What is the white square on a priest’s collar?

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What is the white square on a priest’s collar? Is there some reason behind it?
 
lemerjoe said:
What is the white square on a priest’s collar? Is there some reason behind it?
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It is a tab collar. It is basically a shortcut for priests who do not want to wear the full white band around the neck, which then shows through an opening at the top of the shirt. It gives the same effect.

(actually nowadays, they often sort-of “cheat” on that one as well - the full white band is attached to a stiff black piece that resembles the upper part of the shirt, and that combo is then fixed to the shirt (sorry, that is not a very good description – a picture can be seen at the link below)

alpharobesales.com/images/pulpitrobes/ClergyCollarettesSC104_SC105_SC106.jpg
 
lemerjoe said:
What is the white square on a priest’s collar? Is there some reason behind it?
Click to expand...
There is no real reason behind it, and it does not represent anything. It’s simply the result of the evolution of an old type of stiff collar which eventually became identified with clergy.

And it is not really a “white square.” That simply happens to be what is visible of a stiff white under-collar beneath a black shirt with a notch at the collar (which may be squared-off or v-shaped). Better-quality clerical shirts are still made like this (see following image), while lower-quality shirts have a little removable tab to simulate the appearance (subsequent image).

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 
I think the question was how did the collar come into being. And why were those specific colors chosen.

And to that, I don’t know.
 
Black = death
White = life
A visible sign of being dead to this world, but carrying life inside.
 
The shape of the opening varies from one country to another, but square or slightly rectangular is the norm in most places. In the United States, the all-around white collar (without any black portions) is used by some religious orders, but predominantly by Protestant clergy in various denominations. The “Roman collar” is the type shown in Mark Thompson’s upper photo, in which the top edge of a white collar (formerly linen, now plastic) protrudes from inside a black collar. That name is often applied to the tab type as well. Many priests prefer tab collars because they are more comfortable, but an increasing number of younger priests are opting for the all-around Roman type, so much so that American church supply companies are now stocking Roman shirts from Europe. Before that, American priests generally had to wear a rabat (or shirtfront, a sort of dickey) with an attached Roman collar.
 
Cavaille-Coll said:
The shape of the opening varies from one country to another, but square or slightly rectangular is the norm in most places. In the United States, the all-around white collar (without any black portions) is used by some religious orders, but predominantly by Protestant clergy in various denominations.
Click to expand...
Only between WWI and WII did the all-around white collar begin to fade from Catholic priests’ everyday wear. Prior to that, and really until the end of WWII the all-around color was common.

cathnewsusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/SpencerTracy-300x225.jpg
 
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