Dress shirts with "built in" collar stays

[heybatter]

On one hand, I like them because I don't have to worry about removing the stays when I wash them or send them off to the cleaners. Also don't have to worry about losing them, which happens quite often.

On the other hand, I feel like these might eventually lose their rigidity and then the shirt is done, although this has not happened yet.

What say you?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I used to forget to take my collar stays out before I washed my shirts. I went out & bought some metal ones that came in a metal case & cost about $40. I have only forgotten to take them out once since then.

 

[Krona Kruiser]

The plastic they use in those shirts are particularly cheap. If you dry clean your shirts, it's not really a problem. I've got a Brioni shirt that has a built in one but I get it dry cleaned. If you wash them they will get less rigid. This happened to shirts that I've gotten from Macy's. Otherwise, as Bruce said, go for the brass collar stays, they look neater.

 

[xraygun]

The very reasonable Charles Tyrwitt shirts I buy, (I'm a large hard to fit size) come with the brass/bronze ones. It's a nice touch and probably doesn't cost them much. I often borrow them for other shirts if they are the right length. I don't think I've owned a shirt with built in ones.

 

[Doc4]

The very reasonable Charles Tyrwitt shirts I buy, (I'm a large hard to fit size) come with the brass/bronze ones. It's a nice touch and probably doesn't cost them much. I often borrow them for other shirts if they are the right length. I don't think I've owned a shirt with built in ones.

I like those too.

I have plastic removables, and they suck. Some are okay, but many have a definite curve to them now. I have a few built-in ones (Dunhill) and they are okay but nothing special.

 

[dannycr]

I agree with Bruce Wayne. IMHO the metal stays keep the collar stiffer and looking much better. If you don't want to go to metal you can get aftermarket plastic stays which are about 3 to 4 times thicker than the plastic stays that are provided with the shirt which I believe are only there for presentation purposes only and I trash those immediately. I try to stay away from shirts with built stayswhenever possible. To me it's just part of the ritual of getting dressed and undressed, It's the first thing I do when I grab a shirt and when I take it off.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

To me it's just part of the ritual of getting dressed and undressed, It's the first thing I do when I grab a shirt and when I take it off.

+1. However I do keep a couple pair of the heavy plastic ones in my dopp kit, just in case.

 

[bassopotamus]

The built in ones invariably end up wrinkled and messed up after a few ironings

 

[Blondie]

Plus, the built in ones leave an impression in the fabric over time. I always buy with removable stays, and if the shirt does not come with metal ones, toss the plastic and use metal ones.

 

[Blueliner10]

+1 on the brass stays. The plastic ones built in usually end up warped and crooked after a couple washes.

 

[rickcharles606]

I really prefer the brass looking ones, and I think I picked mine up at Jos. A Banks. Not really sure, it's been years and I've kept up with them. Prior to that I used the plastic removable stays, and I was always losing, washing or leaving them at home when I traveled. That's where I learned that a hotel room key and a pair of scissors can yield a couple very nice and rigid collar stays, in a pinch ;-)

 

[Matt S]

I bought a pack of brass collar stays from Jos. A. Bank during their many sales.

http://www.josbank.com/menswear/shop/Product_11001_10050_102207

 

[eliev]

I have never had any problems with built-in collar stays. However, I hate removable plastic ones. I bought a pair of silver collar stays at a reasonable price from GEO Trumper. They are terrific. When possible, I try to buy shirts with removable collar stays.

 

[rchandonnet]

Always always always use removable ones - and only the metal ones. The plastic ones suck IMHO, and they're even worse when they are "built in". Agree with other posters - but the pack of brass ones from Joe Banks - comes with all different lengths for different collar lengths.

Oh - and I can do you one better than cutting up a hotel room key: JUMBO PAPER CLIPS!!! They work amazingly well in a pinch - I even keep some in my briefcase and they've bailed me out in a travel pinch a bunch of times.

 

[rickcharles606]

Oh - and I can do you one better than cutting up a hotel room key: JUMBO PAPER CLIPS!!! They work amazingly well in a pinch - I even keep some in my briefcase and they've bailed me out in a travel pinch a bunch of times.

Touche....sadly I didn't have them with me when I needed them ;-)

 

[Doc4]

JUMBO PAPER CLIPS!!!

Good idea.

 

[Austin]

Built in stays feel cheap to me. I buy a small container of stays at Brooks Brothers for a few dollars. I always have stay available.

 

[chuck81]

I agree, the built in stays tend to wear out and look sloppy. But I do think that if it's a white shirt or a very dark shirt, it's not as big a deal--how long do those last before getting stained/faded anyway?

 

[The Knize]

I agree, the built in stays tend to wear out and look sloppy. But I do think that if it's a white shirt or a very dark shirt, it's not as big a deal--how long do those last before getting stained/faded anyway?

I do not know about dark shirts, if one is talking about something darker than a standard Oxford cloth blue, but I have white shirts going back probably well over a decade. Of course using a fountain pen, as I have been doing for the last couple of years tends to take a few out long before their time!

My take is that collar stays are not intended to go throught the laundry and pressing process and of course will get screwed up looking. And I do not think that stays are intended not to wear out long before a shirt collar would, so one should always have extra stays and toss them when they become misshapen.

I seem to be the only one with the problem because I never hear about it from anyone else, but I find that metal stays of the type from JAB or, I think, Brooks Brothers, tend to wear out the tips of my shirt collars because the edges are rough/sharp. This is a subtle thing. It happens quite quickly and it a real problem to me. I have a couple or more sets that came with Chas. Tywhitt shirts (I think). They are better not I think they still tend to wear out my collar tips.

I would love to try some "ivory" or say buffalo horn collar stays/bones. But I have trouble enough keeping my cufflinks from going to the laundry!

I completely agree that the thicker after market plastic stays are much better than what comes with many shirts. In fact, I would say that some "stays" that come with even good quality shirts really intended to me more placer holder-type packaging, similar to the "cufflinks" that sometimes come in double-cuff shirts. That the idea is that one is to use their own bones, even though most guys in reality do not have any especially good collar bones, much less something in ivory or silver!

Buy the way, I think for shirts worth having it done to, replacement collars and replacement cuffs can be done, especially for white shirts.

I do not have many, if any, shirts that good. But I think the collar tips and cuffs should wear long before the body of the shirt is "worn out."

 

[Doc4]

I seem to be the only one with the problem because I never hear about it from anyone else, but I find that metal stays of the type from JAB or, I think, Brooks Brothers, tend to wear out the tips of my shirt collars because the edges are rough/sharp. This is a subtle thing. It happens quite quickly and it a real problem to me. I have a couple or more sets that came with Chas. Tywhitt shirts (I think). They are better not I think they still tend to wear out my collar tips.


Buy the way, I think for shirts worth having it done to, replacement collars and replacement cuffs can be done, especially for white shirts.

I do not have many, if any, shirts that good. But I think the collar tips and cuffs should wear long before the body of the shirt is "worn out."

I'v never had a problem with my Tyrwhitt shirts wearing through at the collar-stay points ... but don't own any other shirts with brass stays to compare.

The replacement of collars & cuffs is a longstanding tradition to extend the life of a shirt ... and that's where the style of a coloured shirt with white collar & cuffs comes from ... because you're never going to replace them with coloured ones that match exactly (and it's a major PITA for the shirtmaker to keep all those colours in stock rather than just white.)