Description
Tab Collar in Episcopal Purple
Fortuna is the tab-collar counterpart to Fidelia. Both shirts share the same deep episcopal purple body, the same tailored long-sleeve construction, and the same poly cotton blend. The difference is at the neck: Fidelia wraps a full white collar band around the throat, while Fortuna uses a purple stand collar with a removable white tab inserted at the center front.
The tab collar gives a sharper visual contrast at the throat because the white tab sits as a small, defined rectangle against the purple band. Some clergy prefer this to the full collar band because it reads as slightly less formal, making it well suited to pastoral visits, community events, and parish office hours where a full collar can feel overdressed. Others simply prefer the tab because they already own tabs from their black shirts and want to use the same insert across their wardrobe.
When to Choose Fortuna Over Fidelia
The choice between the two comes down to collar preference rather than occasion or rank. The tab collar on Fortuna is removable, which means the shirt can be worn without the tab as a plain purple dress shirt for off-duty settings or informal parish gatherings. Fidelia’s full collar band is permanent, so it always reads as clerical.
For clergy who rotate between several shirt colors during the week, Fortuna’s tab system means one set of tabs works across a black Sacerdos, a blue Ministera, and a purple Fortuna without buying separate collar pieces for each.
Cut and Fit
Fortuna uses the same darted body pattern as Ministera and Fidelia: bust and waist shaping, a back yoke seam across the upper shoulders, and a curved hem cut for tucking in. The long sleeves end in single-button barrel cuffs. The set-in shoulder seam keeps the shoulder line clean, and the sleeve tapers slightly from the bicep to the wrist.
The purple fabric sits flat through the torso without pulling at the darts, and the concealed placket runs from the collar to the hem without a visible break in the center line.
Fabric and Care
Fortuna is made from a poly cotton blend with a matte finish. The matte surface keeps the purple reading as a flat, dense violet rather than picking up shine marks at the bust, shoulder, or cuff, which is what happens with satin-finish or high-polyester fabrics in dark saturated colors.
The white tab provides the only contrast point on the garment, so the tab opening in the collar band needs to hold its shape without softening or spreading over time. The stiffened collar band holds the tab securely without additional stays.
Care: machine wash cold with dark colors, tumble dry low. Purple dye can transfer in early washes, so avoid washing with light-colored garments until the colour has set. The removable tab should be taken out before laundering and cleaned separately by hand or in a mesh bag to keep it white and rigid.
Sizing and Made to Measure
Fortuna is available in numeric sizes 8 through 30. Sizes 8 to 20 are the standard range; sizes 22 to 26 carry a small plus-size supplement, and sizes 28 to 30 carry a slightly higher one. Choose your usual blouse size. The darted body gives a shaped fit without requiring sizing up.
Made to measure is available with a 3 to 4 week lead time. For ordination classes receiving their first set of purple shirts, or episcopal staffs ordering a matched set, we can cut from the same fabric lot so the purple shade is identical across the group.
FAQs
How do I choose between Fortuna and Fidelia if I want a purple clergy shirt?
Fidelia has a permanent full white collar band visible from every angle. Fortuna has a removable white tab in a purple stand collar, which gives a smaller white accent at the front only. If you want the option to wear the shirt without clerical identification, choose Fortuna; the tab comes out. If you want maximum visibility from all sides, choose Fidelia.
Can I use the same tab in Fortuna that I use in my black clergy shirt?
Yes. The tab collar on Fortuna takes the same standard removable white clerical tab as Sacerdos and Ministera. One set of tabs works across all tab-collar shirts in the line.
Does the purple read differently on darker skin tones than on lighter ones?
The deep episcopal violet holds its hue consistently regardless of the wearer’s skin tone. On darker skin, the contrast between the purple and the white tab is slightly softer than on lighter skin, but the tab remains clearly visible. The saturated dye depth means the purple does not wash out or shift toward grey under any skin-tone pairing.
Is Fortuna suitable for wearing under vestments?
Yes, though a clergy shirt worn under an alb or cassock-alb is mostly hidden. The tab collar shows through a tab-opening alb like Serapha, and the purple will be visible at the wrists if the alb has wide sleeves. For purely under-vestment wear, the less expensive Sacerdos in black may be more practical.
