By Manish Puri.
In the TV show Mad Men, there’s a great scene where Don Draper, growing tired of a client who is reluctant to follow his professional advice, feigns to end their meeting.
“Listen, I'm not here to tell you about Jesus,” says Don. “You already know about Jesus. He either lives in your heart or he doesn't.”
Which is to say that many of you have probably already made up your mind about the subject of today’s article: shirt stays. They’re either in your heart or they’re not.
If it’s the latter, I sympathise. They are a faintly ridiculous looking item, and (in British culture at least) seem to epitomise the guy that’s the butt of the joke in old Carry On films: weedy, seedy and hapless.
But I can’t think of many functional items that are so harshly judged by their form, because by golly do these things work as advertised.
But let’s just take a step back for a second, as there may well be some readers who have no idea what the heck shirt stays even are.
Originating in America in the late 1800s, shirt stays are elasticated bands with clips on either end that connect your shirt hem to your socks; their purpose, to anchor your shirt firmly in place as you go about your day.
Like many of its detractors, I’d never actually tried shirt stays before, but when I collected my La Bowtique dinner suit from Mickael (who wears stays daily), he gave me a pair made by Sharp & Dapper and insisted I try them when I debuted my tuxedo.
It didn't take too long to find the knack to attaching them and getting the right tension in the length, but in the beginning I did have to enlist the help of my girlfriend - who to my utter delight seemed to enjoy the process. She’s a keeper.
Once attached, the stays ensured that my shirt at the end of the night looked much as it did at the beginning.
Another benefit, which I don't think is mentioned enough, is how well the stays control relaxed fit shirts, doing a great job of drawing the fullness into the waist in smooth and even lines.
Now, I know some of you will say that a bespoke shirt and bespoke trousers (perhaps with the rubber grips sewn into the waistband) should obviate the need for stays, and to an extent I’d agree. But in my experience there are still minor adjustments and re-tucking of the shirt that takes place during wear - often completely unconsciously, and often after bathroom breaks.
And, of course, looking neat and tidy isn’t just the preserve of bespoke wearers. As Johan Ekelund (above) explains in the circumstances that led him to found the brand in 2011:
“In 2008 I was working behind a nice bar where staff were required to look smart, but during a shift I’d be twisting in every direction - reaching up, bending over - and my shirt would keep coming untucked. So, while I was searching for braces on eBay I came across a pair of shirt stays. I bought them to try, wore them on a shift and never looked back. It was a lightbulb moment.”
On mass-market RTW shirts, Johan (who makes each pair of shirt stays himself in London) adds: “Longer shirt tails can help keep things in place, but they’re getting harder to find in the RTW market. If a manufacturer wants to save money, one of the easiest ways to do that is to reduce fabric costs by cutting down the length.”
Given my first experience with shirt stays was under my dinner suit, I also asked Mickael of La Bowtique if they’re really necessary for black tie.
After all, if you’re wearing a cummerbund or a buttoned-up jacket, there’s not that much of the shirt actually on show. His response was a good one, which is that if the shirt does start to untuck it’ll often go the only place it can, which is to puff away from the chest - which can also interfere with your bow tie.
I’ve subsequently worn the stays a few times with other tailoring, and you do forget you’re wearing them - which can actually be problematic. I clipped them on during Pitti in January, promptly forgot they were on and went into a shop to try on some pyjamas.
I spent several panicky minutes in the changing rooms detaching and reattaching them, trying desperately to remember what the Italian for “just a moment, please” was. Goodness only knows what was going through the poor shopkeeper’s mind.
Otherwise, the only reminder they’re on comes when I bend over and can feel the gentle strain of the elastic. But, as a middle aged man I’m accustomed to feeling something tight whenever I bend, so this isn’t an alien sensation.
Shirt stays are unlikely to become part of my daily routine. It’s not a case of them being fiddly - I make a stovetop coffee every morning, and goodness knows there are easier ways of fixing a caffeine hit. It’s just about personal priorities - we all draw our own lines of what’s essential to our routine, and what’s not.
However, for black tie nights and other special occasions where I want to present myself absolutely pristinely, they will definitely stay in my arsenal. And I would happily recommend them to readers, while fully acknowledging they won’t be for everyone.
“I realise it’s a polarising product,” says Johan. “But they’re effective, affordable, and a bit of fun. I used to promote them at events by wearing them without my trousers. In fact, one night I went trouserless straight from an event to pick someone up for a first date. It must have worked, we’re married now.”
Manish is @the_daily_mirror on Instagram
Shirt stays are available on the Sharp & Dapper website or in person at the La Bowtique showroom.
Photos by Alex Natt. Other photos courtesy of Sharp & Dapper.
