At last count, there were over 30 styles of collars on shirts. While most of them are not appropriate to wear on the golf course, there is a dress code for most courses that says a man must not wear a collarless tee shirt, but must wear a shirt with a collar. However, the dress code for female golfers is less strict. As long as she wears a shirt "in good taste," there's no limit to what she can wear.
History Rules
Many of the collars that have been fashionable over the years have some historical significance. For example, more than a century ago, it was a sign of importance if a man wore a shirt with a collar that rose above his shoulders, creating room for an ascot. Sailor collars became popular items that many women and children wore in the 1920s and 1930s, as were the Peter Pan collars with their cute rounded corners. Going forward to the 1960s, Nehru collars were quite the rage. They were tiny collars that met in the front, and were worn with another rage, the Nehru jacket.
Plain or Fancy?
If you are a member of the clergy, you might wear a simple, detachable collar called a clerical collar that is hooked onto a shirt by a button in the back of the neck. Or if you are going out on the town wearing a tuxedo, you might wear a shirt with a wing collar that is pressed so that it will sick out like wings. It is a throwback to the era of the Gladstone collar, named for the British prime minister who wore his with a scarf.
Nations Contribute, Too
If your wardrobe is distinctly Chinese, you probably have a few shirts with Mandarin collars with their small collars that are left open in the front. Or else you're into a more modern Chinese era and have shirts with a so-called "Mao collar," a very short collar that is typically worn with a Mao jacket or suit. The turtleneck is totally American. It's a long, tubular collar that folds over itself to provide warmth. In England they call it the polo neck.
About The Author
Bill Herrfeldt specializes in finance, sports and the needs of retiring people, and has been published in the national edition of "Erickson Tribune," the "Washington Post" and the "Arizona Republic." He graduated from the University of Louisville.
