Smile of the Day July 25, 2021

Sunday July 25, 2021’s Smile of the Day: The Detachable Shirt Collar

On this Day:

In 1854, Walter Hunt was awarded the first U.S. patent for a paper shirt collar. Ah, but men have been suffering from, and wearing, uncomfortably stiff and tight collars for a far, far longer period.  Ah, to get rid of the shirt…

Very Short History: Detachable collars were invented in 1827 in Troy, New York as a solution to “Ring-Around-the-Collar”. Collars have been made of cotton, linen, paper and paper/cloth laminate. In 1862 (a time when detachable collars were the height of fashion, but paper collars were out of fashion) machinery was invented to laminate paper and cloth, a process previously done by hand. These laminated collars are referred to as “Linene” collars. Celluloid was patented in 1870 and was used for collars and cuffs shortly thereafter. They were typical by the mid 1880s, if not before.

White Starched Linen, Cotton, Linene or Celluloid collars for use with collarless / detachable collar shirts.

“Linene”: These are made the same way as they have been made since 1862. They are linen material laminated onto a stiff cardboard. They are very stiff and have material texture to them. The stud holes become soft and bent after a few times and they cannot be cleaned. They can be wiped off with a LIGHTLY damp sponge or cloth, but that usually doesn’t do much.

“Celluloid”: This is an early form of plastic (1870s). They are very stiff, but they have MINIMUM MATERIAL TEXTURE to them, unlike the “Linene” or “Cotton”. Each collar is fashioned from interlined acetate, a material made of white linen and a thin layer of acetate, giving the product the style of a fine cloth collar and the durability of a plastic one. A Buckley collar will never wilt under the heat of the stage lights or a difficult sermon. Other desired features include reinforced buttonholes, smooth, finished edges, and easy cleaning with soap and water. They will last longer than the “Linene”, but not as long as the Cotton or Linen.

“Linen”: These are the Stiff, heavily starched, thin collars that are most often seen in antique stores, museums, etc. They are made from a thin linen and then heavily starched and ironed, with a special machine, or machines) designed for this (it starches the inside of the collar and irons the collar to be curved and go around the neck). They can be cleaned, BUT only re-starched and properly ironed with the machine designed to starch and iron collars. They last longer than “Linene” or “Celluloid” collars, but not as long as the thicker cotton collars.

“Cotton”: These are made from a medium weight cotton material. They are basically a standard collar that has been made detachable, they ARE NOT a Starched (Stiff) Linen Collar. They come UN-STARCHED and are therefore SOFT ** NOT STIFF **. They can be worn as a soft detachable collar, especially for those who do not like stiff collars or they can be starched with spray starch (I suggest heavy duty spray starch) and ironed. If you can find powdered starch you could soak them and then iron them, making them similar to the old Starched Linen Collars except thicker. CAUTION, they do not bend well after they are Heavily Starched and should be ironed with the proper curve to go around the neck. To properly starch and iron a collar requires a special machine, which I have heard is but one place in the U.S. that still has one in use. These collars can be washed either by hand or in a washing machine. They are the longest lasting of our detachable collars.

STUDS / BUTTONS. Either Buttons or Studs can be used to attach the collar to the shirt (per http://www.ushist.com/mens_1800s_clothing/lfhp_mens_detachable_linen_collars.shtml).

First, a Story:

I was in a bar in Texas, when a man walked in wearing a paper cowboy hat, a paper shirt with a paper collar, paper jeans, paper chaps and paper boots. 

The sheriff then burst in and arrested him for rustling.

Second, a Song:

Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, and record producer. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, 32 of which have reached number one. Many of these have also charted within the Top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100, making him one of the most successful crossover country artists. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.

He has received six Academy of Country Music awards (including four consecutive Entertainer of the Year awards from 2005 to 2008), as well as nine awards from the Country Music Association. He is one of the most popular touring acts in country music, regularly selling out the venues in which he performs. His 2007 Flip-Flop Summer Tour was the highest-grossing country road trip of the year.

The Country Music Association honored Chesney with the Entertainer of the Year award in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Other notable awards he received include the Academy of Country Music’s 1997 New Male Vocalist of the Year, 2002 Top Male Vocalist of the Year, and the Triple Crown Award in 2005. He was awarded his fourth consecutive Entertainer of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music on May 18, 2008.

In 1992, the head of writer relations at BMI, Clay Bradley, recommended Chesney to his friend, Troy Tomlinson, at Opryland Music Group by saying: “I met this kid today from East Tennessee. He’s a good singer, a good songwriter, and more than anything, I think you’re going to really like him as a person.” Chesney performed five songs during his audition for Tomlinson. Tomlinson’s reaction was enthusiastic, later telling HitQuarters:

First of all I was attracted to the songs, because I thought that he painted great pictures in his lyrics, particularly for someone who had not been around the typical Music Row co-writes. I thought that he sang very well too. But more than anything there was a kind of this ‘I-will-do-it’ look in his eyes – I was really drawn in by the fact that he was so set on being successful in this business.

Chesney left the audition with a songwriter’s contract. A year later, an appearance at a songwriter’s showcase led to a contract with Capricorn Records, which had recently started a country division.

Chesney’s debut album, In My Wildest Dreams, was released on the independent Capricorn Records label in April 1994. The album’s first two singles, “Whatever It Takes” and “The Tin Man”, both reached the lower regions of the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The album sold approximately 10,000 copies before Capricorn Records closed its country music division in Nashville later that year and moved to Atlanta.

Chesney then signed with BNA Records, and released his second studio album All I Need to Know in 1995. The album produced three singles. “Fall in Love” and the title track both reached the Top 10, while “Grandpa Told Me So” peaked at number 23. That same year, Chesney co-wrote Confederate Railroad’s single “When He Was My Age” from their album When and Where. Chesney utilized fiddle and steel instrumentation within this album in order to highlight the down-home sentiments and the unique Tennessee twinge in his voice. This album seemed to capture the traditional spirit that made country music popular.

Chesney’s third studio album and his second major-label one, entitled Me and You, was released in 1996. Its first single, “Back In My Arms Again”, peaked just outside the Top 40 on the country charts, while its title track (which Chesney had recorded on his previous album) and “When I Close My Eyes” (which was previously recorded by Keith Palmer on his 1991 debut album and then by Larry Stewart on his 1993 debut album Down the Road) both peaked at number 2. Me and You was Chesney’s first album to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). A cover of Mac McAnally’s 1990 single “Back Where I Come From” was also included on this album. Even though Chesney’s version was never released as a single, it has been regularly performed during his concerts. In recognition of his successful year, Chesney was honored with the 1997 Academy of Country Music’s New Male Vocalist of the Year award.

I Will Stand, Chesney’s fourth album and his third from BNA Records, followed in 1997. The album’s first single, “She’s Got It All”, became Chesney’s first number one hit on the Billboard country charts and spent three weeks at that position. The album’s second single, “A Chance”, peaked just shy of the Top 10. The third single, “That’s Why I’m Here”, peaked at number 2 in 1998.

Everywhere We Go, Chesney’s fourth album from BNA, came in 1999. That album produced two consecutive number one hits with “How Forever Feels” and “You Had Me from Hello” (the latter inspired by a line in the movie Jerry Maguire). The album also produced two more singles with “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” and “What I Need to Do”, which peaked at numbers 11 and 8 on the country charts, respectively. Everywhere We Go was Chesney’s first album to be certified platinum. The album marked a departure from his original neotraditional country sound, to his more familiar country pop/trop rock/Gulf and Western sound he has since become known for.

By 2000, Chesney released his Greatest Hits compilation album. It included four new tracks, as well as updated versions of “Fall in Love”, “The Tin Man”, and “Back Where I Come From”. The new version of “The Tin Man” was one of the disc’s three singles, along with two of the new tracks, “I Lost It” and “Don’t Happen Twice”. In 2001 he performed with Kid Rock at a Waylon Jennings tribute concert covering Waylon’s song Luckenbach Texas.

The album No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems was released in 2002. Its lead-off single, “Young”, peaked at number 2, while the follower “The Good Stuff” spent seven weeks at number 1 and became Billboard’s number one country song of the year for 2002. The video for “Young” was honored by CMT with the Video of the Year and Male Video of the Year awards for 2002. In 2003, ACM honored Chesney as Top Male Vocalist of the Year, while “The Good Stuff” received the award for Single Record of the Year. CMT later recognized the video for the album’s title track as the Hottest Video of the Year.

“No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” is a song written by Casey Beathard and recorded by American country music singer Kenny Chesney. It was released in May 2003 as the fifth and final single from his album of the same name. The song peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in August 2003, behind Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett’s “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”.

Here is Kenny Chesney performing “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems.”  I hope you enjoy this!

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-01jhW_Yzhs)

Thought for the Day:

“Shirt collars are very important to me. Putting a very soft shirt collar with a formal suit doesn’t work for me at all.” – Ozwald Boateng

Have a great day!

Dave & Colleen

© 2021 David J. Bilinsky and Colleen E. Bilinsky