'Convertible' collar shirts" Trelegant by Walbusch

[Mr Badger]

Found a brand new, tags-on 100% cotton shirt at one of our local charity (thrift) shops yesterday – made by a German firm called Walbusch who I've never heard of before, and it's got a convertible collar, something I haven't seen on a modern shirt...

The nice little booklet attached to the shirt had this handy illustration in it:



The collar's slightly curved and a little 'spearpoint' in shape and I think FLers would dig having a couple of these 'Trelegant' shirts around in the summer months, especially for vacations, as they can be worn with a foulard/cravat, open or with a necktie... the cotton is smooth and of good quality, lending me to suspect that they'd be very good for handwashing and hang-drying on the road, too... the company also appears to do a decent-ish spearpoint collar with a top button...

 

[Tomasso]

I thought a convertible collar was a one piece affair as opposed to the two piece band/stand and leaf setup.

 

[herringbonekid]

^ that's my understanding too; the type of stand-less collar seen on US gabardine leisure shirts.
the shirt above appears to have no top button so maybe that's what's 'convertible' about it ?

 

[Mr Badger]

the shirt above appears to have no top button so maybe that's what's 'convertible' about it ?

Apologies, gents, but seeing as my German is virtually non-existent, 'convertible' seemed the only way to describe it – ie it can be worn with a necktie, open or semi-spread...

You're right, herringbonekid, it doesn't have a top button, and yes Mr Lyles, it's a two-piece collar. According to the little booklet, Walbusch have patented this collar, and although I couldn't find a pic to show you, it has a larger placket inside the shirt, to stop the collar drooping while it's open – all told, I think it'd make a good companion to a late 40s suit and cravat, a la Stewart Granger, and the attention to detail is unusual in this day and age, don't you think? I've seen British and European 'sports shirts' from the 1950s-60s with the same shape of 'roll' collar (albeit as a one-piece) and no top button...

To my mind, wearing a dress shirt and no tie with a suit or sport coat looks lazy, unless you're sporting a nice high Brooks Brothers-style BD shirt or a cravat – I usually go for a gab loop collar worn outside the jacket instead. However, if I was required to 'do business' and then attend an informal drinks function, this shirt could easily do both and still have a certain something 'extra' about it, simply by removing the tie...

 

[Mr Badger]

Apologies for the poor quality of the pics, and the lack of a clean shave (it's another week of DIY/home improvement for me!) 'selfies' are so dashed difficult, especially around dusk with a borrowed 'iPoo'... you can see the collar makeup relatively clearly here, and then I put a 1940s silk tie on to show the modest but still quite attractive spearpoint...

 

[Tomasso]

Not bad. I vaguely recall seeing that setup at one of the shirt makers I've visited over the years. Maybe one of the Italians.

 

[Mr Badger]

Not bad. I vaguely recall seeing that setup at one of the shirt makers I've visited over the years. Maybe one of the Italians.

Ah, I suspected that there may have been a precedent, nice to have some confirmation, thanks! I guess that Walbusch are either the only non-bespoke shirtmakers with this type of collar – and are therefore 'known' for it in Germany, much in the same way that Turnbull & Asser have their own distinct, deffo non-cutaway, collar style in the UK – or they refined it... either way, a nice detail and I shall look out for them on the 'bay, especially the spearpoints with the top button...

 

[Edward]

Interesting shirt. Nice collar. I wish the Jermyn Street market had more variation...