Why does a collar bubble after washing?

What is inside a collar

Interfacing is an extra layer that gives collars, cuffs, plackets and button stands their body. It comes in two kinds. Fusible interfacing has dots of heat-activated adhesive on one side and is pressed onto the fabric so the two become one layer. Sew-in interfacing has no glue; it is held only by the seams round its edge and floats against the fabric. Fusible is quicker to use and gives a crisp result, which is why it is everywhere, but it depends entirely on that bond.

Collars and plackets are where you see the trouble because they are where interfacing is used. The collar styles and kurta plackets guides show where these pieces sit on a kurta.

Why the bubbles appear

The blisters, ripples or shiny patches you see are spots where the two layers have separated. The usual reasons are these:

• Incomplete fusing. Too little heat, pressure or time when the interfacing was applied. The edges hold, the middle does not, and the first wash finds the weak spots.
• Shrinkage that does not match. Fabric that was not pre-washed shrinks in the first wash while the interfacing does not, or the other way round. The shorter layer drags the other into ripples.
• Heat after making. A hot wash or the tumble dryer can soften the adhesive, and once softened it may let go as the fabric moves.
• Repeated high steam. Pressing a collar hard with a very hot steam iron, again and again, can have the same effect.
• The wrong weight. A heavy fusible on fine lawn pulls against the cloth and tends to lift sooner.

Will pressing fix it?

Sometimes, if there is still adhesive to work with. Lay the collar flat, cover it with a pressing cloth, and press with dry heat suited to the fabric, holding the iron still with firm pressure for several seconds on each spot rather than sliding it. Leave the collar flat until it has cooled completely, because the glue sets as it cools. Test the heat on a hidden area first and follow the care label.

Pressing will not help if the adhesive has worn away or if the problem is uneven shrinkage, since the layers are now different sizes. In that case the bubbles return after the next wash.

Preventing it, and what to ask for

At home, wash at the temperature on the label, skip the tumble dryer, reshape the collar while damp, and iron collars from the underside at a moderate heat. Our guides to washing machine settings for kurtas and drying clothes without shrinking go into the details.

When ordering a band collar, shirt collar or placket, you can ask for sew-in interfacing on washable cottons, for the fabric to be pre-washed before cutting (see should you pre-wash fabric), or for a soft collar made from a double layer of the fabric itself. With custom stitching we confirm what suits your fabric in the written quote, and you can add the note when you request a quote.