How to keep the collars of your polo shirts "new" looking?

[daspianist]

Sorry I do not have a photo to better illustrate this. I have noticed that the collars of my polo shirts tend to get.. "rounded-out" after a few washes. They lose their vitality and definition, and just look crumpled up (and makes me want to wear them less..). Of course some people prefer this washed-out look, but somehow I am turned off by it.

Of course I could always afford to buy a few here and there, but Im currently into saving up to buy some 'real' articles of clothing (like MTM shirts, good suits, etc.. the 'gentlemanly' stuff). Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated.

.. that and, are there anyways to wash these so their colors dont fade out so quickly after just a few washes? Thanks!

 

[anon]

might depend on the brand you're wearing.

I used to get really pissed with my polos because they would form a permanent crease in the collar and would be unwearable. I started popping my collar when I washed my polos and buttoning the top button of the placket. I wash them in cool water and do not use fabric softener. I've had a few BB polos for about a year now and the collars are still as they were when I first bought them, but the colors are starting to fade a bit.

 

[Master-Classter]

when I wash I never throw them in the dryer, just hang dry. That might prevent some of the "ripling".
When I fold and store my polos, I leave the collars up, not folded down, so there's no crease pressed into the collar

 

[Harold falcon]

Originally Posted by daspianist

.. that and, are there anyways to wash these so their colors dont fade out so quickly after just a few washes? Thanks!

Cold water wash with delicate detergent (Woolite for example) will help preserve colours.

 

[deveandepot1]

Always wash your shirts inside out.

 

[razl]

Originally Posted by anon

might depend on the brand you're wearing.
+1, and where you are purchasing them... fyi: I only have Ralph Lauren Polo's and I'm in admiration just how well they hold up - collars and all. Some are 2-3 years old and still look practically brand new. Delicate laundering and drying only until damp and then hang dry helps. I'll also point out that in a previous thread, I related my story of purchasing said polos from different retailers - Bloomingdales and Macy's specifically - and that while they charged a similar pricepoint (~$80 per) I perceived a better quality in the Bloomingdale's items. In that thread, a chap who was more in the know than I, said my observation was rubbish and that the articles would be identical - YMMV. ps. Those same polos for $80 are definitely superior to what look like the same polos at our local outlet store. I've shopped them while wearing my other ones so I had a true hands on comparison - even with mine being "old" it was better made with better fabric than then "new" one on the hangar.

 

[RoyalPaJamas]

Originally Posted by anon

I started popping my collar when I washed my polos and buttoning the top button of the placket. I wash them in cool water and do not use fabric softener.

This.

 

[wsblend]

• Button up the placket.
  
• Pop the collar.
  
• Wash inside out- for all of your laundry as it will be the inside that is agitated in the washer and abraded in the dryer or faded by the sun, if you dry them outdoors.
  
• Use woolite. It's not that expensive at Target, Costco, etc.
  
• Use wash bags. They're cheap. Your polos are less likely to get stretched out if you use a top-load washer.
  
• As for temperature.. the tags on mine say warm regular wash and tumble dry low, so I do it. Cold delicate isn't a bad idea, though.

 

[jiratic]

slightly off topic
anyone got experience with Burberry Polo's?
I love the check fabric lining, makes it stand out, hows the fabric quality, stitching e.t.c?