Dandy & Dapper

Mr Dandy: Well, if there's one thing a stylish dandy loves, it's a club collar. I'm still loving the sartorial nostalgia inspired by television shows such as Mad Men. It sets a man apart and has old-world style. We saw a snappy white Givenchy shirt with one recently, but hurry because there weren't many left (HK$5,570; Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2735 2361). Too bad you're a few years late for the fab collection that Tim Hamilton did for Uniqlo, which included club-collar chambray cotton shirts (though you might still find them on the secondary market). Since summer is not far off, you could get the same neckline but on a polo T-shirt, by John Galliano (HK$3,100; Joyce, 16 Queen's Road Central, tel: 2810 1120). Designer Patrik Ervell's (www.patrikervell.com) been doing them for several seasons (above right) but we haven't found the shirts in Hong Kong yet. Or, of course, just have your tailor whip one up for you. One more thing: it is said that rounded collars soften sharp features and thin faces while they accentuate the shape of fuller faces and chins.

Mr Dapper: True, although Ascot Chang (Prince's Building, Central, tel: 2523 3663) doesn't have any of them in its ready-to-wear collection, it could custom-make you one in about three days for HK$900 and up. As your description implies, the 'club collar' that Mr Dandy referenced has rounded edges rather than points. Most often associated with the turn of the century (late 1800s to early 1900s), other rounded collar terms that are bandied about these days include the Eton and Peter Pan collars (although the latter's usually reserved for children's and women's clothing). At Thomas Pink, it's known as the 'penny collar' but stock is limited so call ahead (HK$1,530; Pacific Place, Admiralty, tel: 2155 9021). By the way, Thomas Pink's website, www.thomaspink.com, clearly illustrates the basic collar options for men's shirts. Don't get stuck on the terminology here. We were surprised to find that Brooks Brothers uses an entirely different term, the 'golf collar'. After much confusion at the store, we learned that these shirts (HK$620) are not currently in stock. They are, however, still available through its website, www.brooksbrothers.com.