Usage
In contemporary Western dress, mandarin collars are found in fashion-forward oriental-style and minimalist-style clothing. Women's mandarin-collared jackets often include other vaguely oriental elements, such as silk knots as closures instead of buttons.
Since mandarin collars are short and do not fold over, neckties are not worn with mandarin-collared dress shirts. It is socially acceptable (and fashionable) to wear a mandarin-collared shirt with a suit at many moderately formal occasions — even though no tie is worn. This lack of ties has led to the recent rising popularity of mandarin collars in the post-dotcom casual era.
Mandarin collars are also utilised heavily in modern-day military combat uniforms like the US Army's Army Combat Uniform. The presence of the mandarin collar on the Army Combat Uniform makes the wearing of body armor more comfortable by lifting the collar up to prevent chafing. Stand collars are also common on historically based military dress uniforms, such as dress uniforms of the British Army, US Navy and US Marine Corps.
Mandarin collars are also the proper shape for a single-breasted Greek cassock, or anterri, for Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic clergy. Russians and other Slavic Churches typically have a high, band-style collar, buttoning to the side or on the shoulder, while Greeks have the "notched" Mandarin pattern with a closing loop or hook at the bottom of the "V" in the collar.
Lastly, mandarin collars feature in costumes in some notable films, where they are employed either as a futuristic style fashion or to create a distinctive appearance for sinister characters. For example, the title character in the 1962 film Dr. No, parodied by Doctor Evil in the Austin Powers series of films.
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