It's late afternoon and the sky is darkening, so you bring the washing in before the rain comes. Your favourite black polo is dry. Then you notice the collar. Both tips have curled upward, like a cassava chip fresh out of the wok.
You press one flat with your finger. The moment you let go, the tip slowly creeps back up.
The washing machine is usually the first suspect. It does leave the collar crumpled and folded all over the place. But the curl only sets later, on the line, as the collar dries in the wrong position.
Why Polo Collars Curl as They Dry
Wet cotton dries in whatever shape it's left in. That's why a T-shirt hung up crumpled also dries crumpled.
Polo collars are usually knitted, so they're more flexible than shirt collars and more easily pulled out of shape when wet. The tips are the most vulnerable, because they hang free and aren't stitched to the body of the polo. In the washing machine drum, they get bent over or tucked between other clothes more easily than any other part. If you hang the polo up as it is, the collar dries in its bent shape.
That flexibility also makes the collar easy to reshape, as long as the fabric is still wet. The care instructions on the black Rise Polo page give the same advice: reshape the collar while it's still damp.
Smooth the Collar Flat Before the Polo Goes on the Line
It takes less than a minute. Take the polo out as soon as the machine stops, and don't leave it balled up in the drum all afternoon. Shake it out once, then fasten the top button so both sides of the collar line up. Rest the collar on your palm and smooth it flat with your fingers, working from the centre out towards the tips. If a tip still curls, give it a gentle pull until it straightens. Don't overdo it, because wet knit stretches easily.
Then hang the polo on a clothes hanger with the collar folded down the way you'd wear it, or lay it flat on a drying rack. Slide the hanger in through the bottom of the polo rather than forcing it through the neck opening. This works for a plain black tee too, and stops its neckline from stretching out.
Fixing a Polo Collar That Has Already Curled
A curl that has been there for months usually needs a few rounds of reshaping before it lies properly flat. Start by misting the collar until it's damp, then reshape it the same way as before.
The quickest fix is to iron it on medium heat. Cover the collar first with a thin cotton cloth, such as a pillowcase, so the knit isn't crushed or left shiny. Work the iron from the tips of the collar in towards the centre.
You can also do it without an iron. Lay the polo on a towel-covered table, put a dry cloth over the collar, and weigh it down overnight with a few thick books.
A chip that has curled will never lie flat again. A polo collar still can.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does only one tip of a polo collar tend to curl?
Usually that side stayed bent for longer, for instance tucked under the body of the polo while it dried, or pinned under other clothes in the drum. When you reshape the collar, do both tips, even the one that looks fine.
Does the spin cycle make a polo collar curl faster?
It can, even though the spin cycle uses no heat. The faster and longer the spin, the deeper the creases in the collar, and deep creases are harder to smooth out. If your machine lets you adjust it, choose a slower or shorter spin for polo shirts.
Why does the collar on a new polo curl after the first wash?
Cotton changes the most over its first few washes, so a collar that dries bent takes on that shape straight away. If the collar still curls after you've reshaped it while wet, the knit of the collar may have been faulty from the start.
Can a stretched polo collar go back to its original shape?
A stretched collar is not the same as a curled one. Its edge goes wavy, like the rim of a lettuce leaf, because the knit has been pulled out of shape. Misting it with water and then ironing it can help a little, but the collar rarely looks new again. A polo like that is still comfortable to wear around the house.
Should polo shirts be folded or hung in the wardrobe to keep the collar neat?
Either is fine. If you fold them, lay the collar down in its usual position before stacking other clothes on top, because a collar left bent at the bottom of a pile can hold on to that bend. If you hang them, fasten the top button so the collar doesn't sit lopsided.