I don't have a lot of experience giving presentations, but I figure that I will have to eventually when I start working. I know the key to a great presentation is preparation and choosing a topic that you are enthusiastic about. Therefore, I would like to give you a presentation about a topic that is very intriguing to me: popped collars.

Popped collars, or the "upturned collar" as many of you may refer to it, is a phenomenon sweeping college campuses nationwide. However, the popped collar was originally made famous by Henry Winkler, aka The Fonz.



The popped collar faded into oblivion until it made a comeback in 2001 when Usher released his album Pop Ya Collar, which was met with rave reviews and popped collars.

The popped collar trend then quickly picked up around college campuses. Frat boys rushed to local Abercromie stores to purchase polos so they could pop their collars and impress those of the opposite gender. Polo sales soared around the nation as the trend became a sensation. Recent popped collar celebrities include Kanye West, Count Chocula, and anyone working in an American Eagle.



The following graph above illustrates the steady progression of collars being popped from 2000 onward. Data shows that popped collars are now approximately 9.2% of total collars in the United States. Data varies within regions. For example, California leads the nation in popped collars, while places such as Idaho and Minnesota lag behind. Some argue that the lack of hot weather in places such as Minnesota prevent the popped collar on the pink polo to occur. The chart projects that by 2008, approximately 12% of collars will be popped.



This pie chart above breaks down the collars into 4 main categories. The standard folded collar is still worn by the majority and represents about 87% of all collars. Popped collars, as stated previously, make up 9% and represent the second largest group. Following them is the tangled collar, which is 3% of total collars. Tangled collars are collars that are meant to be folded the standard way but become unintentionally tangled and folded in different directions while putting on or taking off coats. This type of collar is especially big in the elderly population who do not notice or do not care about their collar displacement. Finally, 1% of collars is represented by the ruff collar.