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ca. 1915-1918 DRESS UNIFORM COLLARLESS WHITE
COTTON DRESS SHIRT: This is the style of dress
shirt popular during the first two decades of the
Twentieth Century, featuring a “collar-less” neck and
French cuffs. The soldiers often purchased higher
quality shirts to supplement their dress uniforms, and
of course officers were responsible for purchasing their
own uniforms and equipment and were free to acquire
whatever suited their taste and bank balance.
This shirt, made by the famous Arrow Shirt company, was
made in the fashion of the time without a fixed collar.
Instead, the man would add a cotton, paper or celluloid
collar to complete the shirt, attaching the collar on
the stud at the rear of the collar and a second stud
that closed the throat of the shirt. This separate
collar was as much a function of hygiene as it was
fashion. As people did not bathe daily, and often wore
the same shirt for perhaps as long as a week, the
separate collar could be changed as often as necessary
to maintain a crisp and clean collar. The French cuff
were turned back on themselves, making a doubled,
stiffer cuff and were secured with cuff links.
This shirt is in very good condition. It is complete
with all the mother of pearl buttons and all the seams
are intact. There is no staining or discoloring, with
the material retaining a bright, clean white color
throughout. There is a very small rust stain on the
back of the left shoulder as shown in the photo below,
not noticeable when the shirt is displayed, but
mentioned here for a full and accurate description.
There is no wear or damage to the shirt save for two
small holes on the lower left tail of the shirt, again
shown in the photographs below.
These early collarless shirts are anything but common,
and when found are normally heavily discolored or
stained. This is a good representative example that
would complement your dress uniform display.
(0431) $50
NOTE: You may wish to add one
of the Quartermaster Corps marked collars to this shirt
that are offered on the next listing on page two of this
section.
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