The Mandarin collar is a growing force, perhaps precisely because of the reasons you outline - it perfectly bridges the gap between smart and informal. It would look odd with a tie, but works well with the top button fastened, so is suitable for a working environment that is a little more relaxed. For all your Mandarin collar needs, look no farther than Shanghai Tang (020-7235 8778), a luxury Chinese brand that was founded in Hong Kong and now has a store on Sloane Street in Central London. It's not all cheong sams and chopsticks, having tapped into a deliberately British sensibility. It has a wide variety of Mandarin-collared shirts - in plain colours such as sober light blue, as well as more colourful ones - and the brand even boasts a Mandarin Collar Society (MCS). Established last year, this is an elite group of gentlemen who act as ambassadors to the society's mission: to liberate men from the necktie. (Linford Christie is its UK ambassador.) Membership is something you may want to decide upon later, but the shirts start at £195.

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