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Brooks Brothers’ collars: Londoner and Button-Down

16676 Views 8 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  smile
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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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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