In the 1970s of the last century, urban residents faced a relatively impoverished material life. Purchasing cloth required cloth ration coupons, and the average person might only afford two new outfits per year. The saying "the new three years, the old three years, patching and making do for another three" vividly described the clothing situation of those times. Despite this material scarcity, people never stopped pursuing beauty. Hence, Fei Bubu and the functional false collar gained popularity. Known as the "invention of the era of poverty," these false collars were also called "saving-the-collar," essentially downsized versions of shirts. Besides the collar, they featured fronts, backs, buttons, buttonholes, and two tapes to keep them securely in place. These false collars were crafted from scraps of fabric cut from tailored garments, requiring no extra tickets and treated like regular shirts. When worn over an outer layer—such as a sweater or jacket—they created the illusion of a proper shirt, giving people a more polished appearance.
By the late 1970s to early 1980s, false collars reached their peak popularity. Whether in cities or rural areas, nearly everyone owned a few of these. In urban settings, men often paired hand-knitted sweaters with false collars, while young women favored delicate lace designs made from small pieces of fabric. False collars came in various colors and styles, ranging from petite square collars to bold wide collars. Rural areas, constrained by limited resources, typically opted for plain white false collars, with exposed sections of white fabric and the backs often pieced together using leftover scraps. Beyond conserving fabric, false collars offered another advantage: they didn’t need washing with water or soap, protecting the outerwear and sweater collars from wear and tear.
Reportedly, the most sought-after false collars at the time were those imported from Shanghai’s Nanjing Road, known as "Shanghai goods." The Shanghai-made false collars were resin-based, providing a crisp finish. Of course, they had their drawbacks—on hot days, removing outer layers was possible, but leaving the sweater on would inevitably expose the false collar.
As living standards improved rapidly, the once-essential false collar faded into memory for older generations, becoming a nostalgic artifact for the '80s and '90s. Surprisingly, some garment factories still produce false collars today, catering to a niche market. A staff member from a foreign trade company mentioned that during overseas business trips, he would pack a dozen or so false collars. "They’re lightweight, easy to store in luggage, and even if worn just once, the cost is far lower than renting or buying multiple shirts."
Some factories have also begun designing modern iterations of the false collar, such as collarless and lotus-leaf styles. As quoted in the "China Quality News," these innovations aim to revive the concept for contemporary consumers.
Modal Boxer Briefs,Micromodal Underwear,Modal Boxers,Men'S Modal Underwear
Liya Garment Limited Company , https://www.liyaunderwear.com