Professionals Pay Attention to Detail

If you are looking to make it as a professional, you need to make sure that you pay attention to detail, and nowhere is this fact more pertinent than in your sense of dress. It is important that you appear well turned out at all times, or risk judgments of unprofessionalism from your peers. It is a sad fact, but a fact indeed, that in the cutthroat world of business others judge us on appearance. Nevertheless, their logic is as follows: if you do not look after yourself, how can we/I trust you to look after business?

One small feature of our clothing, which we often overlook, but which is essential for looking good, are collar stays. If you do not know what a collar stay is, then chances are that you do not present yourself in the manner that you may think you do. So, what is a collar stay? Collar stays (which people also refer to as collar stiffeners, bones, tabs, knuckles, or collar sticks) are strips of metal or plastic that we place in pockets under the collar to ensure that the collar remains rigid and straight at all times. Collar stiffeners come in a variety of styles and lengths, and so, when choosing your collar sticks, make sure that you choose the appropriate style for your shirt.

In the business world of today, we judge a persons competency, in part, on the way in which other people perceive them. Being well dressed is essential for creating the right impression at work. A stiff collar indicates an employee who can deliver on promises; they are straight down the line, a little forceful perhaps, but certainly able to deliver the necessary results. Whether the person is actually like that or not is irrelevant, others will still judge them to be so if they dress right, walk right, and talk right, after all, as the saying goes, ‘If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family anatidae on our hands' (Douglas Adams).

Broadly speaking, there are two types of collar stay, permanent and removable. Manufacturers sew the permanent varieties into the shirt. This type is often indicative of an inferior shirt and you would do well to avoid them. However, on occasion, they may indicate quality, for instance if the stay is made of a high quality metal. A shirt that comes with removable collar stiffeners is certainly the better option. Because they are removable, you can exchange the collar stays as soon as they begin to lose their integrity. Opting for a cheaper shirt with the collar stiffeners sewn in will cause you problems in the end, with repeat washing the stiffeners will become flimsy and thus the shirt collar will not look as straight and stiff as it should do, thus lending an unflattering look to your general appearance.

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For further information, or to browse a collection of collar stays, visit http://www.qstays.com/.