"A wide collar can broaden a narrow neck and face by drawing the eye outward, " says Mr. Julian.

WSJ: Guide to Men's Shirt Collars: Which Styles Go With Which Occasions and Flatter the Face

Over them he buttoned a cuff-frayed and graying black cassock with its faint stink of him, waisted it with a hand-wide black cincture, snapped on a starched white Roman collar, and laced on his ankle-high black walking shoes.

NPR: Excerpt: 'Exiles'

The proportions of a spread collar would work best with a double-breasted sport coat or one with wide peak lapels, he says.

WSJ: Guide to Men's Shirt Collars: Which Styles Go With Which Occasions and Flatter the Face