Waldorf Linene Collar

Constructed of paper with cloth lamination.

It is believed that the first detachable collars were invented in Troy, NY, in 1827, as one woman’s expedient way to launder her husband’s collar. She snipped off the collar to launder it separately, saving the body of the shirt from unnecessary washings. Up until the Civil War, detachable collars were constructed of linen or cotton.

The paper collar industry got its start during the Civil War when the South's control of cotton cut off the supply of cloth collars. Many people preferred the substitute and continued to wear them after the War. Production of paper collars hit its peak between 1870 and 1914.

Amazon Drygoods Collars have been in continuous production since 1866, when the Reversible Collar company was founded. Gibson Lee was the successor to Reversible, who in turn sold to the business to Amazon Drygoods. The Tuxedo, High Wing, and Stand-up models are still produced on the original 1860’s Reversible Collar Company press.