Upturned Collar

An upturned collar is an otherwise flat, protruding collardescendant of René Lacoste's tennis shirt, off the
of either a shirt, jacket, or coat that has been turnedcourse Zoeller wears his golf shirt's collar turned down,
upward. In recent years, some have perceived it as awhereas one often observes him with an upturned
fashion statement. Before the early twentieth century,collar while he is playing.
most shirt collars were turned up in some manner. In 1980, Lisa Birnbach published The Official Preppy
 Poker"> TopMen and women alike wore tall, stiffHandbook, in which she extolled the "virtues of the
collars (as much as three inches tall), not unlike a tallerupturned collar." According to Ms. Birnbach, rather than
version of a clerical collar, made either of starchedbeing a sports innovation, the upturned collar on a
linen, cotton, or lace. The writer H. G. Wells remarked intennis shirt was simply a signal that the wearer is a
his 1902 book Kipps that these "made [the] neck quite"preppy". Despite this obviously tongue-in-cheek
sore and left a red mark under [the] ears." Betweencharacterization, Ms. Birnbach did correctly identify that
the late nineteenth century and mid-twentieth century,one was more likely to view an upturned collar on the
men's collars were often detachable from their shirts,beaches of Nantucket than one would in middle
connected only by two removable collar studs (one inAmerica. The book was a bestselling sensation. As a
front and one in back). Detachable collars were veryresult, many people outside of the "preppy" enclaves
stiff, and either stood straight up (as in a Hamiltonof New England began emulating the style espoused in
collar) or were pressed over at an ironed-in, starchedand categorized by Ms. Birnbach. As such, ordinary
crease (as in a Fremont collar). After World War II,people in middle America who would not otherwise
mass-production gradually phased out detachablehave done so began to wear the collars of their tennis
collars from ordinary dress shirts. Occasionally, oneshirts turned up as a popular culture trend, but not
can still find detachable collar formal shirts, designed tobecause of the collar's utilitarian purpose of blocking
be worn with a tuxedo or evening dress. Brooksthe sun. During the 1980s, many celebrities wore
Brothers sells such a shirt at a few locations. Lapels onupturned collars. Joan Jett often upturned the collar of
jackets and coats, which resemble (and derive from) aher leather jacket, as did Tiffany. Nevertheless, this
longer collar, were and are also occasionally wornstyle ultimately seemed to pass out of popular culture
turned up. The frock coat of the eighteenth andfashion by the middle of the 1990s. American adult
nineteenth century often had a solid lapel that wasmale wearing the collar on his tennis shirt turned up as
always turned up.a part of a popular culture trend in the early 2000s.
Gradually, toward the mid-to-late nineteenth century, In very recent years, however, the upturned collar
however, lapels became folded down and "pieced out,"has undergone a resurgence in popularity as a trend in
in the peak, notched, or shawl lapel that one sees tothe popular culture, particularly in the United States,
this day. Today, however, a jacket lapel's ability to bewhere some people began to refer to it as a "popped
turned up helps to provide an extra modicum ofcollar". It also gained popularity as a trend in Europe
warmth when weather is cold or windy. With the(perhaps after football star Eric Cantona). Although the
advent of the tennis shirt, however, the upturned collarupturned collar no longer seems to be in vogue with
took on a whole new purpose. In 1929 Renéthe majority of European youth, older people still
Lacoste, the French 7-time Grand Slam champion,frequently wear upturned collars. Recently, certain
decided that the stiff dress shirts and ties usually wornAmericans still perceive the upturned collar to be a
by tennis players were too cumbersome and"preppy" status symbol. This trend seems no longer to
uncomfortable for the tennis court. Instead, he designedbe limited to tennis shirts, as some people turn up the
a loosely-knit pique cotton shirt with an un-starched, flatcollars of shirts not designed to be worn that way,
protruding collar and a longer shirt-tail in back than inmost notably Europeans above the age of 35. Today,
front. This came to be known as the tennis shirt.some Americans regard the trend as having worn out,
Lacoste's design called for a thick pique collar that oneand thus the wearer of an upturned collar can be the
would wear turned up in order to block the sun fromobject of mockery and scorn. Still, others continue to
one's neck. Thus, the tennis shirt's upturned collar wasturn up their collars as a popular culture fashion. This
originally designed by the inventor of the tennis shirt,has been bolstered by publicity from retailers with a
himself, for ease and comfort on the tennis court,middle-class clientele, such as J. Crew, Abercrombie &
aiding the player by helping to prevent sunburn andFitch, and American Eagle Outfitters (although
hyperthermia. Gradually, as tennis shirts became moreAbercrombie & Fitch company styling requirements for
popular and were produced more widely, their usethe 2006 Holiday floorset officially said that their
transcended tennis and was adopted for golf, polo,workers should not be turning their collars up [1]).
other sports, and everyday life. As the tennis shirtOf course, even amidst this environment, there are
entered the popular culture, wearers were less apt tomany people throughout the Western world who do
turn up their collar to block the sun if not wearing thenot turn up the collars of their tennis shirts as a popular
shirt during sport or outdoor activity. Thus, most peopleculture trend (and are often mystified by its adoption
began to wear a tennis shirt without the collar turnedas a trend), but rather continue to do so either out of
up, or turning them up only when involved in sport. Thelifelong habit or for the sport use for which it originally
professional golfer Fuzzy Zoeller is known for thiswas designed.
practice today; as the golf shirt is a looser-fitting