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A collar stay, collar stick, collar tab , 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.
Collar stays can be made from a variety of materials, including metal , 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.
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.
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. 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. Adhesive collar stays can be stuck to the underside of a collar to either add stiffness or attach the collar points to the shirt.