Ironing a Collar

littlebeast

littlebeast

get it while it's easy
Blankpage said:
Sending them back is not an option. I had these hanging in the closet for over a year before I bothered wearing and washing them, thats not uncommon.
But I'm convinced you're right and ironing them is a waste of time.
Yet there must have been some sort of product applied to the material in order to hold their shape when new and whatever that is it goes down the drain with the first wash.
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totally get the lapse lol. WRT solution, synthetic fabrics can only tolerate low heat, and water dilutes their chemical finishing properties (the chemicals applied during the manufacturing process). they are great for comfy clothes that are wash and wear. not so much for structured tailoring. for that - it’s natural fibers all the way (wool, cotton, and silk). think of it like man-made fibers are built on a structure - and maintain that structure under all environmental conditions (moisture and heat). whereas synthetics lose their structure under water and heat conditions and go soft (very desirable if that’s what you want for any particular application). only exception i can think of is bamboo - natural fiber that is crazy soft and comfy - and can withstand the most harsh laundry environments. but still not a fabric that maintains structural integrity. there will never be a crisp bamboo collar lol.
 
Blankpage

Blankpage

alien
littlebeast said:
totally get the lapse lol. WRT solution, synthetic fabrics can only tolerate low heat, and water dilutes their chemical finishing properties (the chemicals applied during the manufacturing process). they are great for comfy clothes that are wash and wear. not so much for structured tailoring. for that - it’s natural fibers all the way (wool, cotton, and silk). think of it like man-made fibers are built on a structure - and maintain that structure under all environmental conditions (moisture and heat). whereas synthetics lose their structure under water and heat conditions and go soft (very desirable if that’s what you want for any particular application). only exception i can think of is bamboo - natural fiber that is crazy soft and comfy - and can withstand the most harsh laundry environments. but still not a fabric that maintains structural integrity. there will never be a crisp bamboo collar lol.
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Yeah they were comfy thats why I bought them. Seems if I ever want to use these again I'm gonna have to add those some version of those plastic collar frame thingies which is retarded.

And worse I just looked and I have more of these in the closet and they were not cheap. Gonna try bringing them back them back tomorrow for store credit if nothing else.

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CABilly

CABilly

Splitter
You tried starch? Edit: never mind I see that you did.

And Columbia is like, outdoor gear, right? Maybe the collars were never designed to stay erect?

What size and how much? Are they cool in the heat? Warm in the cold? Good summer fishing/camping gear?
 
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Cycle61

Cycle61

What the shit is this...
Dude, those are outdoors shirts, not dress shirts. Go climb a mountain and don’t worry about ironing them. What size, I may be interested if you don’t want them.
 
mercurial

mercurial

Well-known member
That's what I was thinking. Columbia is for outdoors activities, these kind of shirts are not designed to maintain a clean starched collar.
 
Blankpage

Blankpage

alien
Yeah I know their intended use is outdoors but its not asking too much to expect them to still look new after one wash.

I just checked and I also have a few 100% polyester shirts from Merrell and Under Armor that have been washed a few times and still holding their shape fairly well.
There something different about the Columbia stuff. Just for an experiment I'll drop them at a dry cleaner and see what that does.

SY1015Cl.png
 
Cycle61

Cycle61

What the shit is this...
Washing hiking shirts is properly done by jumping in the lake, and hanging them on a tree branch to dry.
 
Climber

Climber

Well-known member
Cycle61 said:
Washing hiking shirts is properly done by jumping in the lake, and hanging them on a tree branch to dry.
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Best way to break in hiking boots is to walk through puddles, get the leather wet then keep hiking on them until they dry form-fitted to your feet. :twofinger
 
Reli

Reli

Well-known member
Columbia is still around?

But yeah anyway, the problem with outdoors "tech" shirts is they don't have a thick placket around the buttons, which is something that provides structure to the shirt. Plus the collar itself is wimpy and won't stand up.

I don't think ironing the collar is going to help. You wouldn't starch a shirt like that anyway. You could try relocating the top button higher, or buy one of those plastic things Coco posted.
 
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Climber

Climber

Well-known member
I bought a couple Columbia collared shirts in the 90's when I was heavy into outdoor activities because I liked some of their other products, they ended up being unused after a second wearing for the same reason the OP is talking about, floppy collar that looks like shit.

I did use my Columbia Jacket with the zip-out polar fleece liner quite a bit for camping and climbing trips.
 
Blankpage

Blankpage

alien
Reli said:
Columbia is still around?
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There's a Columbia outlet store 30min from me. Most of whats there looks like crap. I've bought a couple pair of their pants also and wore those only once before deciding I'd never use them again and gave them to a elderly Korean lady friend who drops them at her church.

Which I only realize now that I don't actually like anything I've ever bought with the Columbia name.
 
Blankpage

Blankpage

alien
Brought shirts to dry cleaner. He said forget it, nothing you can do, material is shite.
Then brought shirts with tags still on back to the store. With no receipts they would only give me store credit, fair enough.
While there I looked around other stores and the North Face was selling similar 100% polyester shirts for $80 :wtf
Fkn plastic shirts for the price of silk, what a ripoff :facepalm
 
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