Button-Down Collars with Suits

[reetpleat]

I don't know why, but I have always felt that a button down oxford cloth shirt or regular button down looked right with a simple blue wool, subtle blue pinstripe, or maybe a grey or grey glenn plaid. Not sure why. I have seen it in pics. Maybe it is a simple working mans thing or a simple college student young man thing. Don't know why but it just seems to be right.

I think it would look funny with a flashy or really sharp suit or when you are trying to really dress up.

 

[Jovan]

And then the question if you're "alllowed" to leave them unbuttoned, with or without a tie…

I do it when I'm sans tie sometimes. The trick is to not use the button holes in the first place after ironing.

To me, it's no different than leaving the top collar button undone without a tie. [huh]

 

[iammatt]

I do it when I'm sans tie sometimes. The trick is to not use the button holes in the first place after ironing.

To me, it's no different than leaving the top collar button undone without a tie. [huh]

When done well, it doesn't bother me a bit.

 

[Jovan]

That's a good example.

 

[Fast]

Button man

How much you like a button down may depend on how much you like starch. Nice, thick, beefy button downs with little or no starch in the collar, especially light blue oxfords look spectacular if the tue is old or strong enough and the suiting is substantial enough.

The very fine pinpoint oxfords, again with little or no starch in the collar offer plenty of comfort in summer and have a more refined look than most straight broadcloths.

Now I love a good, stiff, starched collar, but when you get to working and loosen up that collar button, those collar point tie holder buttons come in real handy.

Never for fromalwear. Yes with a blaser and no tie for travel. Plenty of fine casual shirts have and still do come in button down, for tie or not.

Really nice if you have long point collars to combat that pencil neck.

A wardrobe without them is incomplete.


Carpe Diem
Fast

 

[dostacos]

my problem is that if I don't wear button down, one of the collars stands up [short neck]

 

[Mid-fogey]

Well...

...I think button downs were the original polo shirts. Supposedly buttoning down the collars kept them from flapping. Over time they became paired with sports coats and eventually, men began to wear them with suits.

Technically a suit was once to be worn with a dress shirt, which was a shirt with a regular collar (not a button down) cuff link cuffs and no pocket -- the suit jacket has pockets after all.

Since we live in an age where men wear suit coats as sport coats and wear black athletic shoes for dress shoes. I find it not worth getting all bound up over.

 

[Forgotten Man]

I know some will consider my words treason, but I feel William Powell, James Cagney and Clark Gable had better taste in clothes then Cary Grant did. Don’t get me wrong, Grant had some great style but, I find the other leading men of the time had some real unique outfits that somehow have been forgotten.

The button down debate… they had them then, they also had spread collars… I find both unattractive. They didn’t look that great then and they don’t look that great now.

Just my humble opinion,

Forgotten Man~

 

[Tomasso]

I feel William Powell, James Cagney and Clark Gable had better taste in clothes then Cary Grant did.

lol lol lol


Powell is the only one in that group who could possibly hold Cary's pocket square. But seriously, Adolphe Menjou is Grant's closest rival, sartorially speaking.

 

[iammatt]

lol lol lol


Powell is the only one in that group who could possibly hold Cary's pocket square. But seriously, Adolphe Menjou is Grant's closest rival, sartorially speaking.

I never really though Menjou was all that stylish. I think he always looked too well put together. If I had to choose a good rival to Grant it would be Gary Cooper as neither looked poncey or overdone while remaining immaculately dressed.

As for the original topic, more DB with BD.

 

[Feraud]

I do not want to imply that films reflect what real people wore but many, many folks in classic films wear button down collars with suits.

I think the look is very acceptable for our purposes and not worth fussing over in a society that sees dressed up for weddings, funerals, work, interviews, etc. as khaki pants and a polo shirt.

If we wait to wear our button down shirts for a polo match or some other sport we will never wear them..

 

[Jovan]

True words, Feraud.

Mid-fogey: I'm not sure how much of it is exaggerated, or true, but here's the story of the button-down 'dress' shirt according to Brooks Brothers, who brought it to the States. Click on "1896."

http://www.brooksbrothers.com/aboutus/heritage.tem

 

[jgilbert]

90% to 95% of what I do is in a casual setting. So 90-95% of my shirts are button down. For those few times I do need a more formal shirt I do have spread collars.

I feel like my shirt is flapping if I don't have them button down. I also like an under button shirt when wearing jeans

 

[Big Man]

I think it's interesting to read that the button down color was designed to keep the shirt collars from flapping in the wind. I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't recall being in a wind strong enough to make my shirt collars flap. [huh]

 

[Jovan]

Being on a moving vehicle -- or horse -- increases the wind.

 

[Big Man]

I guess their collars are much bigger than mine ...

 

[Jovan]

The Brooks Brothers button down collar is about 3 3/8" long! I'd say that's enough for a floppy, soft collar to flap around.

 

[Big Man]

It must have been terrible for all those people to have been beaten to death by their flapping shirt collars prior to the invention of the button-down. Oh the horror of it all ...

 

[Jovan]

I can't really tell if you're joking or being mean here, haha.

 

[Big Man]

I can't really tell if you're joking or being mean here, haha.

My initial intent was to be a bit sarcastic, but on the way home yesterday the wind got up and started flapping my shirt collar. Almost lost an eye. :eusa_doh: Guess I better think about retracting my earlier statements and think seriously about starting wearing a button down collar for safety's sake ...