Collar stays, the secret weapon of a 007 collar

The word originates with corset makers who, from the 16th century onwards, used real whale baleen as strips inserted into their corsets. Both flexible and rigid, this material provided support while offering a certain resistance to different tensions. From the 19th century onwards, steel strips, which were more economical, began to be used, but the term stays remained.

Ideal for those who do not want any fuss. They are integrated directly into the shirt collar, so you do not need to worry about them; you can act as though they were not there. You do not need to remove them when you put your shirt in the washing machine, and they keep the shirt collar points in place.
To prevent breakage, they are generally very flexible and therefore hold the collar less effectively. The other drawback is that they are more likely to become misshapen over successive washes.

This is the type of collar stay preferred by connoisseurs. You can remove and replace the stays in your shirt collars as you wish, slipping them into the small slots designed for that purpose. Of course, they need to be removed before each wash and put back once the shirt has been washed and ironed.
However, this requires little effort and will ensure your collar stays last well. And if, after a stunt worthy of the greatest, one of the stays should nevertheless break or become misshapen, you can replace it without your shirt suffering, thereby extending its lifespan.

At Hast, all our formal shirts are fitted with removable collar stays, ensuring your collar points hold their shape well.

While the collar stays we systematically slip into Hast shirts are effective, there is something even more sophisticated: removable mother-of-pearl collar stays. These very elegant accessories will give your collar points superb rigidity and a little luxury that only you will know about... rather like a secret weapon – and that is real class.

So remember: for those of you (and I am sure there are some) who have one day thrown away the little white plastic strips you find in the collars of Hast shirts, thinking that, like pins, they were used for packaging or presenting the shirt, think twice next time – we put them there for you!