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How to Maintain the Shape of a Collar on a Polo Shirt

Keep your collar straight and smooth with a few shots of spray starch.
George Doyle/Valueline/Getty Images

Few wardrobe items offer the same versatility and comfort of a polo shirt. According to a 2011 study conducted by Land's End, 80 percent of participants from the Golf Digest database named their polo shirts as the most versatile piece of clothing they owned. But the polo isn't immune from difficulties; for example, more than 90 percent of men also reported that the most annoying characteristic of their polo shirts was having a curling collar. A well-shaped, crisp polo collar expresses neatness and style, while a rolled, uneven collar appears sloppy and careless.

Things You'll Need:

  • Spray Starch
  • Ironing Board
  • Iron

Wash and dry your polo shirt as you normally would but skip the dryer sheets. Dryer sheets soften materials, making it difficult for the collar to hold shape.

Unbutton your polo shirt and spread the collar as flat as possible over the ironing board. Extend the tips of the collar so they point outward and lie flat.

Spray the entire front side of the collar with a strip of spray starch.

Iron the collar horizontally from tip to tip until dry.

Flip the shirt over and repeat steps three and four on the back side of the collar.

Fold the collar over immediately after ironing.

Tip

Apply a few rolled pieces of packing tape to the underside of the lapels to help the collar material stick to the shirt. This is only effective if the collar is starched enough to maintain position around the back of the neck.

Warnings:

  • Avoid devices that pin or fasten polo collar lapels to the shirt. While they might work momentarily, such devices won't maintain the shape of your collar in the back or above the lapels.
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