Polo shirts are the best.
They make you look sharp and wearing one isn’t going to ever make you look overdressed. The signature collars on a polo draw attention to your chest, and in general, make you look a lot more dressed up as opposed to if you were only wearing a t-shirt.
But the problem with polo shirts is that their collars inevitably end up curling, and that can ruin the entire vibe of this outfit. However, you can prevent this from happening.
Here’s how to keep a polo shirt collar from curling.
Always turn your polo inside out and pop its collars before you throw it in the wash. This will give the collars added stability, along with keeping them stiff.
In this article, I will be going over how you can fix a polo shirt collar and make it crisp again, and how to prevent them from ever curling up in the first place.
How to Fix a Floppy Polo Shirt Collar?
If you’ve got a crease on the collar of your pique polo shirt (or any polo shirt for that matter), or if it looks very flimsy and curled up, there are basically three ways that you can go about fixing it:
1. Vinegar and Ironing combination
For this method, you would need to mix equal parts of water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Wash your polo shirt like you normally would, and then pop the collars and hang dry it.
Once the shirt is almost dry (we still want slight dampness), lay it down on a flat surface.
Spray the water and vinegar mixture on the collar, and turn the shirt inside out. Use your iron to take out any creases that are visible. Remember, you need to iron the shirt from the inside, not the outside.
If you feel the need, you can even use the solution and ironing method on the placket for a more crisped-up look.
2. Rubber Band method
There is another way to get the creases out of your polo shirt and make it structured once again. You are going to need a tight rubber band for this method.
Flip your polo shirt inside out, pop its collars, and button it up. Now, slowly and carefully, start rolling the shirt from top to bottom, starting from the collars.
I am not talking about folding here, I am talking about rolling. Think of it as rolling a dollar bill along its length.
Once the entire polo is rolled up, put a rubber band on top of it and throw it in the wash. Air-dry it (while the collar is still flipped up), and then you would see that the flimsiness of the collar is gone and there is no sign of curling.
3. Starching the Collar
The final way to fix a floppy polo shirt collar is by starching the collar to get your desired crispness and structure.
Lay your polo shirt flat on an ironing board. Fire up the iron at its highest setting and get to work on the collars. Do it from both sides to ensure that all the creases are gone.
Now, spray a small amount of starch on the collars. Again, do it on both sides to make sure that the collar becomes completely rigid.
Once the starching process is done, use a hair straightener to iron out the tips of the collars, as they are tricky regions that need special attention.
How to Prevent Polo Shirt Collars from Curling?
There is an easy way to prevent your polo shirt collars from curling in the first place. And all you need to do is be vigilant while washing and drying your collared shirts.
Always pop the collars of your polo before you wash it. After washing them, hang-dry the shirts instead of putting them in the dryer. Also, keep the collars popped during the entire process. This will ensure that your polo shirts never curl.
In fact, an easy fix to the curling situation would be to just run an iron on the collars of your polo shirt before you intend to wear them. This is what I do and all my polos have maintained their original form.
Also, if you are in a fix, and you want to stiffen up the collars of your polo shirt quickly while simultaneously removing any creases that may be present in them, you can use double-sided tape to stiffen the collar. Just put some underneath your collar and let the adhesive do its work.
How To Keep Shirt Collars From Curling?
There are a few things you can try to keep shirt collars from curling:
- Click on the different pictures to see the different promotions and product offerings.
- 20 Pair Refill Packs can be used alone or as a refill to the dispensing case.
- Read the product description to learn more about No Curl Collar Stays.
- Great for Any Shirt With a Collar!
- Use a collar stay: These are small, thin pieces of plastic or metal that you can insert into the collar of your shirt to help keep it straight.
- Iron your collars: Use a medium heat setting and a pressing cloth to iron your collars before you wear them. This will help to smooth out any wrinkles and prevent the collars from curling.
- Wet your collars: Before you wear your shirt, you can try wetting the collars and then ironing them. This will help to relax the fibers and keep the collars from curling.
- Store your shirts properly: Make sure you are storing your shirts properly, either hanging them up or folding them neatly in a drawer. This will help to prevent the collars from becoming wrinkled or distorted.
Why do Polo Shirts Collars Curl?
Polo shirt collars crease over time because of the agitation that they are subjected to in a traditional washing machine and dryer.
While it may be true that most companies are doing nothing to solve the problem of their curling collars, consumers also don’t know how to properly take care of a polo shirt.
They put the shirts in the dryer, which does a lot of heat damage to the collar, making it bent out of shape.
If the material of your polo shirt is too lightweight, then that can also lead to flimsy collars.
Another thing to note is that regular collar stays don’t work on polo shirts because most polos don’t have a slot for them, unlike traditional button-down shirts. While some companies have tried to bring out special polo shirt collar stays to combat this problem, the endeavor has largely been unsuccessful.
Therefore, if you want to get rid of the creases from your shirt collars and give them a life of their own, you would need to follow the steps mentioned in the previous two sections.
Final Remarks
In this article, I tried to go over the various different ways that you can adopt to prevent and fix the problem of curling polo shirt collars. Doing these will increase your style points exponentially because they will actually make you look good in your polos.
Here’s a quick recap of the three ways to fix flimsy polo shirt collars and make them stiff again:
- Vinegar and Ironing combination.
- Rubber band method.
- Starching the Collars.
My name is Alex Higson and I am the founder of Magic Of Clothes. I have worked in the fashion industry for many years, and clothes and style are a huge part of my life.