Shirt collar stays are essential accessories when wearing an elegant, dressy shirt. They come as small flat rods, made of wood, mother-of-pearl, horn, plastic or metal. They slip into the collar to give it hold and prevent the tips from snapping. Their size, thickness and width differ according to the collar of the shirt. They enhance a tie or bow tie. 

Metal collar stays

Gold collar stays

Wooden collar stays

They are not to be worn with a casual shirt, which in essence does not require as much dress as a formal shirt. Nor with a Mao collar shirt, which is already stiff, or a button-down collar shirt, which does not bounce back.

Mao collar shirt

Button-down collar shirt

The story

In a more general way, the whales represent the rigid rods which make it possible to tighten a fabric, whether it is about an umbrella, a parasol, corsets for these ladies or collars of shirts for these gentlemen.

These whales take their name from the whale itself. The corset makers used in large numbers the baleen of the whale, that is to say its narrow, solid and flexible teeth, to give a hold to the corsets of these ladies from the 16th to the 18th century. In the 19th century, the baleen was replaced by metal rods but the name remained. 

In English, the collar stays are translated as "collar stay" or "collar stiffner".

Which collar stays to choose?

Ideally, we advise you to buy your collar in the same store as your shirt. They will undoubtedly be the most suitable collar stays.

Choose shirt collar stays made of natural materials such as wood, mother-of-pearl or horn, which are light, aesthetic and environmentally friendly.

Plastic collar stays can quickly become damaged over time, break, bend or melt if you accidentally leave them in your shirt while ironing.

Metal ribs, which are heavier, always end up damaging the fabric of your shirt through friction.

There are also shirts with ribs sewn into the collar. Unfortunately, these tend to lose their rigidity with successive washings. We recommend choosing shirts with removable collar stays: more hold and more class.

How to use shirt collar stays?

Turn your shirt inside out and stand at the collar.

Insert one of the collar stays into the collar opening until it reaches the bottom.

Check that it is securely in place and fold the collar down.

Maintaining your collar stays

We recommend that you clean your collar stays regularly with a cloth soaked in water, as the collar stays become impregnated with sweat.

Remember to remove the collar stays from your shirt before putting it in the washing machine. The metal collar stays could damage the shirt and the washing machine. 

Also, do not leave your collar in your shirt when you iron it. This could create unwanted marks on your shirt and damage the collar stays. 

Remember that for a dress shirt, worn with a tie or a bow tie, the collar stays are essential. They must be adapted as well as possible to the shirt in question, and if possible bought in the same store as the shirt. Remember to remove them before washing or ironing the shirt, and to clean them regularly.

What could be more elegant than a shirt with a collar that stands up?