In clothing, a collar is the part of a garment that fastens around or frames the neck, be it a blouse, coat, jacket, shirt or tunic, etc. A collar is differentiated from other necklines such as revers (see Fig. 24) and lapels, by being made from a separate piece of fabric, rather than a folded or cut part of the same piece of fabric used for the main body of the garment.
Some collars are detachable or even separate pieces of decorative clothing such as that found in the Netherlands (Fig. 21). National costumes may include one or more types of collar as each garment with a neckline will have its own collar; especially, the more complex styles of Japanese Kimono can be worn with a number of decorative collars (see Fig. 18).
In general, there are three main types of collars: flat, roll and stand (see below). Such collars can be one-part, with just an opening at the front or back or two-part with an opening at the front and back. Human ingenuity has meant that there are many different variations on these themes, some of which are shown below (see table for an overview).
Figure 1: Austria: This Trachten dress has a square neckline surrounded by a two-partflat collar with rounded points, with the larger ones pointing towards the front and the smaller ones pointing to the back. The outer edge of the collar is decorated with gold braid and white lace. [Wachau, Lower Austria (II)]
Figure 2: Austria: The square neckline of this dirndl dress is trimmed with a ruffle collar made of white lace. In the centre is a small bronze/gold brooch. [Wachau, Lower Austria (I)]
Figure 3: Belgium: This Fin de Siècle-style costume typical of a rich lady in the height of Paris fashion has a choker-like high stand collar is made of white lace, complementing the other lace decorations of her ensemble. [Brussels (Bruxelles)]Figure 4: China: The fisherwoman’s deel-like tunic has a stand collar folded over to form a V at the front. The back of the collar rises up in a triangle covering the back of the neck, with its apex reaching just under her hairline. Whether or not this form has a particular function or name or is just due to the doll maker’s fantasy, I do not know. (Han fisherwoman)Figure 5: Columbia: The V-neck of this farmer’s white blouse is decorated with a shawl collar that extends down the front of the blouse too. The collar is made of a broad band of white lace. (Colombian farmer – woman)Figure 6: Columbia: His long-sleeved shirt is made of white cotton and has a band collar, a type of stand collar. (Colombian farmer –man)
Figure 7: Czech Republic: The white cotton shirt of this man from Kjov is only tied at the neck by the lace ribbons coming from his high-necked stand collar. The ends of the ribbons dangle down to past his waist. (Kyjov, South Moravian Region)
Figure 8: Czech Republic: His white shirt’s flat collar is of the spread type. It is complemented with a necktie made of black ribbon that ends in a fringed point at around the middle of his chest. (Blata, Bohemia)Figure 9: England: The red jacket of this guardsman’s uniform has a flat collar made of black material, in the shirt collar style known as convertible (closed). [Grenadier Guardsman (I)]
Figure 10: France: Attached to the round neck of her dress is a broad shawl collar made of cream-coloured tatted lace (front and back views). (Brittany – Fouesnant or Pont-Aven)
Figure 11: France: The heavy-weight long woollen caped overcoat worn by this shepherd has a rolled collar made of the same warm material as the rest of the coat. (Provencal santon figurine: shepherd)Figure 12: Germany: This boy’s white shirt has a two-part flat collar (front and back views). (Upper Bavarian boy)Figure 13: Greece: The high-necked collar of the white shirt (ypodetes) of this guardsman is held in place by a bronze sequin. The original Evzone shirts have a typical shirt stand collar [Presidential guard (II)]Figure 14: Hungary: The blouse of this Hungarian woman has a white lace ruffle collar. (Nógrád county, Northern Hungary)Figure 15: Ireland: This Irish dancer is wearing a velvet dress in emerald green. Its circular collar is made of cotton drawn-thread whitework braid. (Irish soft-shoe dancer)Figure 16: Italy (?): Both of these peg dolls have their costumes painted directly onto the wood. The woman’s white blouse has a high-necked stand collar, while the man has a shirt with a flat collar. The points of his collar are painted on in a convertible (closed) style. The tie knot and its two string-like tails are painted on in the same bronze colour. (Wooden peg dolls: man and woman)Figure 17: Italy/USA: This one-piece Harlequin suit made of dark turquoise silk and brocade has a high-necked stand collar made of turquoise silk. (Mardi Gras costume)Figure 18: Japan: This kimono ensemble has four separate flat collars: (1) an over-collar (tomoeri) made of the same material as the body of the kimono, (2) an inner collar (uraeri) made of green cloqué material, (3) a white silk V-shaped “collar” and (4) a dark red silk V-shaped “collar”. [Girl in kimono (II)]Figure 19: Korea: The jacket (dangui) of this aristocratic Korean lady collar has a stand collar (git) made of the same cream silk as the body of the jacket, decorated with a band of silk consisting of multi-coloured squares (pink, light blue, yellow, white, red, green and dark blue). The left side of the collar slightly overlaps the right one. The ends of the collar (goreum) are tied decoratively in a half-bow at the front and held in place with a sort of brooch. (Woman in hanbok with dangui)Figure 20: Korea: Although this dancer is not wearing a dangui jacket, the style of the stand collar (git) of her short jacket (jeogori) is very similar. The doll’s jacket is in the saekdongot (patchwork) style. Her collar is in the same coloured stripes as the body of the jacket, but are narrower with silver thread worked between each pair of stripes. (Waist drum dancer)Figure 21: Netherlands: The traditional costumes of women from the Netherlands often included a red material high-necked stand collar either as a separate garment or attached to the neckline of the bib. This one on a woman from South Beveland is ornamented with a spiral of gold metal in the middle. (South Beveland)Figure 22: Norway: The boy’s every-day shirt (Norwegian busserull shirt) made of blue- and white-striped cotton/linen material has a yoke insert with a rolled collar fastened with a brown button and a loop. (Norwegian boy)Figure 23: Poland: This famous Polish king from the 16th century has three different types of collar on his clothing: (1) a large brown flat shawl-like fur collar attached to his red woollen coat (żupan); (2) a high-necked stand collar on his brocade jacket, with a V-shape indentation at the front, revealing (3) the high-necked stand collar of his white shirt. (Stefan Batory – King of Poland)Figure 24: Poland: The peg doll’s long light-greyish linen coat has a flat collar with very wide lapels made by folding over the coat’s material. This is a revers rather than a collar. There is a brown dot on each of the lapels (significance unknown). His grey silk shirt has a flat shirt collar in the spread style made of cream linen. (Young student)Figure 25: Poland: This woman from Białystok has a classical-style shirt collar made of silk attached to her white cotton blouse. However, she is wearing a bow instead of a necktie. (Białystok)Figure 26: Poland: The shawl collar of this man’s waistcoat is the more modern version of the traditional costume of the Szczyrzyc Lachy from the end of the 19th century. This waistcoat is typical of a bachelor’s outfit as the collar and other trimmings are in red. His plain white linen shirt has a stand collar tied with red thread. (Szczyrzyc Lachy)Figure 27: Russia: The high-necked stand collar of this woman’s cotton blouse (dunyasha) is made of red silk ribbon. Interestingly, the ribbon is extended on both sides to be attached to her pinafore. (Married Russian lady in poneva ensemble)Figure 28: Sweden: The fall of this high-necked stand collar extends to the middle of her chest. The collar is made of white cotton braid/ribbon with a design of embroidered blue dots (this has now been discoloured by a brown stain). The blouse itself is made of a white nylon fabric with a pattern of holes in it. (Småland)Figure 29: Turkmenistan: The large flat shawl-like collar decorating the sleeveless tunic (don) of this Turkmen is very ornate. It is square at the back but rounded and falling to the waist at the front. Its edges are trimmed with red-and-yellow striped braid and there is a red fringe along its outer edge. ‘Each side of the collar covering the upper chest has five diamond-shaped silver plates embossed with a cross. The collar is held together at the front by a small silver cross-shaped stud. The man’s white cotton shirt (koynek) has a stand collar that overlaps at the front. It is made of the same colourful material as the collar on his tunic. (Turkmen man)Figure 30: USA: The exceedingly broad white felt cape collar of this 1960s fashionista virtually covers all of the very short red felt babydoll dress. The front of the collar is closed by a huge red button. [1960s girl (II)]Figure 31: Vietnam: The stand collar on this doll’s dark green velvet-like tunic (áo dài) is made of red braid with silver dots on it. [Kinh (Viet) woman (II)]Figure 32: Vietnam: The blue silk tunic (áo dài) differs to the one worn by her compatriot in Fig. 30 as it has a roll collar made of the same material as her tunic rather than a stand collar. [Kinh (Viet) woman (I)]
National costume dolls 