Why Your Shirt Collar Changes How Your Haircut Looks
Learn how the shirts and jackets you wear change how your neckline looks after a haircut.
Have you ever gotten a haircut that looked great in the shop, but looked strange once you put on your jacket? You are not crazy. It happens to a lot of people.
The secret is not your hair. The secret is your collar. The clothes around your neck change how long or wide your neck looks. When your clothes change, the bottom of your haircut looks different too.
The Three Ways Barbers Cut Your Neck
When a barber cleans up the back of your neck, they usually pick one of three styles:
A blocked neck: This is a straight horizontal line cut across the bottom. It makes a thin neck look wider and stronger. But when your hair grows out, the stubble shows up very fast. A rounded neck: This is like a blocked neck, but the corners are curved. It gives a softer look. * A tapered neck: The hair fades down to your skin with no hard line. This grows out the best. Even after three weeks, it still looks clean.
How Collars Change What People See
Different shirts hide or show different parts of your neck.
A plain T-shirt shows your whole neck. If you have a short neck and get a hard, blocked line, your neck can look boxy.
A polo shirt or button-up shirt has a stiff collar. That collar sits right against the back of your neck. If you have a blocked haircut, the hair can hit the top of your shirt collar and bunch up. It can push your hair up and make it look messy.
Hoodies and winter coats do this even more. A thick hoodie will cover the bottom inch of your haircut. If your hair is just a little bit too long, the hood pushes the hair out sideways like a shelf. A clean taper stops this from happening because there is no bulk at the bottom to get pushed around.
How to Pick the Right Neckline
Think about what you wear every day. Do you wear dress shirts for work? Do you wear thick sweaters or hoodies most of the year?
If you wear collars and hoodies a lot, ask your barber for a low or mid taper. Tell them: "Please taper the back so it does not rub against my shirt collar." This keeps the bottom flat and neat, even when your clothes push against it.
If you have a long, skinny neck and mostly wear T-shirts, a rounded or softly blocked line can help balance things out.
Test It on Your Own Face
It can feel scary to pick a new style when you do not know how it will look. You can find out your face shape for free with the HairMatch AI tool. If you want to see a brand new cut directly on your own face before the barber touches your hair, you can buy a render pack starting at just $0.99. It takes the guesswork away so you can walk into the barbershop feeling sure of what you want.