Collar Stand Calculator

Stand Cut Width is derived entirely from the selected Collar Style's fixed stand height (doubled, plus seam allowances) -- it has nothing to do with how large or small the wearer's neck is. Neck Circumference only affects measurements that scale around the neck, like Band Length and Fall Length, while the stand's height and width stay fixed for a given style regardless of the neck size you enter.

A Mandarin (or band) collar typically closes with a single button placed close to center front and has no folded-over fall to work around, so it needs less overlap allowance for the closure than styles like Standard, Peter Pan, or Spread, which this calculator gives a wider overlap to accommodate their fuller closures and folded construction.

Fall Length is the cut length of the outer collar piece that folds over and covers the stand once the collar is assembled. It's calculated as the neck circumference plus seam allowances plus a small roll allowance, NOT the Band Length -- the band includes the button-closure overlap that extends it past the neckline, while the fall's points terminate short of that extension. The roll allowance itself adds a little extra length so the fall can wrap around the fold at the top of the stand without pulling tight against it. (Collar styles with no fall, like Mandarin/band, report a Fall Length of 0 since there's no fall piece to cut.)

Standard garment seam allowances typically run from about 1/4 inch (0.25 in) up to 5/8 inch (0.625 in) or more depending on your pattern drafting tradition and fabric -- narrower allowances suit lightweight, less fray-prone fabrics and reduce bulk in a small piece like a collar stand, while wider allowances give more room for fitting adjustments. This calculator applies whatever seam allowance you enter uniformly to every raw edge of the band and stand pieces.