The Mandarin Collar

Men, If you’re looking for a fashion-forward alternative to ordinary apparel, consider incorporating a shirt with a mandarin collar into your wardrobe. Mandarin collars, sometimes called Chinese collars or cadet collars, continue to be very popular for both men and women.

A mandarin collar is a shirt or jacket collar based on the traditional Manchurian dress. The collar starts at the neckline and typically rises two to five centimeters with no fold.There can have either rounded or straight edges at the front of a mandarin collar. If the collar overlaps slightly, there is often a button to secure the two sides of the garment together.

Sun Yat-sen, a Chinese revolutionary and political leader, popularized the use of this style of collar in China by creating the Zhong Shan suit. 

A mandarin collar is very similar to the Nehru collar that is a characteristic trait of modern Indian clothing for men. Band collars, a style designed to make it easy to use a detachable collar with a shirt or jacket, are also very similar in appearance to the mandarin collar.

Collarless dress shirts were in vogue for formal wear for men from the 1900s-1930s in the United States. A banded collar dress shirt, which can also be called a round collar dress shirt or a mandarin collar dress shirt, gives you a shirt that is designed just like a men's dress shirt with a collar, but this one simply has a band going around the neck where the collar would be and buttons in the front like a collared dress shirt. Since the collarless dress shirts are considered more as casual wear today, they typically have cuffs that button instead of French cuffs that fold over and are closed with cuff links. Likewise, a mandarin collar dress shirt has buttons up the front, rather than the more formal shirt studs, as might be worn with a formal tuxedo shirt.

(Click on images to enlarge)

 Mandarin Collar Shirt: Cotton World
Khaki Pants: Cotton World
Red Loafers: A shoe store in Delhi
Sunglasses: IDEE
Watch: Fossil

For men who work in a professional office, you have a standard outfit that you can wear to work each day and that is the business suit. If your office prefers a more conservative dress code, then you will be limited in the colors of suits that you can wear. Although dress shirts in the most formal settings are often limited to white or light blue, other professional offices allow more freedom to select shirts in a variety of colors. Some professions even have one day a week, typically Friday, which is considered a business casual day in terms of the dress code. You would not show up in blue jeans, not that casual, but you could try a more colorful dress shirt, or drop the tie and wear a banded collar dress shirt. The banded collar dress shirt also makes a great choice for more casual dress occasions when you want to look your best.

BUT do not be under the impression that your mandarin collar shirt can be worn at work only. You can wear collarless dress shirts with denim jeans, khaki or linen pants for a smart look perfect for weekend a get-together. Add a zing with a good shoe choice and you're good to go.

Finding a men’s mandarin collar shirt is easy. Go get yours now. 

(Photo Credits: Nickhiel Jain)

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Until Next Time
Karishma & Monish