Sunday, October 31, 2010

Staying Power - The Ultimate in Collar Stays

There might come a time when the ends of a men's shirt collar just would not stay put and remain crisp. Often times when a man would have trouble keeping his collar neat and crisp in all the right places. But with collar stays, this problem can easily be remedied. Another name for these usual clothing accessories would be collar tabs or collar bones.

In the UK, collar stays are also referred to as collar stiffeners. Whatever the name of choice may be, these contraptions are ideal in keeping shirt collars rigid and crisp. With these in place, the shirt collar would then be made to lay flat against the clavicle of the man wearing the shirt.

Collar stiffeners are actually rigid and sleek in appearance, and they can be made of several materials or elements. For instance, there are collar stays that are made of metal, sterling silver or brass, or even mother of pearl, horn or plastic, whichever might be the preference.

For those who are budget-conscious, stiffeners are made of plastic may be the ideal choice since these would not cost that much, as compared to brass or sterling silver ones. The removable ones are actually used for the more pricey shirts in the market. These are inserted quite easily into the collar of the shirt, so that the necessary points of the collar would be stabilized as much as needed.

Removable stiffeners are then considered fashion accessories here. For shirts that are not priced that high, they are often sewn into place. In case of emergency and collar stays are nowhere to be found, the traditional paper clip can be used as an easy substitute for the accessories. However, the prolonged use of paper clips is not advisable at all because the clip itself can tear at the fabric in due time. What's more, paper clips are made of metal. Should the collar get wet, the paper clip would react to the moisture and the fabric would be smeared with rust as well.

There are so many different brands of collar stays in the market right now. The leading brands include Eton, James & Longbourne, Stayclip, Calvin Klein, Dunhill, Murray Ward, Tateossian, and so many more. When choosing from the different brands, it is important to consider quality. This way, one can be sure to get more than his money's worth when purchasing collar stays from a particular brand.

Neil Thompson is a fashion writer who specialises in men's fashion, gifts and accessories. He has a particular interest in the Parker brand and the men's designer wallet market. Click here for more information on the Parker pen and designer collar stays.