To stud, or not to stud?

[NCW]

I, independently of this thread, converted to stiff fronts and collars last week. After a bit of wearing, I can confidently announce and agree that this is the pinnacle of shirting, and well worth doing.

Regarding starching, it is well possible to do this at home, but the ironing is considerably harder for the collar. Getting the right stiffness is easy: rinse in boiling from kettle to remove old starch; wash as normal; soak in concentrated warm solution for a few minutes, which should be strong, but not gloopy and leaving no tactible residue on the cotton; then leave until nearly dry for a couple of hours, and finally iron carefully until bone dry, at which point you have a purest white and cardboard-stiff shirt. The collars are harder because of their shape and the curl; it takes practice on a flat board (not that I have space in my room to own an ironing board...) to avoid vertical ripples.

Get a good shirt, detachable collars, and studs, and your posture will probably improve dramatically even if you only launder them as normal.

I see marcella as a half-way house between the ulta-traditional plain stiff and the pleated front, since it is quite convincingly worn stiff and soft (which stiff feels stiff if you have never worn a starched shirt front). Marcella, being dressier than pleated, should probably have few studs (two or three visible).

[rodes]

I have always worn studs with soft pleated, turned-down collar shirt and black tie. However, I echew jewelry whenever possible and to that purpose am considering having a soft pleated evening shirt made with buttons hidden behind the placket. What is the view of my fellow London Loungers on this project ?

[Will]

I wear mine soft, and studded. No choice really. T&A made them all without buttons.