Detach Your Collar, I Dare You

Collars of all shapes, sizes, and materials — retro dagger collars, denim scalloped collars, oversized lace ones — have been enjoying top billing during the 2020 collections. Last season, exaggerated collars showed up all fashion month long, with disco styles straight out of the ‘70s at Fendi, Paco Rabanne, and Louis Vuitton, while more demure Peter Pan versions could be seen at the likes of Simone Rocha, Tory Burch, and Celine. But this time, these collars have got an added bonus: Many of them are detachable, which means you can wear these dickeys with many more things, in many more ways.

They first debuted in Copenhagen, with Danish cult brand Ganni. Alongside oversized suiting, yellow and red lug boots, and psychedelic checkerboard patterns was a fine-tuned selection of bib-like collars available in leather, quilted nylon, embroidered mesh, and denim worn over top of sweater dresses, paired with matching quilted coats, and secured underneath traditional collared button-downs. In preppy uptown Manhattan, Tory Burch released a more Pilgrim-esque alternative made of stiff, white cotton and embellished with delicate lace. In London, they appeared at the JW Anderson show as fully beaded and feathered collars styled with simple dresses, and in Milan at Alberta Ferretti as ruffled and romantic additions to otherwise masculine suits. Just hours ago, Miuccia presented a whole slew of necklace-like collars made of sparkling beaded fringe that were layered on top Easter-colored sheath dresses.

Similar to the detachable turtlenecks that have been a street style and runway hit the past few seasons, these throw-on-and-go collars are as utilitarian as they are ornamental. “Dickeys, like makeup, used to hide blemishes and emote a pristine image,” explained Darnell Jamal Lisby, a fashion historian working at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum about these collars’ original function. Rather than having to tuck in a collared shirt, dealing with layering lumpy sleeves, or constantly dry cleaning your shirts, a detachable choker makes getting the prim and proper look of a collar easier than ever before. 

Below, find a selection of already available removable collars to shop now.