Collar Construction

By Cajsa Lilliehook

The part of a dress, jacket, coat, shirt or blouse that goes around the neck. It’s usually made of fabric. If it is made of different fabric than the article of clothing, it is often called a contrasting collar. Here is an illustration of the elements of a woman’s collar. 

So we have the collar itself, the piece usually made of fabric or lace that is sewn onto the neck of a garment for embellishment.  Where the collar turns down or folds is called the break line and the top edge of the break line is called the stand. The inside of the collar behind the neck is called the roll. The folded part of the fabric that runs along the collar is called the leading edge and the part that goes from the break line over the fabric is called the fall. The part that turns down over the chest is called the lapel. Where the collar meets the lapel is called the notch. The tip of the collar is called the collar point.

These terms are useful because some collars have a high stand, or a wide or narrow lapel and being able to describe the variations in the different elements of collar construction make it easier to describe the collar.

Collars do not have to be made of fabric, they can be made of metal, fur or anything else. They can be matching or contrasting fabric. They can be rounded, pointed, rolled and come in many variations.

Shoes can also have a collar, an ornamental addition stitched around the top of the shoe upper.