Background of the Detachable Collar

Detachable collars originated in the 19th Century and were either detachable or disposal. Cloth collars were made of either linen, cotton or celluloid which was an early synthetic material, with disposable collars consisting of paper or card.

The principle behind using a detachable collar was that a separate laundry finish could be applied to the collar i.e. starching, leaving the rest of a shirt ironed only. Several benefits of using detachable collars emerged immediately, it was more economical to launder a collar only, potentially getting several days wear from a shirt, so cutting down on laundry costs and time. Since washing a shirt was a lenghty process involving scrubbing by hand and often boiling, the process of laundering detachable collars saved time and cost. Also replacing a collar was far cheaper than the whole shirt.

Depending on the fashion, it was possible to achieve a higher or lower collar height, vary the colour, although white collars were the most popular. Detachable collars are still used today, predominantly within the legal profession and gentry. As the leading launderer of detachable collars in the UK, we strive to offer the same laundering techniques ensuring our collars are still as popular as in the past.

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