You know I love a good button down. I own many and in many different shape and sizes. One thing that sets one button down blouse apart from another is its collar shape. And so today, I would like to sing the praises of one particular style of collar: the Peter Pan collar. This is an ode to Peter Pan collars.
Ode to Peter Pan collars
So why is a Peter Pan collar called a Peter Pan collar? I didn’t know either, but Wikipedia tells me that it was a style popularized by the actress playing Peter Pan in an early 20th century play. A Peter Pan style collar is a flat collar characterized by rounded off tips as you can see in the picture above. So why do I like Peter Pan style collars so much?
1. It’s girly – For me, it mostly gives a feminine vibe to an otherwise fairly masculine look. Blouse can be quite boxy and boyish looking and a more delicate looking collar such as this can give the outfit more of a girly vibe. If it’s on a dress it’s even better, because than the entire outfit gets something sweet and girly to it.
2. It’s different – I like adding quirkiness to outfits and I’m always looking for juxtapositions when I am pairing pieces together. I find that adding a Peter Pan collared shirt is a great combination with more manly pieces such as trousers, jeans and if you truly want to amp things up: a pair of brogues.
3. It’s easy to wear – In a similar vein: Peter Pan collars are super easy to style. Since the collar can easily be the stand out detail of your outfit, all you need is that fun blouse and add some basics to make it pop. Try not to add too many layers on top: a cardigan or blazer will take away from the detail of the collar.
4. It’s comfortable – When I dress, I mostly dress for comfort. A Peter Pan collar, because it lays flat and usually comes down a little further doesn’t feel constricted around the neck. I can button these all the way up and feel a-okay. With other shirts that may not always be the case and I prefer to wear those unbuttoned.
5. It’s retro – Since this style was first popularized around the turn of the 20th century and then again became fashionable in the 50s, it’s a great and easy way to create vintage inspired outfits. Worn with a longer length midi or maxi skirt and a pair of low heels and you’ve got a great outfit that is an instant throwback.
What style of collar do you favor?