In ye olden days (that is prior to about 1960) good shirts came with longer tails so that collars (and cuffs) could be replaced if they became frayed or stained, simply by cutting them out of the surplus length of the shirt tail. Because the collar and/or cuffs were cut from the tail, they were always a perfect match for the shirt, regardless of the number of times it had been laundered.

Now, or so it seems, one is lucky if their shirt has enough tail to stay tucked into their trousers or kilt!