What Are Collar Stays?

If you have never come across a collar stay before, and wish to know what they are, then you have come to the right place. Although you may not actually know what a collar stay is, there is very little doubt that you have encountered one before.

A collar stay, as the name suggests, is an accessory used for shirts, which ensures that the shirt collar remains sharp, svelte, and attractive. They tend to be built into the standard, cheaper shirts, and can be felt under the collar. However, with the more expensive shirts, you will find that, if you look beneath the collar, you can see two slits and it is into these slits that the collar stays fit.

There are many other names by which a collar stay may be referred, for instance, in the USA, they are known as collar sticks, in the UK as stiffeners. Other names by which a collar stay may be known are; knuckles, tabs, and bones.

Collar stays have a distinct appearance; they are around 1 – 3 cm across, and from between 5 – 10 cm long. They are pointed at one end, as are collars, and rounded at the other end, which sits closely to the neck, and thus causes little discomfort. They tend to be made of either plastic or metal. The plastic variety are generally disposable, but the more expensive materials, such as silver, gold, mother of pearl, and even bone (although the latter style tends to be antique as bone is no longer a viable production material), are designed to last a long time, making them an ideal gift solution, both on a personal level, and on a corporate level.

The collar stays are placed in the slits that are found under the collar and are there to ensure that the collar looks sharp and well pressed at all times. Men wear a collar stay to ensure that their shirts look pristine at all times, and that they lie well against the collarbone. They are mostly used by highflying businesspersons who like to look professional at all times.

As mentioned above, most people will be familiar with collar stays, although they may not necessarily know exactly what they are. The stays that come with the cheaper shirts or with shirts that are intended to use a collar stay are normally plastic, and will need replacing within a very short space of time. There are several options regarding replacement, firstly, you can buy a box of plastic replacement stays, or alternatively (and certainly the route to go if buying stays as a present) you can purchase high quality stays made from sturdy and durable materials, such as gold, silver, or platinum. These latter stays can be personalised with messages of love or of encouragement – they make an ideal gift for any type of professional and often have significant sentimental value.

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If you are interested in buying collar stays, either personalised or generic ones, then visit http://www.qstays.com/.