1. References

A collar stay, collar stick, collar tab (British English), collar stiffener, or collar stiff is a shirt accessory consisting of a smooth strip of rigid material, rounded at one end and pointed at the other, inserted into specially made pockets on the underside of a shirt collar to stabilize the collar's points. The stays ensure that the collar lies flat against the collarbone, looking crisp and remaining in the correct place.^[1]

Collar stays can be made from a variety of materials, including metal (such as brass, stainless steel, or sterling silver), horn, baleen, mother of pearl, or plastic. Shirts often come with plastic stays that may eventually need to be replaced if they bend; metal replacements do not have this problem.^[2]

Collar stays can be found in haberdashers, fabric- and sewing-supply stores and men's clothing stores. They are manufactured in multiple lengths to fit different collar designs, or may be designed with a means to adjust the length of the collar stay.^[3]

There are many variations to the traditional collar stay. Some metallic collar stays are sold with a magnet, which is used to hold the stiffened collar in place against the shirt.^[4] A different type of collar stay discreetly adds a button hook on one end, to help fasten tiny buttons on dress shirts; e.g. placket, cuffs or button down collars.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} Adhesive collar stays can be stuck to the underside of a collar to either add stiffness or attach the collar points to the shirt.^[1]

Collar stays are removed from shirts before dry cleaning or pressing, as the cleaning process can damage both the shirt and the stays; they are replaced prior to wearing.^[5] Shirts that are press ironed with the collar stays are vulnerable to damage, as this results in a telltale impression of the collar stay in the fabric of the collar.^[2] Some shirts have stays which are sewn into the collar and are not removable.^[5]

References

• John Brodie Spence
• John Brodribb Bergne
• John Brogan (footballer born 1954)
• John Brogan (footballer born 1958)
• John Broman
• John Bromfield Jr.
• John Bromhead
• John Bromley (died 1707)
• John Bromley (died 1718)
• John Bromley (the elder)
• John Bromley (the younger)
• John Brooke, 1st Baron Cobham
• John Brooke alias Cobham
• John Brooke (American historian)
• John Brooke (Australian politician)
• John Brooke (disambiguation)
• John Brooke (English historian)
• John Brooke (priest)
• John Brookes (disambiguation)
• John Brookes (footballer born 1927)
• John Brookes (footballer, born 1927)
• John Brookes Vernon Penfold
• John Brookfield (geneticist)
• John Brooks (disambiguation)
• John Brooks (English footballer)