• SumoMe

Cleverfit Collar Stay

Collar stays are like cufflinks and button studs: small, subtle accessories that a man can use to take his look from good to great. I recently tried the Cleverfit adjustable collar stays, a recent Kickstarter project that successfully raised over $48,000. That’s not too shabby for some collar stays. The Cleverfit PR team reached out to me and asked me if I was interested in writing a review of these collar stays. I like testing stuff like this, so I said sure.

What makes these unique is that they are adjustable in size, which means they will fit (basically) any size collar out there. To change the size, you slide them back and forth, locking one side into the other side’s notch. This is a pretty easy process, and is a nice feature. Having two pieces means the stays are pretty strong, but not too thick or heavy.

The best way to see how well these work is to compare a photo of the stock stays (those flimsy paper ones that come with your shirts) with a photo of the same shirt with Cleverfit collar stays in place (ignore my weekend-non-shaven neck).

Stock Collar Stays

Stock Collar Stays

Cleverfit Collar Stays

Cleverfit Collar Stays

From sight alone, there’s no difference. If you see a difference, I have an island in New York to sell you. What makes non-stock collar stays important is the longevity and feel of the shirt. Throughout the day your collars often rub on your jacket or blazer, which, if done enough, will slowly bend the flimsy stock collar stays and render them useless. When I tested these Cleverfit collar stays at my job, I used a suit and tie to get the full effect, and it definitely held my collar ends together past 5:00.

As I said before, this is a subtle touch. You’re not going to totally change your look with these Cleverfit collar stays, but the difference is noticeable enough once you have them in. Since this is a recent Kickstarter project, I’m not sure what the retail price is, but I’m seeing reports of them coming out around $30. That’s not too far out of the ballpark, and is actually pretty reasonable. These stays are something that I can see lasting a really long time, and you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

Did you pledge on the Cleverfit collar stay Kickstarter? Would you try these? Leave your answers in the comments.