Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Collar Bars

Rigby Reardon

One of the Regulars
Messages
270
Location
Near the QM
Hmm...we're about 10-15 years late on this one - back when I wore formal business clothes on the east coast - early 90's - these were in vogue again. Had some myself. The problem was that most were colored shirts w/ white collars (bleah). I haven't seen much at ALL, lately.

Certainly if one just used a few single loops of thread to tack a button-down collar hole tight in the middle, you could get away w/ wearing collarbars with a button-down shirt. Would it be VERY noticeable, or just if someone looked closely? Say, putting the bar through the TOP of the button holes, so the shadow of the ends of the bars might hide the rest of the buttonhole.

Just another bad idea in a series,
J
 

Mr_Misanthropy

Practically Family
Messages
618
Location
Chicago, Illinois
OK, I've seen pictures of ties with collar bars. I have never actually seen one in person, and I don't really know how to wear one. I've seen places that sell them online, but most of them mention something about having a shirt collar with eyelet holes (?), but I've found others that work with regular shirt collars (I think).

So if I got a collar bar like this, does I just put the tips of the shirt collar into the little "clamp" part and put the bar through the knot in my tie? I don't want to do it wrong and look silly.

I would have done a search, as I'm sure collar bars have been discussed, but my search function hasn't worked all day.

Thanks!
 

Matt Deckard

Man of Action
Messages
10,045
Location
A devout capitalist in Los Angeles CA.
Not my best of pictures...
Indybrown-vi.jpg
 

shindeco

A-List Customer
Messages
377
Location
Vancouver (the one north of M.K.)
It's a great example of collar pin wearing, though, Mr. Deckard!

Yup, just slide the edge of the collar point between the "clamp" of the pin(decorative side out, of course). The pin should go behind the knot, about halfway down the knot. I tend to wear mine a little higher than halfway (see Mr. Deckard's exemplary photograph!).

I always felt that whoever did the costumes for A&E's "Nero Wolfe" Series put Archie Goodwin's collar bars too low. They should lift the knot a bit.
 

The Wingnut

One Too Many
Messages
1,711
Location
.
They've become a minor obsession with me, including finding shirt collars that don't pucker while wearing them. I've one decent dress shirt from Mervyn's (of all places) that works perfectly with the narrower-width '30s collar bars. Older collar bars won't have curled ends nor will they be flat across, instead, they'll be bowed. The right collar bar and collar really nails the period and screams class. For those of us that prefer '30s brocade ties with smaller knots, they're great.
 

Hammelby

One of the Regulars
Messages
227
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
collar bar problem

I just bought a vintage collar bar, but it doesnt have any "clip" on the back. Its just like a piercingbar, simple metal with two balls, wich can be screwed loose at one side:

O-----O

And i dont know how to apply it :(
Help?
 

Art Fawcett

Sponsoring Affiliate
Messages
3,717
Location
Central Point, Or.
What you received Muncken is most likely a collar bar from the 1960s, mean't to be placed into the holes in the collar that was popular at that time. I'm afraid that it is useless without that type of collar. Marc has posted some great pics above and this is what you should be looking for in a collar bar. Very versatile in design.
BTW..Welcome to the Lounge!!!
 

Hammelby

One of the Regulars
Messages
227
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
Problem solved

Oh thanks for the quick reply! And thanks for the welcomming.
Now Ill go and get the cash back! The lady obvious dint know
what she was selling, but i dint know what i was buying either;)
Its the 30´s i want so thanks again for the estimation.

But thats what this forum is for i guess.. wow!
10 minutes ago i didnt know what it was called, after 5
minutes i learned that its called a "collar bar", 5 minutes
later i get a neat estimation on the decade!
Thank you! :)
 

Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
Messages
13,719
Location
USA
muncken@get2net said:
I just bought a vintage collar bar, but it doesnt have any "clip" on the back. Its just like a piercingbar, simple metal with two balls, wich can be screwed loose at one side:

O-----O

And i dont know how to apply it :(
Help?


Any shirt maker and possibly a competent tailor can place eyelets on the shirt collar to accommodate the tie pin. I think that it's different, cleaner look than a tie bar.

1E_b.jpg
 

Marc Chevalier

Gone Home
Messages
18,192
Location
Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
Vintage collar bars could be surprisingly ornate. For instance, many collar bars of the '30s and '40s had an equestrian theme ...


A riding crop design:

wcropcollarbar.jpg




A horseshoe design:

horseshoecollarbar.jpg




A horsebit design (like on Gucci loafers):

horsebitcollarbar.jpg



Golf was popular, too:

golfcollarbar.jpg






Vintage collar bars were sometimes set with semiprecious stones.


One with turquoise:

turquoisecollarbar.jpg




This one has opals:

opalcollarbar.jpg


.
 

Wild Root

Gone Home
Messages
5,532
Location
Monrovia California.
I have a few old ones... I bought a modern "Diaper pin" style when I first started vintage collecting... I have never worn it again since I got a few vintage ones... the older ones are way nicer and they're special because each one is unique. I have a golf club styled one and one with two baseball bats with baseballs at each end! I have a few nice streamlined and art deco styled ones... they're so great! I find these guys on ebay but, best luck I've had is at thrift shops and also antique shops! And they cost no more then $2-$10 bucks.

I'll post some photos of them soon,

=WR=
 

shindeco

A-List Customer
Messages
377
Location
Vancouver (the one north of M.K.)
Wild Root said:
best luck I've had is at thrift shops and also antique shops! And they cost no more then $2-$10 bucks.

=WR=

that's true! No one else seems to want them in the thrift stores/antique stores so they go for very low prices.

I've been wearing them for years. My collection is small but very well used!
 

Sefton

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,132
Location
Somewhere among the owls in Maryland
The Wingnut said:
They've become a minor obsession with me, including finding shirt collars that don't pucker while wearing them. I've one decent dress shirt from Mervyn's (of all places) that works perfectly with the narrower-width '30s collar bars. Older collar bars won't have curled ends nor will they be flat across, instead, they'll be bowed. The right collar bar and collar really nails the period and screams class. For those of us that prefer '30s brocade ties with smaller knots, they're great.

Yes, those 30s ties really look great with a collar bar (and sometimes a tie clip).

I've found that the collar bar actually has the effect of opening the top portion of the shirt collar...just enough to add a bit of extra movement and make the shirt more comfy. Perhaps another lost secret of the golden era?:rolleyes:

I'm not surprised that you found a good dress shirt at Mervyn's. I've found that they often have decent shirts. A lot cheaper too!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
108,940
Messages
3,071,123
Members
54,003
Latest member
brendastoner
Top