Peter Pan Collar | History | Style | How to Make a Peter Pan Collar

The Peter Pan collar is a classic fashion element known for its sweet, innocent, and youthful appeal. It is popular worldwide, from New York City to the City of Joy Kolkata. In this blog post we will explore the history, style and step by step guide on how to make peter pan collar.

A Brief History of Peter Pan Collar

This charming collar takes its name from the iconic character Peter Pan in J.M. Barrie's famous story Peter and Wendy. Its origin dates back to 1905 when actress Maude Adams played the role of Peter Pan on stage. She wore a costume featuring this distinctive round-edged, flat collar, specifically designed to reflect the whimsical and playful nature of the boyish character.

The performance brought Maude Adams fame and made the Peter Pan collar a popular fashion statement. Over time, this timeless design travelled from America to different parts of the world, including India, becoming a beloved feature in dresses, blouses, and children's clothing globally.

In this blog post, we will provide a step by step guide to sew a Peter Pan collar at home.

How to make Peter Pan Collar at Home?

Watch the video below to learn how to make a Peter Pan collar at home. The video features a voice-over in Hindi, but don't worry if you don't understand the language. You can mute the audio and follow along. The steps are clearly demonstrated with detailed on-screen instructions, making it easy to follow without needing the voice-over.

Materials we need

• Two types of fabric
• Thread
• Paper
• Scale
• Chalk
• Measuring Tape
• Seam Ripper
• Thread Snip (Optional)
• French Curve
• Sewing Pins

The Peter Pan collar is typically attached to the garment and is often made of the same fabric. It can be either a separate piece stitched onto the neckline or a part of the overall garment design. The collar is usually rounded and extends slightly beyond the shoulders, creating a gentle and youthful look.

Peter Pan collars can be seen in a range of materials, from delicate lace and cotton to more structured fabrics like satin or silk. The collar can be found on a variety of clothing items, including blouses, dresses, jumpsuits, and even coats. It has been especially popular in children's clothing, giving a timeless and innocent appeal to little girls' dresses and tops.

Body Measurement to Make a Peter Pan Collar

First, take the following measurements:

• Across Shoulder
• Front neck depth
• Back neck depth

Construction Steps

Step 1: Take the measurement. Cut the paper accordingly and then trace it on the fabric for the back of the dress. Cut the fabric according to the trace. Keep some space for the seam allowance.

Step 2: Now, take the rest of the fabric and fold it. Mark ½" and 1½" from the folded side. Put the traced fabric over the 1½" marked line and trace it again. Alter the front neck depth if the front and back neck depths are different. Fold the marked part and then cut the fabric according to the shape. 

Step 3: Now open the fold of both fabrics(fabric for front and fabric for back). Stitch to join the front and back shoulders. 

Step 4: After joining both shoulders, lay them flat on the table and place the front and back shoulders together with the neck points touching. It isn't easy to understand how this fold is done. I recommend watching the YouTube video linked above. Keep your pasting paper under the bodice. It should be folded underneath the bodices. Now, trace the neck outline on that pasting paper.

The width of the Peter pan collar commonly taken is 2 ½". Then, leave ½" from the front neckline end and draw a straight line of length 2 ½". Taking the width, draw the collar on pasting paper. Give a round shape at the front edge and cut it.

Step 5: Now, take the fabric for the collar. Fold it, place the pasting paper on it, and iron it so it is glued to the fabric. Cut the fabric, leaving seam allowances on all sides. Stitch along the pasting paper and fold in the way so the pasting paper hides inside.

Step 6: Then make a top stitch on the collar. Now, notch on the centre back point of both collar and shirt and join them. You'll see a gap of 1 inch in the front part.

Step 7: Take a biased fabric (tercha patti) of the same colour as on the collar and stitch it on the neckline to secure the collar attachment. Fold it to the inside part and stitch it. 

Step 8: Attach the buttons on the centre front part. Your Peter Pan Collar Dress is ready.

Conclusion | Start Your Tailoring Journey

Collars are not just about aesthetics—they symbolize creativity and craftsmanship in fashion. From the timeless elegance of the Peter Pan collar to the minimalist charm of the Mandarin collar, understanding different collar styles opens up a world of possibilities in garment design. Learn about 28 distinct types of collars.

Types of Collars

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