On a cassock (zostikon), there is a choice of collar style: Cross over or Mandarin. If you're not sure which to choose, here's a little guidance:

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The cross-over collar overlaps 1/4-3/8 inches. Because this entirely covers the neck, you can wear any type of shirt underneath the garment. This collar is good is if you want flexibility in what type of shirt you can wear underneath (tshirt one day, button-down shirt the next). It is not considered as “dressy” as the mandarin, but can be just fine for a daily or “work” garment. It is also very easy to customize the fit as you can move the buttons to get the exact fit you wish (see the How to sew a button video on the Info page under "Videos" if you'd like to do this yourself).

 

The mandarin collar has rounded edges, is closed with a hook-and-eye sewn to the base of the collar, and must be worn with a collared shirt underneath so that the bare neck will be not seen. It should not be worn with a tshirt or turtleneck-type shirt underneath as this is considered inappropriate. Because the edges of collar meet rather than overlap, it has less bulk at the neck area than the cross-over style and is the best option if you are concerned about vocal chord compression (a consideration for readers and chanters; please note that ALL exorassa have a mandarin collar).

 

There is some debate over which style is more comfortable—some prefer the comfort of wearing any type shirt underneath and others are happy to wear collared shirts underneath in order to have a less-bulky mandarin collar. It really depends on which kind of shirt you decide to wear underneath and how much bulk you feel comfortable with at the collar. My professional opinion is that a white collared shirt should always be worn under a cassock, regardless of collar style as it looks professional and helps give the cassock collar structure. Many of my clients have both styles of collar in their cassock wardrobes and find the cross over style excellent for less dressy occasions and the mandarin style better for more dressy occasions.