Do collars and cuffs that don’t match the shirt look dated or weird?
March 19, 2018 2:06 PM   Subscribe

My favorite casual button-down shirt has frayed at the cuffs and collar. I am confident I can replace them, but I definitely can’t match the plaid. Is a solid collar and cuff in a plaid shirt dated or weird looking? It looks OK to me but I’m not to be trusted in these matters.
posted by blnkfrnk to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (15 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
I'd say more that it can look dated, but if I had a favorite shirt in this situation, I'd totally do it. Also, a lot will depend on the cut and fit of the shirt - is it a more contemporary cut, or a very oversized drop-shouldered nineties kind of shirt? (I mean, I've been known to wear nineties kinds of shirts, so this wouldn't stop me.)

I associate non-matching collars with either the early nineties (oversized corduroy or plaid shirts with denim collars, mainly) or with about 2014 (florals).

Honestly, if you really love the shirt, why not? Consider it a one-of-a-kind garment that reflects your personal style - that transcends what is "dated". Maybe avoid using denim - if it's a flannel shirt, maybe a solid flannel or else a contrasting pattern like a mini plaid - so that it looks more unique than 90s-ish?)

I'd really like to have shirts with non-matching collars, actually - I've only ever seen big heavy denim or flannel ones that don't really suit me.
posted by Frowner at 2:22 PM on March 19, 2018 [4 favorites]


Plaid shirt with non-matching cuffs? Hard vote for weird.
posted by JPD at 2:37 PM on March 19, 2018 [2 favorites]


Best answer: Eccentric. Which is not to say you shouldn‘t do it.
posted by Omnomnom at 2:46 PM on March 19, 2018 [12 favorites]


Not weird, you should do it, wear what you like, wear something else to job interviews and such.
posted by sageleaf at 2:48 PM on March 19, 2018 [2 favorites]


Yeah, it really depends. Sorry that's not super helpful. I actually came in to second the idea of a contrasting pattern. I feel like I've seen shirts with two different plaids in the same color scheme at Uniqlo recently. Check out Suno and Duro Oluwu for more extreme pattern mashing inspiration.

Also depending on where it's frayed, you could remove the collar entirely and stitch the stand back together so you're left with something like a mandarin collar. Likewise, if you have some length to spare, you could unpick the ends of the cuffs, cut off the frayed parts, and restitch them slightly shorter.
posted by yeahlikethat at 2:52 PM on March 19, 2018 [1 favorite]


If the shirt fits you well when buttoned, i.e., sleeve length ends just past wrist bone, shoulders of shirt match your shoulders, sides of shirt don't need to be taken in, and length of shirt ends between your belt and crotch, then it'll probably look good and intentional whatever you decide to do with the collar and cuffs.

Many fashion trends seem to ebb and flow and I'm confident that if you add a solid collar and cuff that's the same material as your plaid shirt it's going to be a good look in at least one fashion subculture. What's dated will come back again soon enough, so you'll be at the vanguard of it all.

What do the people around you wear? That might be more pertinent than asking the internet. If every so often you see people in your peer group wear something unusual or flashy, like a brightly colored pair of chinos or a blaring shirt, then that might reassure you that it's within the bounds of what you're comfortable with.

I'd also say that the rest of your outfit, conventionally-speaking, should go a more muted route if you combine it with your solid-cuffed shirt. One flashy piece at a time.

I really don't know how you usually dress and to what degree you care about what others think and what looking good or fashion means to you. You could have fun with it, if it doesn't matter so much--make the cuff and collar a paisley pattern!

Hope you have a good time deciding what to do.
posted by Iron Carbide at 2:54 PM on March 19, 2018


I personally think they look smart, it wouldn’t occur to me that it was dated but it isn’t exactly mainstream fashion either. If you are worried, the advice above about getting a good fit is excellent.

It would make me very sad if you decided not to wear something that’s your favorite because it is a pinky toe out of the norm. Be confident and wear it well!
posted by stormygrey at 3:03 PM on March 19, 2018 [1 favorite]


To know how it'd read, I think we need an example of the shirt.

The contrasting-collar-and-cuffs thing that we now think of as an 80s trope (think Wall Street) is actually from earlier, when folks would do what you're talking about. Collars and cuffs wear out first, and a frugal person would have them repaired -- though sometimes with fabric that was in contrast to the rest of the shirt.

The new-from-the-store version of the look was fashion aping an old-line preppy/trad look, and it came to be associated with kind of obnoxious people in the 80s and 90s -- perhaps because of its association with Wall Street (both the film and the actual place).
posted by uberchet at 3:10 PM on March 19, 2018 [3 favorites]


Cam on "Modern Family" brought it into the 21st century.
posted by at at 3:14 PM on March 19, 2018 [6 favorites]


Rock it, is my vote. Anyone who doesn’t like it is probably not someone whose opinion you value anyway ;)
posted by SaltySalticid at 3:24 PM on March 19, 2018


Yeah just do it, it's fine.
posted by Polychrome at 3:46 PM on March 19, 2018


I think this could work well if you pick the right color, and yes, if it's a modern, stylish cut.

My vote is for a color that's in the plaid but not the dominant color of the plaid. It will contrast nicely but not clash. It does have to match very close to exactly or it will look "off" in a way that no one can quite place but that will be disconcerting.

So for instance, in this plaid, I'd choose a blue that matches the light blue in the plaid.
posted by lunasol at 4:13 PM on March 19, 2018 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Have you considered turning the collar?
posted by evilmomlady at 4:20 PM on March 19, 2018 [4 favorites]


Best answer: There is a corresponding fix for a turned collar for fraying shirt cuffs. Cut off the shirt tails, leaving enough fabric so the body of the shirt isn't too short. Take the scrap fabric, and cut it into bias strips (about 1"-1.5" wide) and bind the fraying edges of the cuffs.
posted by Lycaste at 4:23 PM on March 19, 2018 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: Thanks!

It's a modern shirt, the plaid is blue and red with a subtle green thread, and I am matching the dark green. I am considering embroidering a design to make it read more hippie and less Wall Street, but we'll see. If it looks bad I'll just turn it into handkerchiefs.
posted by blnkfrnk at 6:20 PM on March 19, 2018 [1 favorite]


« Older Aching feet   |   In search of a family vacation from NH Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.