Johnny Collar
Construction — one of 70 in the glossary
A neckline where the collar opens into a shallow Y at the front, with no buttons and no placket — the lapels simply cross or sit apart. It gives a softer, more relaxed line than a buttoned polo placket and is most common on women's sportswear and hospitality uniforms. Because there is no placket and no buttons, the chest is unusually clear of hardware, which makes it one of the easier collared styles to decorate. Set a left-chest logo from the shoulder rather than the neckline, since the Y opening varies a lot between styles.
A collar without a placket
A Johnny collar opens into a shallow Y at the front, with no buttons and no placket. The collar edges either cross over or sit apart.
That makes it structurally simpler than a polo: there is no reinforced opening, no buttonholes and no hardware.
It is most common on women's sportswear and on hospitality and front-of-house uniforms, where a softer line than a buttoned polo is wanted.
Easy to decorate, with one catch
Because there is no placket and no buttons, the chest is unusually clear. Nothing raised or stiff gets in the way of a press or a hoop.
The catch is that the depth of the Y varies a great deal between styles, and it is rarely on a spec sheet.
Set a left-chest logo from the shoulder seam rather than from the neckline, and measure the garment if a centred design is wanted.
Common questions
- What is a Johnny collar?
- A collar that opens into a shallow Y at the front with no buttons and no placket — the edges cross or sit apart. It is common on women's sportswear and hospitality uniforms.
- What is the difference between a Johnny collar and a polo?
- A polo has a buttoned placket; a Johnny collar has none. That makes the Johnny softer in line and easier to decorate, with no hardware near the chest.
- Where does a logo go on a Johnny collar shirt?
- Left chest, positioned from the shoulder seam rather than the neckline, because the depth of the Y opening varies widely between styles.
See also
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