Medium: White linen with brass

Date: c.1900

Country: USA

Credit: Gift of Arrow Shirt Company

Detachable collars such as these were an important element of fashionable menswear during the early years of the 20th century. The detachable collar was invented in Troy, New York, as a solution to the endless laundering required of collars and cuffs in order to achieve the flawless appearance required of fashionable gentlemen. While this collar is linen, alternatives could be made of paper, cotton, or the recently invented plastic, Celluloid. Cluett, Peabody and Co., opened for business in the mid-19th century, and later, as The Arrow Shirt Company, became the largest collar, cuff, and shirt factory in the world.

Object Number: 82.66.25