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Collar Stays

effers

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Did a search and couldn't find anything on the topic, although it's probably been discussed.

Post up your favourite dress shirt collar stays and please share your experience. I've only had a chance to use the cheapo white/clear plastic collar stays and I'm not sure if there is a huge difference compared to other material stays i.e. metal

p.s. can't believe my first post on SF is a question about collar stays.
 

Imhoff

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I use metal ones from Nordstroms. Some of my dress shirts still use the plastic ones that came with the shirt as it is not a common collar stay size(too small or too wide).

Edit: The ones WorkingOnIt posted on very similar to ones offered by Nordstroms. And cheaper.
 

Sanguis Mortuum

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I got a cheap set of metal stays off eBay, something like £15 for 10-12 pairs. I prefer metal to plastic but no point buying anything more expensive.
 

JLibourel

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As I recall, Alex Kabbaz recommends plastic stays, and that's good enough for me! I've had brass stays, but worried if one got into the wash, as stays inevitably do, it might damage or discolor the shirt.
 

zarathustra

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I prefer the clear aluminum stays. They really enhance the collar roll.
 

effers

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Question for those with metal stays - do they help with the natural roll of your collar or does it make it unnaturally stiff? I would imagine this to be the biggest difference?
 

musicguy

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Originally Posted by JLibourel
As I recall, Alex Kabbaz recommends plastic stays, and that's good enough for me! I've had brass stays, but worried if one got into the wash, as stays inevitably do, it might damage or discolor the shirt.
+1 Kabbaz thinks it wears out collars or something like that. Also, I think any extra weight in the collar stays can make the collar droop. Then again... Kabbaz sells the magnetic collar stays on his site.
 

Carlisle Blues

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This should help....
there are numerous collar stays in all kinds of materials available with prices ranging from $1 to well over $6000. Collar Bones Materials Classic materials for collar stays are brass, sterling silver, 14Kt gold or mother of pearl. In addition to that, stainless steel, titanium, horn, precious wood or even ivory and diamonds are used to craft collar stays. Those are generally sturdier than their plastic counterparts and thus it usually does not matter if you forget to remove them before having them laundered - they should look just fine afterwards. However, wooden collar stays and such made out of mother of pearl should definitely be removed in any case before being laundered. Metal collar stays are less flexible and heavier than plastic ones. Personally, I like that because it gives the collar a sleeker look.
http://www.gentlemansgazette.com/collar-stays/
06.jpg
 

Don Carlos

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There's a fairly uber-expensive pair of MOP collar stays on the Hanger Project web shop (or at least there was at some point; I'm too lazy to check right now). MOP seems like a decent compromise between plastic and metal: you get some of the heft of metal, but some of the flexibility of plastic and (presumably) less wear 'n tear on the collar over time.

I've thought about taking the plunge, but IIRC, the price was somewhere just south of $60 for a single pair of stays, and I lose stays frequently enough to make that price absurd.
 

Johnny_V

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Just a note with mother of pearl collar stays - I had one break on me fairly easy
They are not flexible at all - I had the tateossian one.
If you're going to buy them - buy at least 2 sets - just in case one does break.
 

westinghouse

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Get metal collar stays off ebay.
 

Roger Everett

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Originally Posted by effers
Question for those with metal stays - do they help with the natural roll of your collar or does it make it unnaturally stiff? I would imagine this to be the biggest difference?



You can put a gentle curve in the metal stays. and when installed would give you any degree of roll you want, depending on how much bend you put in them.
 

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