And to show off the first of the “A” name Arrow collars from my eBay early 20th Century collar bag purchase, here is the Avolyn Collar, which is narrower than the Amolek and Ancover, with a wide spread:
The Arrow Avolyn is an easy to date collar, because it was not only heavily advertised in its first year by Cluett, Peabody & Co. (as their new collars were), but was widely reported to have been worn by the most famous man in America at the time of its launch. The style is a bit “retro” for 1907, looking almost like a throwback to earlier decades, but this style never really stopped as it was one that was more comfortable by being narrower and having a wide spread, especially for any older man with a thick neck. As a result this type of collar style never went completely “out” of use like more trendy styles.
THE PRESIDENT’S COLLAR He Selects a Trojan Product to Encircle His Neck — A Distinguished Patron of This City’s Industries.
From the Troy Times, Oct. 16. 1907:
Cluett, Peabody & Co. of this city have received from the manager of their St. Louis office an account that will be extremely Interesting to Trojans, of an Incident attending the recent visit of President Roosevelt to the Mississippi valley. The president, who Is always tastefully attired and in harmony with his occupation at the time, wished while In St. Louis to get a supply of collars. His representative, going to the store of the Delmar Leader at 5341 Delmar avenue, asked for the Avolyn, an arrow collar. So the president wears a collar which is the product of the city of Troy and of the largest collar factory In the world. Both Troy and Cluett, Peabody & Co. have reason to be proud of the fact.
Interestingly we can also document that the Avolyn was a very long lived collar! It appears again in the 1917 Arrow Style Book catalog of current collars ten years later:
As well as another ad in a college newspaper in the 1921, which is rather unusual:
And is still showing up in the 1929 Arrow Style Book 22 years later!
