Collar Stays Add Elegance To Your Shirt And Appearance

Fashion and dressing disasters are usually only visible when it is already too late. The most common example of this is realising a wardrobe blunder when looking at pictures from an occasion that has already past. While a lot of people will notice these aberrations, you cannot expect them to blatantly point it out to you. In this scenario, it always helps to be aware of your dressing in advance. What works, what does not? These details differ from person to person and can only be spotted with a keen eye for fashion. Collar stays, for example, are often not considered to be important. However, when you use a collar stay in your shirt, you will see the difference yourself.

The world of fashion has seen the influx of loads of new styles and outfits. In fact, some of these outfits are hard to figure out if you do not have a keen interest in fashion. However, the fashion world's fascination for classical styles of dressing never seems to fail. Shirts are a part of this elite club. Shirts have been in fashion for centuries now and are expected to be around for a long time to come. However, to be considered truly fashionable, it is not enough to merely sport a fashionable shirt. The cut and fall of the shirt can make the world of a difference to how it fits your body type. A shirt too tight or loose can look hideous. People no longer observe the pattern or colour once the fitting is out of place. Collar stays play a significant role in the way you look as your shirt's collar frames your face and thus needs attention. You can observe it in any picture and you will know how bad soft collars look. So always pat attention to detail and use collar tabs or stays to get a flat, crisp collar.

Collar stays are the covert elements of dressing that can do wonders to your look. They are available in various materials such as plastic, brass, sterling silver, etc. The material used for collar stays totally depends on the fall and look an individual is going for. These collar stays are slid into the sleek pockets in the collar of the shirt to give it the right kind of support and shape. Collar stays ensure that the collar of the shirt falls flat on the collar bone. These stays give a crisp and polished finish to the overall look of the shirt.

When looking for a collar stay, you need to keep several factors in mind. Many shirts come with plastic collar stays that uphold the collar at all times. These collar stays can be removed during washing and ironing to make the job easier. However, with the passage of time, plastic collar stays tend to lose their shape and bend. The stay can easily be replaced with metal collar stays that do not give this problem. In fact, you can also get a metal stay sewn into the collar for no future worries. Though this may cause some inconvenience during washing and ironing, it is worth the trouble.

 

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Collar stays can be found and numerous stores dealing with sewing supplies and fashion accessories. You can either go for a fancy metal stay or stick to a simple plastic one depending on your requirement. Immaterial of the stay you choose, it is sure to give a crisp and sharp finish to your shirt. For more visit http://www.qstays.com

The Wonderful World of Collar Stiffeners

Have you heard of collar stiffeners? Chances are that you have never heard the name, and yet that you probably know what they are. Collar stiffeners, also called collar stays, collar sticks, tabs, bones, and knuckles, have existed for a long time. Indeed, the fact that some of these contraptions are made of ivory is indicative that they are at least 50 years old, the time when the use of ivory for fashion purposes became largely frowned upon. Anyway, we have digressed slightly, for those of you who do not know, collar stiffeners are small plastic or metal devices placed in the wings of a collar to ensure that the collar remains straight, and that it stays in place, across the collarbone, at all times.

Whereas in the past, collar sticks were the remit of the rich and sophisticated, with the advent of industrialisation and the mass production of plastics, they became available to the masses. Today, with the exception of informal shirts, it is rare to find a shirt that does not sport some form of collar stay. Even the cheapest of shirts will have a collar stay, although these tend to be permanent.

Which leads us nicely to the next point; there are two types of collar stay, permanent and removable. Permanent collar stays are sewn into the shirt and cannot be removed, removable collar stays are slotted into pockets found on the underside of the collar and can be exchanged when needed. Plastic collar stiffeners tend to lose their integrity after a few washes, and this is why they are interchangeable, otherwise our shirts would appear in bad condition a lot sooner than they do with stays in place.

Thus, you can appreciate, if a cheap shirt has plastic collar sticks sewn in, the shirt will lose any appeal it has after a few washes. So, our first piece of advice, when choosing a shirt ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE COLLAR STAYS ARE REMOVABLE. The only exception to this rule is with the very expensive shirts that sport high quality, metal, stays, these shirts normally cost a lot of money and are generally one off expenses for the majority of people – so you probably need not consider this fact too much.

Within the removable category of collar stiffeners, there are two types: metal and plastic. The metal varieties tend to be of better quality because they are durable and can withstand greater pressures, such as washing and tumble-drying. Additionally, the metal variety make great presents, because they can be engraved with personalised messages. The plastic variety has its merits too, for instance, they cost less and so are cheaper to use, and although cheaper, they lose very little in quality and work just as well as the metal ones, the only problem is that they will need replacing more often, but as they are cheaper in the first place, this does not make much difference.

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If you are interested in browsing a collection of collar stays, to see what there is on offer, then visit http://www.qstays.com/.

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/.

Collar Stays: A Fantastic Choice in Executive Gifts

It can be exceptionally difficult to find presents for an executive, whether that person be your father, mother, brother, partner, son, daughter, colleague, or friend, this type of person seems to be one of the most difficult to buy presents for. They have all manner of items all ready, the magnetic paperweight, the mini-golf office set, the desk tidy, the desk vacuum – you get the picture. Well, we have an idea: collar stays (also called collar stiffeners). These contraptions, as the name implies, ensure that shirt collars stay in place, stay sharp and straight, and stay flat along the shoulder blades, as intended.

If you have ever worn a shirt on a windy day, without using a collar stiffener, then you may well have experienced the problem of collars flapping around; hitting into your face, causing you to flatten constantly down your shirt and, generally, cause embarrassment and irritation as you fight to maintain the integrity of your outfit. Well, collar stays avoid this problem, when sufficiently heavy, the collar will not flop around, regardless of the weather (except in, maybe, a hurricane, but undoubtedly when in such a situation your shirt will be the last thing on your mind).

In short then, a person will happily accept a collar stay as a present because it will help them to look their best at all time without having to expend much effort. Moreover, if offering a collar stay to a loved one, it is possible to have the stays personalised, for instance via the engraving of a special and significant message.

Most people who wear shirts will love a collar stiffener as a present because they help create an elegant look in the wearer. There are many different materials from which manufacturers choose to make collar stays, and the stays can prove to be a very special present indeed; particularly those made from precious metals such as white gold or platinum.

Alternatively, you can opt to buy the plastic variety of collar stiffeners. This type works equally as well as the metal type, but are disposable. People tend to wear them for one or two weeks at a time before exchanging the stays for another pair. These too can be personalised, in different ways to the metal ones. For instance, the box in which they arrive can be engraved, or, it is possible to have the stays themselves personalised in some way. People who dislike wearing heavy clothing or accessories tend to prefer the plastic collar stiffeners because they are quite lightweight in comparison to some of the metal collar stiffeners.

There are many different choices available by way of collar stiffeners, and certainly, the best place to begin your search is online. Many of the online retailers offer some fantastic prices and incredible deals from which to choose, as well as offering advice on how to use the collar stays and how to look after them too.

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If you are interested in buying collar stays, either as a present, or for yourself, then look at http://www.qstays.com/, which offers engraving services too.

What Is a Collar Stay?

Do you know what we mean by a collar stay or even a collar stiffener? The answer that most people give is, ‘no'. It is an odd response in reality, because most of us have encountered collar stays, and many of us do so on a regular basis. A collar stay is the small piece of metal or plastic located in the collar of a formal shirt. And so, those of us who wore school uniforms will be well familiar with this contraption, although not necessarily understanding what they are for, or indeed, what they are called.

The reason why these little contraptions are placed into the collar of formal shirts is simple, they are designed to ensure that they collar remains flat against the shoulder blade, and that the corners do not ride up, or flop about. Quite an ingenious little contraption then.

There are differences between types of collar stay and they tend to be related to the quality of the shirt and the professional standing of the wearer. Clearly, the better the quality of the collar stay, the better it does the job, and the svelter the wearer appears to their general public. A highflying executive, or an important actor, will want to look their best at all times, and so they are much more likely to invest in a decent set of collar stays.

In general, you can discern something of the quality of the shirt depending on whether the shirt has removable or permanent stays, the latter showing greater quality. With the very expensive shirts, found in exclusive boutiques (the likes of which the majority of people will be quietly asked to leave!) it is possible to find shirts with stays sewn in. However, the major difference between this type of permanent stay and the cheaper variation is the material from which the stays are made: in such a shop, you could expect to find silver, gold, white gold, and even platinum. Metal collar stays are generally much better at maintaining a crisp and straight colour, and are thus much better than the plastic variety.

However, the plastic stays are not as bad as you may expect, but only those that are bought as box sets. This type of stay is used on a weekly basis and exchanged when the stay begins to flag in its duty. Such styles of stays are equal to metal stays but work out more expensive in the end as they need to be bought repeatedly.

Collar stays make for a great present for an executive, or such like, because they can be personalised. They are a fantastic corporate gift and are often given to outstanding employees by their employers as a sign of gratitude to their hard work within the company.

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If you are interested in stays, if you wish to browse a fantastic collection of both plastic and metal collar stays, or if you simply want more information, then visit http://www.qstays.com/.

Keep Your Shirts Looking Fresh

For men, looking good is important. Wearing a dress shirt, also called a formal shirt, is a great way to ensure a smart look. Formal shirts are fantastically versatile because, although they are intended for use with suits and formal clothing, they also look great with jeans, and other types of informal clothing. There are a few things to consider when wearing formal shirts however, and here, we look at a few key considerations.

Thread Count

Firstly, you must choose your shirt carefully. Colour and size are important, but to create a high-quality look you really must choose a decent material with the correct thread count.

Thread count refers to the number of threads in fabric per square inch, the more thread there is per square inch, the softer the shirt and the higher the quality.

The more threads there are per square inch, the finer the shirt appears, and the softer the shirt feels against the skin. In general, you need to look for a shirt with a thread count of around 150 per square inch.

Shirt Maintenance

Once you have bought the shirt – having made sure the fit is good, the colour suitable, and the material of sufficient quality – you need to ensure that the shirt is well looked after, and loses none of its original character. Clearly, this means washing the shirt carefully.

Always follow the instructions that appear on the label. If the shirt is coloured, make sure that you use a washing powder that is specifically designed for coloured clothing. Ensure that you set the temperature on your washing machine to its lowest possible level. Set spin and dry settings (although it is better to allow the shirt to dry naturally, rather than to tumble dry it) to delicate.

Ironing

Again, when ironing the shirt, make sure that you follow the manufacturer's recommended settings. A great tip when ironing is to double check for stains, if the shirt is stained and then ironed, the stain is much more likely to become permanent. Use the spray setting on the iron to allow for better wrinkle removal and hang the shirt as soon as you have ironed it.

Many people will add starch to their irons to ensure that shirts have a crisp finish, particularly around the collar. This however should be avoided as the starch may damage the shirt. Rather, use collar stays to make sure the collar is sharp and straight (see below for further information).

Collar Stay:

Most shirts come with pockets under the collar in which to insert a collar stay. Collar stays are normally made from plastic or metal, and are slid inside the wings of the collar on either side and keep the collar in place.

Two different types of collar stays exist, removable and permanent.

Permanent stays, as the name implies, are sewn into the shirt and cannot be removed. These stays tend to be made from plastic and are normally found on the cheaper styles of shirts.

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Removable collar stays are interchangeable, as the stays lose their functionality, they can be replaced with new ones, making them much better for the shirt as the overall attractiveness of the shirt will endure for a longer period. For further information, visit http://www.qstays.com/

Collar Stays and How to Choose Them

The focal point of a shirt is always the collar. The collar frames the face, and thus draws a great deal of attention. For this reason, it is vital that the collar always looks good, and that it complements the wearers features. This means that careful consideration should be made when choosing a shirt, a person must ensure that the collar matches the shape of the face. Therefore, it is essential to choose the correct size collar, and to maintain the collar in the fashion intended by the designer, this means using collar stays (or sticks, knuckles, tabs, bones, or collar stiffeners – depending on where in the world you are from).

In terms of the types of shirts that you can buy, there are those with the collar stay sewn in, and those with pockets in which to insert a stay manually. We would advise that you always stick to the manual insertion variety, as stays often (unless made of metal) lose their shape over time. The only shirts that never require a collar stay are the soft-collared variety, normally those that button down.

The majority of people concur that the most expensive and well-designed shirts allow for exchangeable stays, it is the cheaper shirts that have the collar stays sewn in. The reason for this being that, if the shirts collar stay is damaged, the wearer will need to buy a new shirt, and so the cheaper shirts will receive more business in the long term. However, a sensible individual will always opt for a shirt with an interchangeable collar stay, as this will save money in the long term. Remember that with ever wash, a sewn-in collar stay will lose some of its sturdiness and thus give the shirt a less svelte appearance.

The best materials in which to buy a collar stay are the more rigid materials, such as metal or diamond. The better the quality, the less likely they are to lose shape and the more complementary they will be to the shirt. There are a huge variety of collar stays from which to choose, the cheapest costing a few pounds, the more expensive stretching to thousands of pounds in value. Clearly, the more expensive, the greater the likelihood that they will do their job correctly, and well – our personal opinion is that the metal variation do the job best, they are less flexible have a heavier weight and give the collars a lot more of a sleek look than the plastic variety.

Collar stays come in different sizes, and it is important to choose the correct size. You must select the size depending on the size of the collar, and not on the height of the wearer or the size of the shirt – people frequently mistake the importance of size, a problem which leads either to Elvis wings (when the collar seems exceptionally large), or floppy collars (because the stays do not reach the end of the collar).

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

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/.

Look Well Turned Out at All Times With a Collar Stay

In the modern world, it is important for us to look our best at all time. Whether male or female, we all want to look good, but some of us are unaware that the most important facet of looking great is to pay attention to detail. To pull off a truly groomed look, to achieve the perfect look, then you must understand some of the key rules of fashion. One of the most important aspects of fashion is to try always to keep clothing looking as close to new as possible.

It is essential that clothes remain in the same condition, or at least as close to the same condition, in which they were originally bought. This means following any care labels to the letter: if the garment says, ‘wash at 30°', then do not wash any hotter: if an item of clothing says, ‘do not tumble dry', then always dry the clothes naturally. It is only by following these simple rules that you ensure that your clothes look great for a longer time than they would, were you not to follow the instructions.

For men, there is one item of clothing that proves exceptionally difficult to maintain in their original condition: shirts. Shirt collars, regardless of whether or not you follow the care instructions, tend to change when washed. Collars change from sturdy to floppy, and a floppy collar looks unprofessional and unkempt, and will therefore give others the impression that the wearer is not concerned with looking their best – a poor impression to make in many situations (e.g. a date, or a job interview).

Fortunately, when it comes to making sure that the collar of a shirt remains in the same condition and of the same quality is to make use of a little known device called ‘collar stays'. A collar stay is placed in the collar and gives the impression that the shirt has been pressed and starched, and this look will remain throughout the day. Collar stays are thus perfect for men who like to appear well groomed at all times.

It is important to choose the right kind of collar stay for you, and the metal ones tend to be better than plastic ones. However, the metal ones are a little more expensive, and if you are in the habit of losing them, the costs may mount up over the course of a year. For such individuals, the better choice is the plastic collar stays, these come in convenient boxes that. Plastic stays are disposable, and after a day's wear can be discarded, the following day, simply take a new stay from your box.

A collar stay can make for an excellent present as well, either as a corporate gift or as a gift from family or friends. A high quality collar stay can be personalised, for instance via an engraving, and the person can carry the item around all day - this is a great gift for children to give their fathers, particularly if the father travels around a lot, it offers some little token of love that can always be with them.

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

Understanding Formal Shirts

The majority of people do not pay attention to the anatomy of formal shirts, but to neglect to pay attention to such things is to run the potential of a fashion faux pas. You see, although most people do not understand the way in which formal shirts are constructed, one set of people do: the fashionista.

What we are trying to say is that if you want to look good in a shirt, you need to understand its composite parts, and you must translate this knowledge to inform your style. From collar stays to shirt pockets, it is important to understand what looks good, and what does not. Here we have collated all the things that you need to consider when choosing a shirt. Read on and you will learn how to avoid many fashion mistakes.

Let us start with the collar: aside from certain outlandish embellishments, such as diamante detailing or graphic prints, the collar is the part of the shirt that draws the most attention. It is important therefore to choose a shirt with a collar that suits you.

Collars come in a variety of styles. Firstly, there are round collars or sharp collars; secondly, there are long (Elvis) wings or short wings.

Rounded collars are informal and tend towards the childish, avoid these if you wish to appear discerning. Sharp collars are more formal and reflect a certain level of sophistication. When wearing sharp collars always use collar stays to make sure that the collar stay straight, pressed, and rigid. When choosing a shirt with a sharp collar, ensure that the collar stays are removable as they tend to degenerate with washing, thus shirts with permanent stays will look tatty sooner than shirts that allow for stays to be changed.

When choosing the length of the collar, opt for a long length if you have a heavy or long jaw, to draw attention away from the chin. If you have a weak chin, opt for a shorter length shirt, as this will appear to elongate the chin somewhat.

The Placket: is the central section of the shirt, along which you will find the buttons. There are several different styles of placket depending on the manufacturers. Remember, with a man's shirt, the buttons are always located on the left.

In general, it is better to have a placket that reveals the buttons, rather than having that extra strip of fabric that hides the buttons. This gives the shirt an added flair that would be lost should the buttons be hidden. If needs be, buttons can always be concealed by the use of a tie.

Bottom Cut

This is the cut of the shirt around the bottom. This area will generally reveal whether the shirt is fitted or not. If the shirt is fitted, the shirt should come in slightly from the sides, and then cut nicely below the buttocks in a curved cut.

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There are many ways in which a shirt can be dressed up, for more style inspiration and collar stays, visit http://www.qstays.com/