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You might just be wearing the wrong men’s dress shirt for your face shape

Here's how to use the shape of your face to determine the right dress shirt for you

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Man adjusting his tie
Dinielle De Veyra / Pexels

When you wear a suit every day, you can sometimes forget about getting the right dress shirt collar. Of course, men’s dress shirts come in all colors and patterns, but there is a specific kind that you should be getting, but it may not be the one you think. The right color for the suit, the right pattern for the tie, the right material for your skin type e — it’s a lot to take in. But we are going to focus on why you need the right collar for your shirt.

There are countless types of dress shirts out there, and which one you buy depends on a few things, like your neck size, sleeve length, pattern, and color. However, you should also consider the shape of your face. The shirt you choose will either complement your face and make you instantly more attractive or exaggerate your face and be incredibly unflattering. Keep reading for our overview of the different collar shirts for men and how to find the one that flatters your face the most.

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Dress shirt collar types

Man adjusting his tie wearing a watch
Ruthson Zimmerman / Unsplash

There are a lot of dress shirt collars to cover, but for now, we’ll go with the four most common you’ll run into when shopping. 

  1. Point collar. This is the most common collar on this side of the Atlantic. As a matter of fact, in England, it’s sometimes referred to as an American collar. There is a narrower distance between the two collar points and a smaller opening for the tie knot to rest. Because of this, the collar points reach lower on the upper chest. 
  2. Spread collar. This collar has a few variations; the spread can be small, wide, tall, short, and so on. The thing to remember is that it has a broader distance between the two collar points and a large opening for the tie knot, making it more appropriate for larger knots. 
  3. Button-down collar. The most casual of the four, this collar has a button at the point to fasten the points to the shirt. This shirt collar is best worn without a tie and with more casual sport coat outfits.  
  4. Cutaway collar. Technically, this collar is a form of the spread collar, but more extreme. In some cases, the points are spread so far apart that they create a straight line between them above the tie knot. If the point collar is the American collar, this one is the counterpart, as it carries a distinctly European feel.

Long, narrow face

Man with a spread collar
Ibrahim Khalifa / Pexels

If you have a long and narrow face, then the spread collar is right for you. If you wear a point collar, it will only lengthen your face and make it look even longer and skinnier. Avoid that effect by wearing a spread collar and using it to widen your face, giving you some balance. The button-down collar and cutaway are also appropriate for you because they don’t typically have long ends.

Round face

Man in a suit and tie
Gustt Rabelo / Pexels

For all of you gentlemen with round faces, your problem is exactly the opposite. You have a fuller face with a rounded jaw, which means you already look like you have enough width. Naturally, if you have the opposite problem from the long and narrow-faced guys, you have the opposite solution. Opt for the point collar to add some length to your face and counteract the facial roundness.

Diamond shape

Man in shirt and tie
Areous Ahmad / Pexels

If you have a diamond-shaped face, meaning you have high, pronounced cheekbones and a pointed chin, then you want to stay away from men’s dress shirts with a point collar or the button-down collar style. These will lengthen and narrow the appearance of your jawline. The cutaway and spread collars will give your jawline some width and add some balance to your face.

Oval face

Man in a button down collar

If you have an oval face, congrats: There’s no collar that looks bad on you. If your face already has a natural balance, then you don’t have to worry about the collar you wear adding to or creating any imbalance. That said, the spread collar is best for the big, wide knots like the full windsor, and the point collar will work best with the smaller and more narrow knots, such as the half-windsor.

Other collar types

Man applies spray cologne and smells the fragrance
Oleg Breslavtsev / Adobe Stock

There are a few other collar types that you should know about. The fact that these aren’t above should tell you that they aren’t as common as the others, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t for you. With these, some may be very specific for any type of event or tie, and others may be more of an expression. Here are the others to know.

  • Rounded – This collar type ditches the points at the tip of the collar and rounds off. This is better in a more casual situation with something like a knit tie.
  • Wing – The wing collar looks, well, like wings. Instead of reaching all the way to the lapel of the suit, it looks more like the collar is pulled back from the center slightly just to allow a tie. This is specifically designed for a tuxedo and bow tie.
  • Pin – This is an older style that involves a pin that connects the two sides of the collar with a metal pin running underneath the tie knot. The benefit of this is that it lifts the tie outward to draw attention.
  • Mandarin – If you’re ready to ditch the tie, this is perfect. The is also called a band collar and is essentially no collar at all, coming to a button in the middle.

Two of these shirt collars can work for all face types in a pinch. The cutaway collar creates a straight line under the chin that goes along the shoulders and doesn’t add to or take away from the shape of your face. The button-down collar, if worn open, creates a V in the negative space beneath the shirt. However, if it’s worn open, it should be worn the same way as the point collar.

Mark D McKee
Mark D McKee
Editor
Mark cut his teeth in the men's style world when he sold suits first at box stores such as Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank…
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