Collars of the most informal shirts

All shirts can be divided into formal (dress) and informal (casual). The main criterion for attributing to one or another type is relevance, compliance with the situation. The former should be worn to formal events or worn to work if the dress code requires it. The second - in all other cases.

Basically, we determine the type of shirt by a combination of features: color, pattern, collar shape, fabric. One detail taken is often not enough: white can be both a strict and casual shirt; checkered or striped patterns can be here and there. However, there is a factor that will accurately and without reservation indicate to us that the shirt belongs to the free style - incompatibility with a tie.

To tie a tie, a collar is required, in the design of which both a stand and a turn-down part would be present. Today we will talk about two types in which one of the elements is missing. It is these shirts that can be considered the most informal.

Open turn-down collar

This collar is devoid of a stand-up, thanks to which the neck becomes more open, the shirt has a completely relaxed look. In English, such a collar is called camp, or Cuban, or cabana collar, and the most obvious example would be the “Hawaiian shirt”. Despite the fact that associations are associated exclusively with leisure and in the vast majority of cases, such shirts are not worn to work, there are models that are acceptable and even necessary for a change (because they look really interesting), to wear to the office from time to time in the summer:

In this case, choose shirts that fit the figure, with rather narrow sleeves. If a loose fit and wide sleeves are acceptable on vacation and carry some retro charm, then in the office it is better to appear in a shirt with a clearer silhouette.

In general, both heroes of today's post as a whole have a retro style, for example, the peak of popularity of an open collar falls on the 50-60s:

Frame from the film "Thunderball", 1965

Shot from the film "The Talented Mr. Ripley"

However, their relevance has increased markedly in the last couple of years: many brands began to include such shirts in their assortment. For example, in the just-released Uniqlo U collection, there are a couple of free-cut models with a camp collar.

Shirts with an open flat collar are worn mostly without a jacket and are not tucked into trousers. However, not always: if you wish, you can tuck in and wear a light jacket. In this case, such a collar, in my opinion, is better to straighten.

As a rule, short sleeves are more typical for a camp collar, but models with a long one are not so rare. Here are a couple of examples:
Beige-Habilleur.com and MrPorter.com

Where else can you buy similar models:

Stand collar

Even more vintage style collar. The most common English terms are band and grandad collar. The main upper part is missing here, but this does not make this type inferior, although it distinguishes it from all the others, sets it a little apart.

The model has a longer history than the first type in our today's post: workers wore such shirts in the century before last and at the beginning of the last century. That is why they look very organic with clothes designed in the style. The ideal option would be a shirt made of chambray or other textured cotton in a solid gray or blue, or in a medium vertical stripe, as in the photo above.

Such shirts can be completely unbuttoned, or they often have a bar that reaches only the middle (half placket shirt) - they will have to be removed over the head.

At the same time, if desired, such shirts fit quite easily into a regular modern casual set, and with sports jackets, and even suits.

Not many places where you can buy them, unfortunately. They are available today, again, in Uniqlo, as well as in foreign online stores: