It’s all about the visual illusion that a collar can provide. Those with very round or wide faces need to avoid anything that ‘pulls’ features out of proportion; ergo, spread collars would ‘fatten’ the face.

Hope this clears things up a bit for you!

~Johnathan

As I always say, know the rules but follow your own eye – if spread collars work for you, that’s great, and there’s nothing wrong with your own personal style signature. A spread collar has a tendancy to exaggerate the width of your face; but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If you know it tends to widen the face you can always compensate with alternative style elements if you wish. I’ll be writing a post on this very subject shortly, so keep your eyes peeled…

As far as necktie knots and button-down collars, you have several options depending on the level of formality. A ‘half Windsor’ or a ‘four-in-hand’ are both fine, just stay away from anything too large (like the “full” Windsor) as the buttoned down collar will cinch and pinch against that huge knot. Alternatively, if you’re going more casual, you can ditch the necktie all together – that’s what’s so great about the style in the first place; it’s really versatile!

Thanks for your comment!