Polo Shirt Collar Types, Placket and Cuff: Buyer Spec

A polo shirt has four parts that decide how the garment looks and how it samples: the collar, the placket, the cuff and the seam that joins them. Get those four onto the tech pack as written fields rather than a photograph, and a sample takes 3–7 working days instead of a conversation. This page sets out the collar types, placket and cuff options you can name, and the field-by-field specification we build the sample from.

Each of the four parts is a separate pattern piece with its own construction, so a change to one is a change to the sample. That is also where the ordering decision sits: two collar options in one fabric are two styles at our minimum of 100 pieces per style, per colour.

The four parts are also where a written order can stay vague. A collar described as rib can be made at several depths, and a placket described as standard carries no width. The specification has to carry the numbers.

1. Why a polo is specified part by part

A polo is not one pattern with a collar attached at the end. The collar, placket, cuff and neck seam are each cut, made and attached as their own operation, and each carries its own measurements on the size chart.

That matters at approval. A buyer who signs off a photograph signs off a look; a buyer who signs off four written fields signs off a construction that a second run can repeat. The second signature is the one that makes a reorder identical to the first delivery.

This page is written the way we ask for it at enquiry: name the option, then write the measurement. The option alone is a category; the measurement is what the sample room can build and what the in-line check can verify.

2. Collar types: flat knit, rib, self-fabric and spread

Four collar names appear on a polo specification: flat knit, rib, self-fabric and spread. The name tells the sample room which pattern piece and which edge finish to use; the depth and the edge shape still have to be measured on the sample.

A flat knit collar is knitted as a flat strip rather than cut from the body cloth. Write the depth at the centre back, the edge finish and the collar length on the size chart, then approve the sample against those three numbers.

A rib collar is knitted in a rib structure. Write the rib depth, the collar length at the centre back and the edge finish, and say whether the collar is attached with a taped neck at the seam behind it.

A self-fabric collar is cut from the same cloth as the body. Write the edge finish as well. A cut edge on a knit has to be closed by folding or taping, and that finish is what the sample shows at the collar edge.

A spread collar is cut with a wider, flatter opening at the front. Write the spread measurement and the collar point length, and check both against the neckline of the style rather than against a photograph of another shirt.

The name alone does not fix a collar. Two rib collars at different depths are two different pattern pieces, so a depth changed after approval is a changed sample rather than a note on the order.

3. Placket: width, button count and buttonhole position

The placket carries three numbers: the width, the button count and the button position. Write all three on the tech pack and mark the top button on the size chart. Those three fields are what the sample is measured against.

Width is measured across the finished placket, not on the cut piece. State it as a finished measurement so the sample is checked against the same number you wrote, and so the graded chart carries it through every size.

Button count decides the placket length and the number of buttonholes. A three-button placket appears in the classic polo; a two-button or four-button front is a different placket pattern, and two placket patterns cut in one fabric are two styles at the minimum.

Say whether the placket is cut on the fold or as a separate facing, and whether the facing is visible from the outside. That is the choice a sample shows at the placket edge, and it is the part a photograph never settles.

Button size, button colour and buttonhole direction belong on the specification too. Confirm buttonhole spacing on the sample and button colour against the approved trim, since buttons are a trim item and trim minimums are separate from the garment minimum.

4. Cuff structure and sleeve finish

The cuff is the sleeve finish, and the specification has to say which one: a rib cuff, a self-fabric cuff, a turned hem or a coverstitch hem. The choice changes the finished sleeve length, so decide it before the size chart is graded.

For a rib or self-fabric cuff, write the cuff depth and the sleeve opening on each size. For a turned hem or a coverstitch hem, write the hem depth and the stitch, and mark the sleeve length measurement point on the size chart so it is read the same way at approval and at final inspection.

A polo sleeve can also be finished with a plain hem and no cuff at all. That is a legitimate specification, but name it on the tech pack; an unstated sleeve finish is read as a cuff at sampling.

Sleeve length is the measurement most often argued at approval: a cuff adds depth that a plain hem does not. Write the measurement point as well as the number, and the argument is settled by the sample rather than by the chart.

5. Seam types: single needle, double needle and taped neck

Three seam names cover most of a polo: single needle, double needle and the taped neck. Write them seam by seam rather than once for the whole garment. The neck, the side seam and the hem can each be specified differently.

A taped neck is a tape sewn over the neck seam. Record the tape width, the tape colour and the seam type at that position, and say on the approved sample whether the tape is visible from the outside or turned to the inside.

Coverstitch is the stitch used on cuffs and hems. Write the number of needle lines and the stitch density as seen on the approved sample, and keep those two fields on the construction sheet rather than in an email.

Seam allowance belongs on the specification as a number. It changes the finished measurement at the side seam and the shoulder, and it is checked at the first in-line inspection rather than discovered at final inspection.

6. The specification table

The table below is the specification sheet we ask a buyer to complete for a polo. Each row is a field on the tech pack, the options that field can take, what the choice changes in the specification, and what has to be confirmed on the sample.

Polo collar, placket, cuff and seam specification
Part	Options you can specify	Effect on the specification	Confirm at sample approval
Collar	Flat knit, rib, self-fabric, spread	Sets the collar pattern piece, the collar depth at centre back, the edge finish and the collar length on the size chart	Collar type, depth, edge finish and collar length measured on the sample
Placket	Finished width, button count, button and buttonhole position, cut on the fold or separate facing	Sets the front pattern piece, the buttonhole markers and the top-button position on the graded chart	Finished placket width, button count, top-button position and facing type
Cuff	Rib cuff, self-fabric cuff, turned hem, coverstitch hem	Sets the finished sleeve length, the cuff depth and the sleeve opening on each size	Cuff type, cuff depth and sleeve opening per size
Neck seam	Single needle, double needle, taped neck	Sets the stitch at the neckline, and the tape width, colour and visibility	Seam type, tape width, tape colour and whether the tape shows outside
Side seam and hem	Single needle, double needle, coverstitch hem, seam allowance	Sets the stitch, the seam allowance and the finished measurements at the side seam and the hem	Stitch type, stitch density and seam allowance as seen on the sample

Fill the table in order. A row left blank is a question at sampling, and a row filled with a name but no measurement is a sample that has to be made twice.

7. From specification to approved sample

Sampling is 3–7 working days from a confirmed specification, and bulk runs 15–25 days after sample approval. The pattern room and design team work from the fields above, so a field left open comes back as a question before the sample is cut.

Inspection covers in-line checks at every stage and 100% final inspection before packing, accepted to AQL 2.5. The collar, placket and cuff are checked against the approved sample at those points, not against the name of the option on the tech pack.

The minimum is 100 pieces per style, per colour. A different collar or placket pattern in the same fabric is a second style with its own minimum, so testing two collar options is budgeted as two runs rather than one.

Bonded and seam-sealed polo builds start at 200 pieces per style, per colour. Where a collar or placket is bonded rather than stitched, the film and fabric pairing is agreed before cutting, and construction is confirmed on the sample.

Fabric can be bought from a mill you nominate, and organic cotton and long-staple cotton are sourced from qualified mills with documentation on request. Quality control runs under ISO 9001, and the quote is fixed once confirmed.

Frequently asked questions

Which collar types can I specify on a polo shirt?

Flat knit, rib, self-fabric and spread. The name sets the pattern piece and the edge finish, and the collar depth and collar length still have to be measured on the approved sample.

What has to be written for a polo placket?

The finished width, the button count, the button and buttonhole position, and whether the placket is cut on the fold or as a separate facing. All four fields go on the tech pack before sampling.

What is a taped neck on a polo shirt?

A tape sewn over the neck seam. Record the tape width, the tape colour and the seam type at that position, and say on the approved sample whether the tape is visible from the outside.

Does a different collar count as a second style?

Yes. A different pattern in the same fabric is a second style with its own minimum of 100 pieces per style, per colour, and bonded builds start at 200 pieces per style, per colour.

How long does a polo sample take with a specified collar and placket?

3–7 working days from a confirmed specification, and bulk is 15–25 days after sample approval. Samples are made and approved before bulk begins.

Next step

Send the four parts of your polo as written fields, or send the reference sample you want matched, and we will tell you which fields are still open before a sample is cut.

Read the polo shirt manufacturer page for the collar, cuff and placket options we build to a tech pack, and golf polo shirts for club and team orders. Cutting and sewing covers how the pattern pieces are made up, the polos category shows finished builds, and the contact page is where the specification should be sent.