1111111 Extension Circular 286 June, 1942 COLLARS AND NECKLINES by Alice Sundquist Extension Special~st in Clothing and Textiles Women and girls can help save our nation's raw materials, labor and machinery for production of war goods through r construction and conservation of clothing. Necklines are most important because they frame the face. The face of the wearer is usually the center of interest in a costume and the neck finish should be planned to accent one's best features and conceal poor ones. For this reason they need to be right in line, color, texture, and pattern. Necklines may be marked by the finish of the garment, or the finish may be inconspicuous and provide a background for costume jewelry worn to create an attractive neckline or supply a desirable color or texture note. For neck finishes, ·colors that blend with the skin coloring are more flattering. Brilliant, or sharp contrasts of skin coloring reveal imperfections, sallowness, wrinkles, etc. Hard, shiny textures, stripes, and plaids are trying to thin, angular features. Such fea­ tures may be relieved by pleating, shirrings, cordings, and flat embroideries. However, these add bulk and are not slenderizing to a round face. The neckline~£ a garment should harmonize with: The size of the person The shape of the face The length of the neck The width of the shoulders If the lines of the face and figure are pleasing, it is desirable to emphasize them by repeating them in the neckline, but if they are unattractive, the eye should be led away by an arrangement of lines that will modify the poor ones. For instance: 1. A person with a narrow, long face should choose round neck openings and collars and avoid long or pointed collars or neck openings. 2. A person with a round face, may choose a round collar or neckline provided it is not too broad. It will emphasize the round­ ness of the face. 3. A rolling round collar of medium width that fastens around the neck usually increases the apparent size of the face. 4. Tall, slender people may have round faces, or large figures may be topped by prominent noses, pointed, or square chins. It takes much thought and careful adjustment of neck finishes for such types. 5. Angles in neck lines, as squares or Vs, especially if brought close to the face, are trying to angular features. Moderate curves and scarfs can relieve this. 6. Deep points, surplice openings, or long necklaces add to the length of line and are good for short necks. 7. Repeat good lines. Never repeat or present a sharp contrast to poor lines you have. 8. The collar should belong to the dress in texture, color and design. Neck finishes and collars are first in style importance in a dress. Always have them look smart. Tailored necklines, such as shown here, are used year in and year out. The widths vary according to fashion but the principle of construction is the same. CUTTING COLLAR PATTERNS It is often necessary to make changes in the collar pattern be­ cause of alterations made in fitting the garment, and oftentimes ones needs to cut a collar pattern for a garment not having one. 2 Two Principles in Making Collars Successfully 1. The more nearly the neckline of the collar corresponds to the neckline of the garment, the flatter the collar will lie; or, the opposite: the straighter the neckline of the collar, the more it will roll. 2. No attached collar will fit well if the neckline is exactly like the neckline of the garment; it must roll enough to cover the seam by which it is joined to the garment. For this reason, the entire collar is 0" shorter than the neckline of the dress. Flat Collar Before cutting a collar, the neckline should be planned. If the neckline of the garment pattern has not been changed, pin the shoulder seams together and lay the pattern flat on a piece of paper with the center back 0" in from the straight edge of the paper. If changes have been made in the fitting, use the garment in­ stead of the pattern to determine the neckline. Fig. t-Cutting a flat col· Fold the waist of the garment on the center- Iar pattern front and center-back lines, matching the shoulder seams, and pin it to a piece of paper the same way as described above. Trace the neckline of the garment on the paper and extend it 0 inch to the straight edge of the paper at the center back. Remove pattern or garment. At the center front mark off ~ inch on the neckline. (See Figure 1.) Mark the width of the collar and shape the outside edge as desired. This makes the collar 0 inch shorter than the neckline of the garment and when it is attached, the inside edge will be stretched to fit the neck­ line of the garment. Most of this stretching is done from the shoulder seam to the center front. To make a flat collar pattern roll, straighten the traced neckline as much as needed for the type Fig. 2 -Cuting a roll collar pattern of collar desired. The straighter the neckline is made the more it will roll. Collar C will roll more than B or A, and collar B will roll more than A. (See Figure 2) To Modify Flat Collar Patterns: To change the length or width of a collar pattern, see Fig. 3. 3 {? {? A 6 t?C . t?p. Fig. 3-Changing length or width of collar pattern. A-Lengthening; B-Shortening; C­ Narrowing; D-Widening To increase the amount of roll ip. a flat collar, take darts across the . ~ 1 back of the collar and taper to the ·.. f neckline (See Figure 4-B). If much ~ fullness is to be removed, it is better V to take many small darts instead of A e c a few large ones. In some cases it Fig. 4-Changing the amount of roll may be easier to slash and overlap in a collar pattern the pattern instead of laying darts. To decrease the amount of roll, slash the collar to the seam line as shown in Fig. 4-C and spread the sections apart. Keep the collar neckline a little straighter than the garment neckline so that the collar may roll enough to cover the joining seam. The more nearly the collar conforms to the neckline of the garment, the flatter the collar will be. The Tuxedo collar is one that fits up against the back of the neck and is made of a piece of straight material twice the width de­ sired for the finished collar. To make it fit more tightly against the neck a small extension 0 inch wide is left on the pattern across the back at the neckline. Similar to pattern shown in Figure 5. Roll Collars Roll collars are straight pieces of double or single thickness material. They may be cut with the center back line on the straight Fig. s-Roll Collar Pattern thread of the goods, or true bias. A true bias collar should be made of double thickness. It fits all body curves with a softness and lack of wrinkles and creases most flatteringly. A straight collar, which fits with more pliability and less strain, may be cut as shown In Fig. 5, with a curve in center back just fitting the curve of the neckline in back of the dress. SEWING THE COLLAR Collars are usually cut double because they hold their shape better and look smarter. Stitch outer edges together, placing right 4 sides together. Slash the seam on curves and turn right side out bringing stitching out to folded edge. Baste and press. (See Figure 6) Before turning pointed collars, cut the corners off diagonally to avoid a lump and trim the seam. Points, scallops, bindings, pipings, and fac­ ings make attractive finishes for collars and Fig. 6-Sewing the collar cuffs. ATTACHING A FLAT COLLAR 1. Locate center-front, center-back of collar. Match these points with those on the garment and pin in place with pins perpendicular to the edge and with wrong side of collar next to the right side of garment. 2. Baste the two edges together. Hold the garment toward you and ease it as you stretch the collar slightly. (Figure 7-A) If the collar rolls in the back, or all the way around, hold it over your hand as you baste it to the garment. This will shorten the collar li~ing so it will not hang below the edge of the collar. 3. Try on the garment and check the fit. 4. Finish the edge with a bias facing. Use same ma­ terial as the garment for making the bias. It wears longer and looks better than A B the commercial tape. Cut it three-fourths inch longer than the neckline. If there is a seam in the bias, stitch, trim and press it open before you apply the bias. Place right side of bias down on the right side of collar. Baste it in place, easing the edge Fig. 7-Attaching a flat collar a trifle as it is basted, so that when the opposite edge is hemmed down to the wrong side of the dress it will not draw. S. Stitch bias facing, collar and garment neckline it). one sti~ch- in g. 5 6. Slash seam on curves. 7. Turn in ends of bias and turn bias over raw edges and pin to garment.