Its function is actually free of unnecessary complication. Its purpose is quietly basic and simple. For unruly shirt collars that stubbornly refuse to stay in place, the collar stay is specifically designed to, well, make your collar stay. Residing underneath your dress shirt collar, a small slot has been fashioned to house these plastic or metal accessories, thus eliminating the propensity for your collars to run astray. They afford much required weight to the dress shirt collar and prevents the tips from curling. Resting flat against your upper chest, the aesthetic is far neater and cleaner than a wild butterfly collar. Respected brands usually equip their shirt offerings with plastic stays, but I’ve found metal ones to be the better alternative. So, if you are really lucky, your selected shirt may arrive with a metal pair. For either option, remember to remove your stays before laundering or ironing. A few collar stays in your collection should suffice. This way, you can rotate each pair accordingly.