Placket Bumps Out Just Below the Shirt Collar

Problem description

The placket of the shirt just below the collar button seems to pop out slightly.

Dress Shirt Placket Bump

Dress Shirt Placket Bump

Potential Solutions

It’s difficult to say exactly what causes this in all cases, but some adjustments that have worked in the past include:

1 – Wear a tie

For 95% of these cases, this problem solves itself when a necktie is worn. Since the necktie pulls the collar band up tight to the neck, it also pulls the placket tight and reduces any weird gaping or bumping.

2 – Wash and press the shirt

If the problem persists, even when you’re wearing a tie, we usually suggest giving the shirt a wash/press. We often see this issue go away once the shirt isn’t fresh-out-of-the-box new. There are two potential reasons for this: (1) It’s possible that some tension on the threads or fusing of the placket are causing it to want to curve. A good wash or two will often help straighten this out. (2) In some cases, if the collar is a little loose around your neck to begin with, and then it is pulled tight with a tie, the tie can cause the collar band to become out of alignment. A wash or two of the shirt allows the collar to shrink down to its target size and reduces this problem.

3 – Raise the top button

Raising the position of the top button (below the collar) will also help eliminate the placket bump. Try raising the button 1/2″ to 1″ to decrease the gap between the top button and the collar band. To read more about raising the top button, click here.

4 – Widen the shoulder width

If the shoulder width of the shirt is too narrow it can cause the ends of the shoulders to pull the shirt out at the sides and make the placket bump out. A bump in the placket is not a reason in itself to widen the shoulders, but in this case it is worth considering if you have the correct shoulder width.

5 – Widen the chest width

If the chest is too tight on a shirt, it can cause pulling and tension along the front buttons. Increasing the chest width will improve how the chest of the shirt drapes, potentially reducing tension below the collarband. Again, a bump in the placket is not a reason in itself to widen the chest width, but it is worth considering whether the chest width fits correctly.

6 – Change the collar style

If all else fails, perhaps the shape of the collar you’ve chosen is just not agreeing with the shape of your neck and shoulders. In some cases we’ve seen this issue resolved by changing the collar style.