Collar tips

[aps2012]

Does anyone have tricks to getting the very tips of your shirt collars straight? Even with collar stays the very end of my collars often curl.

Should I be ironing on the front? the back?

(I've never really understood the magnet collar stay thing as I'll lose them and don't really the idea of them being stuck to the shirt).

[Dougie]

I always iron the back of the collar, just to be safe. In my earlier ironing days I think I had the iron too hot a lot of the time and sometimes I'd get a bit of brown almost burning effect, especially at the tips of the collar. It would wash out, but certainly didn't look good for the day. Also, just in case you get a bit of calcium build up spit out by the iron, better to have it on the back of the collar than the front.

I think the straightness of the tips really comes down to the quality of the construction of the shirt. I always notice my better quality shirts collar tips iron straighter and hold up better throughout the day.

I never really thought the magnet collar stay thing was that important either until I was given a pair a couple of weeks ago when I was at the Mississauga Spier and Mackay store. These things are freaking amazing! I can't recommend them enough. I only wear them in my lower quality shirts, as the collars would always pancake under my jackets, but they are a god-send. I was strongly considering just throwing out 4 of my shirts because I hated the collars so much and now with the magnets they're back in my rotation and look 1000% better.

[Dun]

I never really thought the magnet collar stay thing was that important either until I was given a pair a couple of weeks ago when I was at the Mississauga Spier and Mackay store. These things are freaking amazing! I can't recommend them enough. I only wear them in my lower quality shirts, as the collars would always pancake under my jackets, but they are a god-send. I was strongly considering just throwing out 4 of my shirts because I hated the collars so much and now with the magnets they're back in my rotation and look 1000% better.

agreed. but also sneezing really hard can make them jab yourself in the collar bone

[Spex]

I've never had this problem. My first suspicion would be whether or not your iron is on a high enough heat setting (for cotton it's generally the hottest setting), if your collar is damp enough when ironing, and if you are pressing down hard enough. Do all of that but keep the iron moving. I have found that with my unfused collars that ironing the back first and then the front provides the best results.

Baring all that it might be the construction of the collar. Where are these shirts from that you are having this problem with?

[LesserBlackDog]

One thing to note is that the fuller the collar spread, the broader/sturdier the points of the shirt collar will be and the less likely they will bend or lose their shape. I had this issue sometimes when I was wearing shirts with more of a point collar, but do not encounter the issue at all now that I have mostly switched to full spread collars.

[ryn]

I have this problem with my CT shirt. It might be because it is a second. It curls real fast and pushes the collar stay out. I thought about a longer stay might fix it, or starch.

I will try ironing it more first.

[Spex]

One thing to note is that the fuller the collar spread, the broader/sturdier the points of the shirt collar will be and the less likely they will bend or lose their shape. I had this issue sometimes when I was wearing shirts with more of a point collar, but do not encounter the issue at all now that I have mostly switched to full spread collars.

Hmmm...I think this is a valid point. The only non-button down collars I wear are spread collars, and the points are generally longer than most OTR shirts (3.25"). If your collar points aren't long enough to lay on your shirt and float in the air there's much more chance of getting this little roll at the points.

Here's a shirt with points long enough to do what I describe above:

[ImagePree]

Agree with all the sentiments about wider spread collars, as long as they're 3"+.
I don't even use collar stays anymore.

[udub86]

Do you use starch? Like the others, I iron the back of the collar, then the front. But I usually spray the back of the collar with starch.