Sweat ring on collars

[fphaase]

I recently bought 100% cotton shirts becuase they are cool and I live in the deep south. However, I work in a very smokey, loud, and hot enviroment (a casino floor) and I notice that with these shirts I develope a sweat ring around the collar during the night - very uncool!

Is there a way for me not to develope those sweat rings besides wiping my neck every so often. I work hard to look good and this defintely destroys the look.

 

[KittyT]

Maybe try buying self-adhesive garment shields (they may be purchased from a fabric store), cut them into strips the same width as the inside of your collar, and attach them. This way the garment shields (which almost always have a plastic backing) will absorb your perpiration instead of your shirts?

You could also buy non-adhesive garment shields, cut them to the proper width and attach them using fashion/garment tape (which is available from fabric stores and many beauty supply stores). This way, you can wash and reuse the shields.

Not sure if it will work, but it's the first thing that came to mind. Dusting your neck with cornstarch or talcum powder may also help.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I realize you're probably talking about sweat dripping down to the top of the outside area of your collar. I have no ideas for this!

 

[Orgetorix]

I recently bought 100% cotton shirts becuase they are cool and I live in the deep south. However, I work in a very smokey, loud, and hot enviroment (a casino floor) and I notice that with these shirts I develope a sweat ring around the collar during the night - very uncool!

Is there a way for me not to develope those sweat rings besides wiping my neck every so often. I work hard to look good and this defintely destroys the look.

They may be unavoidable, but they can and should be laundered out every time you wash your shirts (which should happen every time you wear them).

See this tutorial for more info.

...you'll need a bar of Kirkman Borax or Octagon Bar Soap, available from your local grocer, and a fingernail brush. Wet the Collar, Collar Band, Cuffs, and underarm area. Rub with the bar soap on the underarm area and inside Cuffs until a bit of lather develops. Rub also on the Inside Collar Band and the seam where it joins with the Collar. Then, on the Collar Band and inside Cuffs, scrub the dirt ring gently with the fingernail brush until you begin to see the ring leaving. Check the remainder of the shirt for spots or soil. If any are found, rub with the brown soap as above.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Do you mean a ring of sweaty wetness? or a ring of sweat mingled with the general filth in the atmosphere?

If the former, some colours show sweat worse than others - grey, light blue, and pink, for example, will become darker and show quite badly. White is usually fine, black is fine.

If the latter, there's probably not much you can do about it. Sweat and filth will show on almost any colour.

You could take a change of clothes. When you see a sweat ring developing, change the shirt. A somewhat cumbersome solution, but it may be the best you can do . . .

bk

 

[Paisley]

For staying cool in general, eat frequent little meals and have a glass of ice water. A little meal would be along the lines of half a can of tuna and a piece of fruit.

 

[jgilbert]

Is his collar too tight?

 

[fphaase]

Talc Powder...

Thanks for the suggestions. I never thought about dusting a little Clubman's on my neck when I'm on break. The white of the powder on my french blue shirt shouldn't be a problem since the powder will eventually blow off the shirt.

The funny thing about all this is that I only notice the sweat ring on my spread collar shirts. It doesn't seem to be such a problem on my buttom-down Oxford shirts even though they are both 100% cotton.