“Guys don’t need a lot of choices,” the menswear designer and retailer Sid Mashburn once declared. “They just need the right choice.”

Nowhere is this style koan more pertinent for men than in the matter of the shirt collar. When confronted with the dizzying array of variants on display – from tab to cutaway to club to forward point – the tyranny of choice is likely to get the average man rather hot under the, well, collar.

And beyond that initial hurdle, there are further questions to confront: formal or informal? Tie or no tie? And, perhaps most importantly – will it work with my face shape?

“Half the men coming to us know what collar they want – or profess to – while the other half are looking for some gentle guidance,” says Steven Quin, retail director at Turnbull & Asser, shirtmaker to the Prince of Wales, who presides over the firm’s bespoke shirt service.

“I think the keyword for collars today is ‘adaptable’ – they need to take you through from office to evening. And, of course, they need to work with your outfit and complement your face shape.” Who better than Mr. Quin to help us get our collars straightened out?

Shirt Collar Types To Consider

Cuban Collar

The breezy, relaxed fit of the Cuban collar (or camp, or revere) is a testament to its origin in the tropical climes of Hawaii and Havana in the 1950s. Early versions were run up in softer man-made fabrics like rayon and invariably featured palm tree or pineapple prints; today’s iterations come in cotton-linen mixes and more muted tones, and would work as well in a relaxed summer office as at some beachside cabana.

“It’s become a really popular option in the last few years,” says Quin, “as dress codes – and collars – have generally become less restrictive.”

Best for: All face shapes. “It sits on the chest rather than around the neck,” says Quin, “so it works across the board.”