6 Reasons Men Stopped Wearing Collar Jewelry

For a lot of historical past, collar jewellery was a staple in males’s trend, mixing performance with ornamentation. From the Victorian period via the early Twentieth century, collar bars, pins, and clips helped males preserve a cultured, structured look.

Nonetheless, at the moment, they’re extra of a novelty than a necessity. So, what brought on the decline? Let’s discover six key causes.

1. Collars Modified, Jewellery Wasn’t Wanted

Collar jewellery initially served a purposeful objective—holding stiff, removable collars and securing ties in place. Through the Victorian and Edwardian eras, starched collars had been widespread, and equipment like collar bars and collar pins had been important for sustaining formality.

Nonetheless, as laundering strategies developed and dress shirt styles shifted towards softer, connected collars (immediately linked to the shirt physique), the necessity for collar equipment diminished, turning into extra ornamental than important.

2. Attitudes Towards Jewellery Grew to become Extra Reserved

Through the Great Depression (1930s), spending on non-essential trend gadgets—together with ornamental men’s jewelry—declined. Collar jewellery, as soon as thought-about a sensible accent, was now seen as an pointless luxurious.

Moreover, throughout WWII, rationing additional lowered the usage of metals and jewellery. Put up-war, minimalism took maintain, and formal males’s equipment like collar jewellery turned much less standard.

3. Collar Jewellery Required Particular Shirts

Sure collar equipment, like collar bars, required shirts particularly designed with built-in holes. As mass-produced shirts with out these specialty options turned commonplace, utilizing collar jewellery turned much less handy and fewer accessible.

Collar clips and pins had been barely extra adaptable, however spread and cutaway collars, which gained reputation within the mid-Twentieth century, weren’t fitted to them. With out the correct collar construction, collar jewellery typically regarded misplaced.

4. Unfavorable Cultural Associations Made It Much less Standard

As collar jewellery turned rarer in on a regular basis put on, it started to hold sturdy historic and cultural associations that made it much less interesting in trendy menswear:

Tied to a Bygone Period

As a result of collar equipment had been broadly worn through the early Twentieth century, they turned intrinsically linked to that interval. Very similar to disco bodysuits and the Nineteen Seventies, collar jewellery was seen as belonging to a selected historic second, making it really feel misplaced in up to date trend.

Related to Costumes & Interval Dressing

Most individuals at the moment solely see males’s collar jewellery in outdated images, interval movies, or historic reenactments. Consequently, carrying collar bars, collar pins, or collar clips outdoors of these contexts can appear theatrical or overly nostalgic relatively than trendy.

Linked to Flamboyant or Eccentric Characters

In trendy media, collar jewellery is commonly depicted on rich, eccentric, and even villainous characters—mobsters, old-money elites, dandies, or mysterious figures inspired by 1920s aristocrats. These portrayals reinforce the concept that formal males’s equipment like collar jewellery are just for the overly flamboyant or out-of-touch.

Picture credit score: HBO

These perceptions negatively impacted their mainstream acceptance.

5. Informal Dressing Diminished Demand for Ties

More and more informal dress codes lowered demand for formal equipment. As fewer males wore ties each day, tie equipment and collar jewellery turned much less related.

• Informal workplaces: Business casual and relaxed office attire lowered the necessity for tie-centric equipment.
• Fewer costume shirts: Many males opted for open-collar shirts, polos, or t-shirts, eliminating the necessity for any collar equipment.
• Simplified fashion developments: The concept of “much less is extra” dominated trend, favoring clear, unadorned seems to be over intricate equipment.

6. Discovering High quality Collar Jewellery Grew to become Troublesome

As demand declined, producers stopped producing high-quality collar jewellery. Whereas classic items exist, they’re uncommon and sometimes costly.

Fashionable reproductions, impressed by reveals like Peaky Blinders, typically sacrifice craftsmanship and traditional fashion conventions, making well-made choices more and more tough to supply.

Can You Nonetheless Put on Collar Jewellery At the moment?

Sure. When styled appropriately, collar jewellery stays a placing and timeless accent that provides a chic contact to traditional menswear. Whereas it’s not as widespread at the moment, it could actually nonetheless improve your outfit with out trying outdated—if chosen and worn appropriately.

Varieties of Collar Jewellery:

Which Collar Jewellery Works Greatest for Your Shirt?

If you happen to’re new to collar jewellery, collar clips are the best entry level since they connect with rigidity clips and require no modifications to your shirt. In the meantime, collar pins and collar bars provide a extra structured, polished look however require particular shirt types.

• Collar Clips – Essentially the most versatile possibility, appropriate for traditional level collars, semi-spread collars, and narrow-spread collars. These connect with rigidity and don’t require particular shirt modifications.
• Collar Pins – Pierces the collar for a daring, structured look, greatest fitted to conventional level collars and reasonable unfold collars.
• Collar Bars – Requires particular pre-pierced collar holes however provides a refined, vintage-inspired aesthetic. Works solely with tab collars or specifically designed costume shirts with strengthened holes.

And, whereas carrying jewellery isn’t as widespread at the moment, it could actually nonetheless function a classy element to an outfit and we firmly imagine that it’s value attempting out if you happen to’d like to take action.

How one can Model a Collar Clip

Suggestions for Males’s Collar Clips, Bars, & Pins

For a deeper dive into collar jewellery, together with the way to put on collar clips, pins, and bars with totally different shirt types, try our complete information.

How one can Model Collar Jewellery for Fashionable Menswear

In at the moment’s outfit, I’m carrying a collar clip in silver tones at a smaller measurement to accommodate the normal level collar that my shirt has. This collar clip, in fact, is from our personal Fort Belvedere line and it’s in platinum plated sterling silver. The shirt with which I’m carrying it comes from Charles Tyrwhitt, and it’s in a lilac coloration on a white background in a small houndstooth that Tyrwhitt calls pet tooth.

The shirt does have French cuffs, however I’m carrying them configured in a barrel fashion at the moment in order that they’ll extra simply harmonize with the sweater I’m carrying. The sweater, in fact, is a v-neck fashion in cashmere and in a berry purple tone to harmonize with the shirt. The v-neck additionally helps to point out off the shirt collar, collar jewellery, and the necktie that I’m carrying, which is in a plain black.

This, in flip, harmonizes with the underside half of my outfit, as my trousers, socks, and loafers from Jay Butler are all in plain black as effectively. Lastly, at the moment, the perfume I’m carrying, Marzocco, from the Roberto Ugolini collection, has heat vanilla ahead tones and it doesn’t harm that the purple bottle occurs to harmonize with my outfit.

Fort Belvedere

Small Silver 45mm Collar Clip for Slim Shirt Collars

Roberto Ugolini

Marzocco Cologne