The spread collar is one of those details that quietly does a lot of work. It opens up the chest, frames the face better than a point collar on most men, and sits well whether you’re wearing a tie, wearing nothing underneath a jacket, or going completely open necked. The problem is that plenty of spread collar shirts oversell it. Too much spread and it starts looking theatrical. Too stiff and it loses the relaxed quality that makes the collar worth wearing in the first place.

What we’ve been looking for here are shirts that understand the balance. Fabrics that have enough weight to hold the collar’s shape without needing a tie to keep everything in order. Fits that work tucked or half tucked without looking accidental. Colours and textures that suit the collar’s slightly open, considered character rather than fighting against it.

These are shirts that know what they are and don’t feel the need to announce it. That restraint is exactly why they work.