davidg is correct ... a wing collar shirt exposes the band of the tie and was only ever intended to be used with white pique tie & vest, where the band would be unnoticed. That's where the designations "white tie" or "black tie" came from, indicating the degree of formality of an occasion. These days, when men's formal dress is most often seen as only an accessory to what the ladies are wearing, AND when formal dress is not a regular part of most men's lives, we often see men looking like they are in costume rather than dressing with the elegance of former days. Ron.