I am new to this forum. I am very fortunate to have discovered this website; otherwise, I’d have made many costly mistakes. I am considering purchasing MTM Shirts from Brooks Brothers. They offer me many types of collars, though I prefer two: the Londoner and the Button-Down. Londoner would be for dress shirts; Button-Down, sport shirts. These choices are predictable, but I’d like to make sure that I'll make the right decision. I am a young man with a long neck and a narrow inverted-triangle face. Any suggestion regarding these collars is much appreciated.

Button-Down Collar with Rolls:
I have heard that button-down collars are not suitable for individuals with narrow faces. Being a member of that group, I am a little bit hesitant to wear this type of collar. Despite reasons, I am really attracted to this type of collar, since it looks neat unbuttoned. But ordinary button-down collars do not posses the same level of spread to counteract the narrowness of my face. What would you think of button-down collars with rolls as offered by Brooks Brothers and lands’ end? From my perspective, the rolls make the collar appear less narrow? Is this a figment of my imagination? Would adding more tie space enhance this effect? Are tie spaces ever sartorially acceptable?

Below, you can see a custom button-down shirt I received from Lands’ end. It has not been washed yet; so it might still shrink.

Londoner Collar:
From my understanding a spread collar or a cutaway collar (a.k.a. Londoner for Brooks Brothers) would be most suitable. However, I am curious whether the Londoner would be too spread and too formal to be worn with a sport coat or a blazer. Is this type of collar business-appropriate or versatile?

I realise that I have asked many questions, but I really appreciate inputs from those who are more experienced. Thank you.

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My Pet. A Pantsuit

· #2 · May 25, 2009

I have a Londoner collar that I wear off and on with a sportcoat, mostly because I have ties and sportcoats in colors vibrant enough that they bounce off of one another rather well. Many Londoner-collared shirts come with French cuffs, which makes wearing them with a sportcoat tricky at the least, but since you're looking at the MTM route, you'll be able to cover that base.

The Brooks button-down (AKA: polo) collar isn't nearly as large as the LE shirt you have on, and truthfully, I haven't seen a gentleman on whom it looks bad. It is certainly one of the most versatile collars, and can easily be demoted to a casual shirt simply by removing the tie (or not wearing one to begin with)

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Monorailcat

· #3 · May 26, 2009

I think its just fine to wear a spread collar with anything. The formality is in the way you wear it and what it looks like(i.e. i have a rather dressy striped T&A shirt that also white collar and cuffs that is just a bit too formal and is hard to dress down, not that all contrast collared shirts are impossible to wear casually)

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JibranK

· #4 · May 26, 2009

The thing I don't understand is the purpose of contrast collar button downs.

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Matt S

· #5 · May 26, 2009

I think the Londoner is too formal for a sports coat or blazer. For business in America, the English spread is as wide as you should go. The Londoner is great for special occasions.

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amplifiedheat

· #6 · May 26, 2009

IMO, even a pretty wide spread looks fine open-necked with an odd jacket. (And the secret to dressing-down French cuffs is the silk knot.)

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P C

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 27, 2009 (Edited)

Dear All,

Thank you very much for all of your replies. They help me understand the choices better. From what I gather, the Londoner might be a bit too formal unless it is de-formalised (not sure whether this is a word) through these means:

1)Wear silk knots instead of cufflinks with precious stones or metal. (Would small mother-of-pearl or glass links be acceptable?)
2)Avoid contrasting white collars and cuffs.
3)Wear less conservative ties or jackets to complement the wide collar.
4) Choose pattern fabrics instead of solid fabrics.

Mister Alan Flusser once said that one should avoid a collar that has a spread greater than 130 degree, for it makes a narrow face even narrower. Is Londoner such a collar?

What do you think of the 2-button button-down collars offered by Brooks Brothers? From what I gather, it is preferable to wear the 1-button button-down collar unbuttoned. Would 2-button button-down be too many buttons when worn unbuttoned? I have a long neck, so I'd like to compensate. Also, should I decide to wear a tie with a button down, is it a good idea to tie a smaller and tighter knot than usual to make the collar appeared wider? BB also offers two options for Button-Down: with rolls and without rolls. The button-down-without-rolls are slightly shorter. Is there a reason where this might be more preferable? Thank you very much for your suggestions.

Matt S said:
I think the Londoner is too formal for a sports coat or blazer. For business in America, the English spread is as wide as you should go. The Londoner is great for special occasions.

I also have an MTM shirt with an English spread from Brooks Brothers. It is a very good shirt with a wonderful construction. I'll post a picture when I have an opportunity. The only foible I find with this collar is the length of the points; they are too short for the spread. Having a long neck, I prefer 2-button collars. As a result, the points do not quite touch the shirt when I wear my necktie. It is hardly noticeable, but I hope to avoid this problem with the Londoner, which has longer points. Perhaps I should go with the Ainsley instead.

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PJC in NoVa

· #8 · May 27, 2009

P C said:
I also have an MTM shirt with an English spread from Brooks Brothers. It is a very good shirt with a wonderful construction. I'll post a picture when I have an opportunity. The only foible I find with this collar is the length of the points; they are too short for the spread. Having a long neck, I prefer 2-button collars. As a result, the points do not quite touch the shirt when I wear my necktie. It is hardly noticeable, but I hope to avoid this problem with the Londoner, which has longer points. Perhaps I should go with the Ainsley instead.

I own several BB RTW shirts with the Londoner collar. Like many cutaways, its leaves have a compact (maybe even slightly stubby) quality. If constructed with a higher, two-button collar band, such a collar could prove too short-pointed and end up with its points being levered up into the air and away from the collarbones by the height of the band. A collar's elements, such as band height and point length, have to harmonize. Fool with one too much and you can throw the other one off. I'd talk this over with the fitter (hopefully an experienced BB salesperson) before I decided to team a higher band with short points. Just my two cents.

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smile

· #9 · Nov 17, 2010

Sorry for replying to this old thread, but I had to say how great the button-down collar from landsend shown in P C´s pictures is. Great roll, great size, will look good with any face shape.

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