How to start drafting shirt collars

03 March 2026

Drafting a shirt collar starts with having accurate measurements. Let’s start determining the necessary dimensions and ratios by using a 44cm classic collar as an example. The 44cm figure is determined by measuring the length between the button and button hole. The total length of the collar is 47.5cm at the midpoint. That’s because there is an additional 1.5cm between the outer end button hole and the edge of the collar. There is another 1.5cm between the button center point and the other edge of the collar. The inner opening of the button hole is 1cm total so since we measure the collar size from the center of the buttonhole, we would need to add 0.5cm to get to the outer edge of the button hole. Hence 44cm (collar size) + 1.5cm (gap to edge button side) + 1.5cm (gap to edge button hole size) + 0.5cm (edge of button hole) gives us 47.5cm. The bottom line of the collar, that is where the collar meets the shirt body, is 48.5cm.

The collar band is curved and recedes as you move up from the neck line of the shirt to the seam that connects it to the collar leaf. If we take the top line of the collar band it seems to be just a few millimeters smaller than the collar size. This makes sense since when you button the collar you expect the collar to have a bit of a tie space. You can adjust this depending on the desired amount of tie space. The collar leaf has a point length of 7cm. The point length being the distance from the top of the collar band at the tie space to the end of the collar point. The back height is 4.5cm. This is the height at the center of the collar leaf. The collar curves in as you move towards the back of your neck. The band height is 4cm. The collar band maintains the same height for most of the length and only when you get to about 5cm from each edge does it start to curve down as collars tend to have a rounded edge. The Mao collar is the exception that proves the rule.

As far as the seam allowance is concerned most of the stitching seems to take place 0.5cm away from the edge. The collar band has two lines of stitching. The collar band contains one outer perimeter of stitching that encompasses the entire collar band and is sewn right at the edge. There is a second seam allowance only for the top and bottom again 0.5cm from the edge. The reason for this is to fasten the shirt together. The collar leaf protrudes into the collar band and these two lines of stitching are used to hold it in place. The shirt body and front placket also protrude into the collar band and are secured by the two lines of stitching. The collar is made from two layers of fabric for the front and back respectively and so a third fabric can be inserted between the garment edge and the 0.5cm seam allowance.

Underneath the collar leaf we see the collar stays. These are held in place by a third layer of fabric. There is stitching on either side of the collar stays running parallel to the stays. That third layer of fabric does not cover the entire back of the leaf. It covers most of the leaf but at either edge recedes at about a thirty-degree angle from starting right before the collar stay pocket. The reason for this is in order to make it easier to add and remove the collar stays. If you wanted to make the collar stays permanent then instead of receding the third fabric would cover the entire leaf.

Given the large number of measurements involved it would be wise to draft the collar using paper and a ruler. You can then hold the fabric in place with pins as you cut around it. Paper it easier and cheaper to cut so you can experiment with paper until you get the right measurements. If you make collars on a regular basis, you can have wooden blocks of particular collar styles and sizes made. It can also be helpful once you settle on a fabric to use tailor’s chalk to delimit the collar shape on the fabric. You need two pieces of fabric matching the shape of the collar, an additional piece for the stays and interfacing cut into the same shape as the collar. You should also cut two pieces of interfacing matching the shape of both the collar band and collar leaf respectively.

As far as fabrics are concerned most shirts collars are made from one fabric. However as discussed, a separate piece of fabric is used for the front and back of each component of the collar. This opens up the possibility of combining fabrics. For example, you could make an inside only contrast collar whereby a second fabric is used for the inside of the collar band. Or you could make the entire collar band a different color from the shirt. Making the front and back of the collar leaf a different color is far less common. The button and button hole should match the rest of the shirt placket for continuity.

Once you have the fabrics you want cut into the desired shape, you should use pins to keep the front and back in place together with a layer of fusible interfacing in between. Starting with the collar leaf you can stich them together with a seam allowance of 0.5cm. The third layer of fabric for the stays should be included in the original stitching you should just go back and add stitching adjacent to where the collar stays will be placed to create the stay pockets. For the collar band you can follow a similar process except that in addition to pinning the layers of fabric and interfacing together you should also place leaf between the two fabrics up to the point of the seam allowance and stitch together. The threads compromising the stitching on the collar are also known as the piping and can be a different color to the main fabric if you want to further animate your shirt.

A buttonhole can be made using a sewing machine using a buttonhole foot. You should make the desired size of the button hole. Essentially the way you make a buttonhole is you sew the stitching the encompasses the buttonhole and then use a seam ripper to open the button hole. Alternatively, you can use a presser foot which lets you insert button you plan on sewing on to determine the size of the button hole that needs to stitched. The button itself can me either sewn by hand or this too can be done mechanically by having the needle come down back and forth each hole in the button. Most shirt buttons will have either two or four holes.

This should provide you with what you need to start drafting shirt collars. If you are worried about not having the necessary equipment, all you need to take the first few steps is a ruler, paper and pencil!