By all accounts, this one dates all the way back to the mid-19th century when Eton College was the place to be if you were a well-connected and well-heeled young gentleman on the rise. Privileged young men from the furthest reaches of England and well beyond competed for acceptance into the prestigious university, and once they did get in, well, they wanted it to be known.

So, at some mysterious point in time, it was decided that the Eton badge of distinction would be a variation on the dress collar. By rounding the tips, the Etonians created a style of their own that set them apart and announced their place in a most exclusive “club.”

Originally, it was a separate white collar that attached to the shirt, but once the public got hold of the idea, the club collar became all the rage and it was soon being manufactured for the masses. Its popularity lasted all the way into the early part of the twentieth century, and it has drifted in and out of favor in the decades since.

Today, club collars are often seen on bespoke shirts, which perpetuates their air of discrete exclusivity. Our own club collars are simple and classic, with just enough interlining to keep them firm and crisp in appearance. Perfect with a jacket and tie – and even a collar pin – a club collar adds an elegant twist to a traditional shirt.

Shop club collar shirts.