A self collar is a collar made from the same fabric as the body of the garment. The term “self” in clothing construction simply means “same material,” so a self collar (also called a self-fabric collar) matches the shirt, jacket, jersey, or dress it’s attached to in both material and appearance. You’ll see this term most often on sewing patterns, product descriptions for custom jerseys, and tailoring guides.
How It Differs From Other Collar Types
The distinction matters because not all collars use the same fabric as the garment body. On polo shirts, athletic jerseys, and casual knit tops, you’ll often see ribbed collars, which are made from a stretchy rib-knit material regardless of what the rest of the shirt is made from. Contrast collars use a deliberately different fabric or color for a decorative effect. A self collar, by comparison, blends seamlessly into the garment. It creates a uniform, minimalist look where the collar doesn’t visually stand out from the rest of the piece.
This difference is more than cosmetic. Because a self collar is cut from the same fabric, it shrinks and ages at the same rate as the garment body. A ribbed collar on a cotton jersey, for example, might shrink differently than the body after repeated washing, eventually pulling or warping. A self-fabric collar avoids that mismatch entirely.
Where You’ll See Self Collars
Self collars appear across a wide range of garment types. On dress shirts and blazers, the collar is almost always self-fabric, since a matching collar is standard in formal and business clothing. On custom sports jerseys, choosing a self-fabric collar over a ribbed one gives the jersey a cleaner, more modern aesthetic. In home sewing, patterns for button-down shirts, Peter Pan collars, shawl collars, mandarin collars, and notched collars on jackets all typically call for self-fabric construction.
How Self Collars Are Constructed
Because the collar fabric is the same weight and drape as the garment body, self collars almost always need interfacing to hold their shape. Interfacing is a hidden layer of stiff or semi-stiff material fused or sewn between the fabric layers of the collar, giving it enough structure to stand up, fold over, or lie flat as intended. Without it, a self-fabric collar would be as floppy as the shirt itself.
Most self collars are cut as two layers. The interfacing goes on the top layer (the side visible from the outside), and a lightweight variety works best to avoid adding bulk. For a shirt collar with a separate stand, the interfaced layer is the one closest to your neck. For notched collars on blazers and coats, both the collar and the facing piece underneath get interfaced, and the undercollar is often cut on the bias (diagonally across the fabric grain) so it can curve smoothly around the neck.
The specific construction varies by collar style. A flat Peter Pan collar needs just light interfacing to keep its rounded shape. A structured shirt collar needs firmer support. A shawl collar, which rolls continuously from the lapel, requires interfacing along the full facing piece to maintain its drape. The principle stays the same across all of them: the self fabric provides the look, and the interfacing provides the structure.
Choosing Between Self and Ribbed Collars
If you’re deciding between collar types for a custom garment or sewing project, the choice comes down to the look and function you want. Self-fabric collars give a sleek, streamlined appearance where the collar blends into the garment. They work well for formal shirts, tailored jackets, and any design where you want the collar to feel like a natural extension of the garment rather than a separate element.
Ribbed collars, on the other hand, add stretch and a sportier feel. They’re practical on athletic wear because the rib knit hugs the neck and holds its shape through movement. But they introduce a visible texture change at the neckline, which may or may not suit your design. If color matching matters to you, a self collar eliminates any risk of slight shade differences between two different fabrics, since the collar and body are literally the same material from the same dye lot.