It may seem odd to most of you that shirt-fronts and collars were sold separately. Imagine, going to the Gap and paying extra for the detachable shirt collar. It wasn’t that collars were not sewn on shirts prior to this, they were. But this was a better way to clean and starch a collar for business or formal wear.
Van Heusen, the famous shirt company, sold shirt-fronts and collars. They branded their collars and did their best to make certain every man in every household had an affordable one. These marketing tools, including the “Dealer Helps,” were sent by Van Heusen to retailers all over the land. The use of sex appeal was intended to make men collard green with envy. Imagine, something in a clothing store that was 50 cents reduced to 35 cents. Those were the price-cutting good old days.
For more Steven Heller, check out The Education of a Graphic Designer, one of the many Heller titles available at MyDesignShop.com.