adding tie bar holes

[clipclop25]

I am amazed at the cost of both new and used tailored shirts with the tie bar holes. Has anyone ever just taken a regular man's shirt and punched holes and stitched them to keep them from raveling and used the tie bars on them???

[jshay]

Most of the used shirts with tie bar holes are custom, so the fit is going to be better in most cases than a mens shirt....of,course unless you are a man lol. I think you are paying for fit, especially in the collar.
Re the holes, you can put a blanket pin in a collar and circle it around to make a tie bar hole, and I would guess a tailor/alterations person could do it,for you as well.

[Ice]

I've added tie bar holes to probably a dozen shirts. The key is that the shirt has to fit really, really well or it will look more sloppy than just a regular shirt with a button down collar. I'm lucky to fit in a 14 1/2 / 32 men's shirt just as well as my custom shirts. My sewing machine has an eyelet stitch that adds the tie bar holes. You have to select the size and get the placement just so, but it will give you the desired effect. A tailor should also be able to do this for you at a very reasonable cost if you don't sew. I wouldn't recommend stabbing a hole through the fabric, as it won't hold up long term.

[janders]

LOL, the only time that I have paid the rather large cost for a 'custom' shirt with collar bar holes, the shirt did not fit. Except for the neck size, it was a total disaster. The shirt literally came to my knees, but since it was obviously tailored for a man, it didn't fit around the hips, so I couldn't button any of the buttons below the waist--and my hips are not that big. The cuffs hung well below my hands, as well. I ordered it as part of a suit. The vest and the coat were a perfect fit. The pants were a total waste, and the proportions were closer to the shirt. I really think that the exceptionally well paid tailor mixed up the order, and someone else got half of my suit and I got half of theirs.

[july]

do you not like the "slip on tie bars" ? i have used those with great success, plus i can adjust them when/where needed.

[Thunderstruck]

Originally Posted by clipclop25

I am amazed at the cost of both new and used tailored shirts with the tie bar holes. Has anyone ever just taken a regular man's shirt and punched holes and stitched them to keep them from raveling and used the tie bars on them???

I buy all my shirts at Men's Warehouse and do just that. I use an awl to punch the hole and then make it a tad bigger by carefully cutting the punched part out with my smallest scissors, then I whip stitch the edge. In a pinch you can just forgo the stitching and put a small drop of Fray Check on the the edges of the hole. I had to do this one time at a show when I forgot the right shirt and had to buy one. The smallest hole on a leather punch will work, but in my opinion is just a tad too big. Just look at some shirts that have the hole first so you know where to put the hole.

[SaddlebredMom]

The hardest thing about buying dress shirts from the Men's or Boy's department is the collar fit. Once you've figured that out, the rest is relatively easy. To cut down on the boxiness of a man's shirt, look for the "fitted" brands or the "young men's" shirts. They are larger in the chest and more tapered through the waist. And not all manufacturer's cut their shirts the same, so try a few different brands on to find the one that works the best.

I've used a seamstress to put the holes in the collars. It's best to be actually wearing the shirt so they can mark the right spot because there are many different shapes and sizes/widths of collars and the placement on a thinner narrower collar with a smaller opening between collar points won't be the same as a wider thicker collar with a larger opening between the points. I haven't taken one of my daughter's ties with us yet, but I will next time because the size of the knot can make a difference as well. If you are going to do this yourself, I would put the shirt and tie on and find the best position for the collar bar, then mark the place you want the hole on the underside of the collar points and then cut/punch it out.

[clipclop25]

Thanks for all of the advice. I might just try it with an older shirt that fits in the neck and go from there. And I do have the slip on tie bars,but fear they will come off. Anyone had the slip on tie bars fall off??? That would be terrible to have on come off in the ring.

[SaddlebredMom]

We use the slip-on collar bars and have no worries about them coming off. You can feel how tight they fit the collar when you're trying to "slip" them on. Someone gave me a tip if you think the ends of the collar bar may be loosening their grip - wrap the end of the back bar with a small strip of adhesive bandage tape and that will take up any slack and prevent the collar bar from slipping off/down.

[july]

i have never had one fall or alip off, they are very tight, almost like a "spring" fit to them.