Pull off a Collarless Shirt With One of Our 10 Favorites Right Now
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The best collarless shirts for men come with a confusing array of jargon: there’s the band collar, grandad collar, mandarin collar, standing collar, choker collar and officer collar.
While these terms represent minor stylistic differences, they all refer to collars that don’t fold and can’t be worn with a tie. This style represents a unique, Eastern-inspired alternative to the traditional men’s dress shirt collar. The best collarless shirts are still formal enough to be worn at dinner or the workplace and speak to your more laid-back, fashion-forward aesthetic.
Before we dive into our list of the best collarless shirts available online, let’s break down the different styles. A mandarin collar is a short, unfolded stand-up collar that “…can be traced back to early 200 BC … a traditional feature on the gowns worn by the Mandarins in Imperial China.” In modern men’s fashion, choker collars, standing collars, and band collars are various takes on the traditional mandarin collar.
A grandad collar (often used synonymously with “collarless shirts”) generally lays flatter with the shirt than a Mandarin collar. This style allegedly originated in 1920s New York, when housewife Hannah Montague cut off the collars to wash separately to get more wear from the shirt. In the absence of fact, this story could be nothing more than a marketing ad’s fictional origin story. When it comes to styling grandad collars, don’t overthink it. Like with any dress shirt, the shirt’s silhouette and material determine how you wear it and what you wear it with. Whatever you want to call them, these are the best collarless shirts for men.
1. Scotch & Soda Collarless Grandad Shirt
BEST OVERALL
This shirt from Scotch & Soda has the heathered look of chambray, making for a rugged yet put-together look. It has a chest pocket with a hidden side-access pocket. It’s made from a blend of organic cotton and hemp, making for a more eco-friendly option. Whether you wear it unbuttoned over a t-shirt or layer it under a black denim jacket, it’s sure to be a wardrobe booster.
Image Courtesy of Scotch & Soda
2. Uniqlo U Oversized Stand Collar Shirt
BEST VALUE
If you’re looking to get into the oversized trend, this shirt from Uniqlo U is a low-risk (read: affordable) way to do it. The stand-collar shirt has a boxy fit and long hem, and there are two button pockets on the chest. If it looks like it could have come from a high-end minimalist designer, that’s because that’s exactly where it came from — Christophe Lemaire designs this shirt as part of his ongoing Uniqlo U collection. The shirt comes in muted shades of pink, gray or natural, with a subtle stripe print.
Image Courtesy of Uniqlo
3. Club Monaco Band Collar Linen Shirt
ON SALE
Club Monaco always delivers when it comes to simple yet sophisticated pieces. This band collar shirt is the perfect example — dress it up with a lightweight cotton suit, or keep it casual with a pair of faded blue jeans. It’s made from 100% linen, making it a breathable summer piece. It comes in a sienna color, although they call it mauve.
Image Courtesy of Club Monaco
4. BOSS Jordi Slim Fit Band Collar Cotton Dress Shirt
BEST DRESS SHIRT
Unlike many of the casual options on this list, this band collar shirt from Boss is still a dress shirt. It’s made from 100% cotton and can be worn with a suit or tucked into a crisp pair of chinos. It’s crisp; it’s clean; it’s classic.
Courtesy of Nordstrom
5. NN07 Justin Grandad-Collar Linen Shirt
BEST LINEN SHIRT
NN07 is a minimalist brand from Copenhagen — and what could be more minimalist than a button-down shirt without a collar? This stylish piece is 100% linen, so it’s a shirt to wear on a warmer summer day when you still want to look put together. It comes in two shades of blue, white and dark green.
Image Courtesy of Mr Porter
6. Saint Laurent Grandad-Collar Embroidered Voile Shirt
BEST DESIGNER
Not afraid to make a statement (or spend some serious cash)? Then consider this short-sleeve shirt from Saint Laurent, which features an intricate black floral pattern embroidered on the white fabric. This shirt is made from cupro, a silky fabric that comes from cellulose fibers due to cotton production.
Image Courtesy of Mr Porter
7. Officine Générale Auguste Grandad-Collar Shirt
BEST OXFORD SHIRT
Officine Générale is all about classic menswear, and this shirt from the French brand is a subtle subversion of the classic Oxford shirt. It has the hallmarks of a classic Oxford-cloth shirt, sans the button-down collar. The chest pocket has contrast-piping to add extra visual flair.
Image Courtesy of Mr Porter
8. Perry Ellis Banded Collar Shirt
ON SALE
Perry Ellis is not the dominant brand it once was, so it’s easy to forget the designer’s outsized impact on men’s fashion. The eponymous brand still carries plenty of stylish and simple pieces, such as this band collar shirt made from a blend of cotton and linen. It’s a casual piece designed to be worn untucked.
Image Courtesy of Perry Ellis
9. Charles Tyrwhitt Collarless Cotton Linen Shirt
BEST FORMAL SHIRT
Class your look up a bit with this collarless cotton linen shirt from Charles Tyrwhitt. This dress shirt is a cotton skinny-fit shirt with a clean, pressed, starched look with a flat hem on the front and tail typically meant to be tucked in. Wear it with some nice slacks and a pair of Oxfords or brogues for an effortlessly formal look that’s dialed up a notch for the office or a nice cocktail bar.
Courtesy of Charles Tyrwhitt
10. Goodthreads Men’s Long-Sleeve Band-Collar Denim Shirt
BUDGET BUY
Amazon has been making its way into the fashion game with several Amazon-owned brands and storefronts. Because Amazon sees everything purchased, it’s trying to put that knowledge to use by offering lower-priced versions of the most popular and essential items. While that might be a pro or a con depending on what kind of shopper you are, it does mean consumers can get some pretty solid essential pieces for their wardrobes. That brings us to Goodthread’s Band Collar Denim Shirt. This Amazon brand offers a casual band collar denim shirt here in five different essential colors for a bit of variety. Basic design with medium-weight denim translates to an all-year-round shirt at a price you can afford. Pick up one or more of these shirts, and you’ll always have a solid band collar shirt option to wear.
Image courtesy of Amazon
Looking for something more traditional? Try these Oxford shirts