The last few years of shirt collars in America have been the worst; everyone is doing that stingy, shortened shirt collar that looks like a Nehru with a button hot-glued on. They remind me of an 1980’s style; they make one’s neck and head seem to pop enormously into view above; like the baby in Eraserhead.

Kamakura, for all its problems, engineered a handsome collar.

Jake?  I’d like to know more about Jake. As for Mercer- I have one experience. They made a shirt for me and I like it fine. It wasn’t Oxford Cloth- I went with something lighter. I’d use them again- and if my 15 or so white Maker shirts wear out, I’ll maybe have them make up some OCBD’s in the future. I loved their pleasant, homey service. I liked the collar roll. They do NOT have (nor aspire to have) Kamakura’s MTM precision. Kamakura made some shirts for me that were like machines. I also didn’t think a shirt at that price should have a label that seemed to have been dyed with the shirt- I ordered a blue shirt and the label was a wishy-washy blue too.  The buttons and button holes were sloppy. In the end, I’m glad they exist.

I’m in NY. It’s easier to find them. Also- I am able to wear a variety of sleeve lengths - I have never had my sleeves rolled down and buttoned in my life- so there are more for me to choose from, maybe? I once argued that Kamakura was the new evolution of OCBD’s, blah blah blah.  Nope. Makers. Maybe I’m kidding myself, but as old as I get, when I put on a Makers I feel like I look like ‘myself’.  And somewhere in that is the reason I like the whole style of clothing, too.