Period Accurate Dress Shirts

[stag1500]

How long should the points of a collar be for a period accurate dress shirt from the 1930s? Also, what kind of fabric did they use so that the shirts are translucent?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Depends on which years of that decade. In the early '30s, all kinds of collar shapes were manufactured --buttondown, rounded, moderate spread, windsor spread, and tab-- but the most popular were long collars (1.5" high at the back, 4" long down the front) that pointed sharply downward.

By the mid '30s, long collars were beginning to be a bit less long (about 3 1/4").

And by the late '30s, they'd come to strongly resemble the 'straight point' collars found on today's dress shirts.

The more translucent fabrics used were lightweight poplins and silks. End-on-end broadcloth and madras were also quite popular, but not translucent.


.

 

[Warbaby]

Depends on which years of that decade. In the early '30s, all kinds of collar shapes were manufactured --buttondown, rounded, moderate spread, windsor spread, and tab-- but the most popular were long collars (1.5" high at the back, 4" long down the front) that pointed sharply downward.

Is anyone making collars like this today? I've always been partial to the high collars with rounded points, but I'd sure like to have a couple of the long, pointy ones as well.

 

[mike]

Is anyone making collars like this today? I've always been partial to the high collars with rounded points, but I'd sure like to have a couple of the long, pointy ones as well.

I agree, I wish the vintage shirt company made this style.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Acetate shirts, particularly in lighter colors, tend to have a translucent appearance. Dress shirts were sometimes made of acetate or acetate/rayon blends; I suspect these were cheap alternatives to silk. I've seen a few examples of these from the later 1930's before.

 

[cm darcy]

Period Accurate Dress Shirts Reply to Thread

hello,
Many thanks for the kindly references to our shirts. I will definitely work on making separate spearpoint collars although possibly a less extreme version than the photo.
Does anyone have a preference for the washable variety or would you like me to persist with the traditional starched collars?
The washable are not as stiff but I appreciate that laundering is a problem especially outside Britain.
best wishes from Miss Darcy. Vintage Shirt Company. England

 

[mike]

Hello Darcy! Thanks so much for following my link!

I would vote for the washable version, but lets see what the consensus is.

 

[Lone_Ranger]

Out of curiosity, what year did the shirt, with permanent collar attached, first make it's appearance?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Out of curiosity, what year did the shirt, with permanent collar attached, first make it's appearance?

Depends on the type of shirt. Wool flannel "campaign/camping/outdoor work" shirts had attached modern-style collars as far back as the late 1800s. Attached collars first appeared on dress shirts soon after World War I ended.

.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Is anyone making collars like this today [on dress shirts]?

Aside from one or two (expensive) makers in Japan? Nope.

.

 

[kuwisdelu]

Speaking of collars, when did contrast collars show up on the scene?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Speaking of collars, when did contrast collars show up on the scene?

They'd been around since the early 1850s (see Alan Pinkerton's shirt in the 1862 photo below) but showed up in earnest in the very early 1900s. Striped silk shirts became very popular, and they were usually worn with white detachable collars.

See this link: http://www.dandyism.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/leyendecker-book.jpg

.

 

[Lamplight]

Aside from one or two (expensive) makers in Japan? Nope.

I believe our very own Matt Deckard offers a shirt with a fairly similar collar, and the off-the-rack version isn't terribly expensive.

 

[Tomasso]

This could be accomplished by a myriad of shirtmakers for a C Note and up, depending on maker and fabric.

 

[Matt Deckard]

It's longer and pointier than what you find on the shelves nowadays.

I've got an even longer point variation as well with a more acute closure, also a long collar with rounded tips... though they are on clients at the moment and I need to take pics of the next time someone orders one with a long point collar like that.

 

[Tomasso]

By Shirtmakers I meant MTM/Custom/Bespoke shirtmakers.

Just to be clear.

 

[habberdasher]

Could anyone PLEASE explain how separate collared shirts work, and where to buy highly-recommended un-collared shirts and separate collars?

 

[Tomasso]

It appears that you have an aversion to the search function.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Amen, Tomasso.

.

 

[Lamplight]

Are these long, pointed collars more appropriate for using a collar bar? I've tried to use one with my generic modern shirt, and it just doesn't look quite right. It's not a spread collar, just a plain old standard modern collar.