Our Story

We are Maarten and Linne.

In our daily lives, we are both engaged with imagery, materials, and detail in our own ways. Maarten has been working as a freelance filmmaker for about fifteen years. Linne traded in her work as a neuropsychologist for her studio, where she now designs and creates artwork in Haarlem. From that background, she always takes an analytical look at materials, clean patterns, and how something is put together both functionally and beautifully.

That we would eventually end up developing collar stays was a surprise, but also typical. You can get lost so easily in a new project. 😅

How it began

The idea was born during, or actually after, my cousin's wedding. A beautiful day, but it was mid-summer and hot 🥵. Maarten was wearing a nice light-colored shirt, had sunscreen on everywhere against the bright sun, and hadn't stood still on the dance floor.

The party was great, but unfortunately, the shirt was not. The next day, the collar turned out to be completely discolored by a mixture of sweat and sunscreen. We (honestly, Linne) tried everything, but the yellow haze wouldn't come out.

The search

When we were looking for a solution, we thought: surely everyone who wears a shirt sometimes has this problem? There must be a simple solution for this, right?
We tried everything, but we ran into these problems:

  • The strips felt stiff and plastic-like, causing them to chafe against your neck.
  • They would come loose at the collar points halfway through the day.
  • Or, after removing them, they left a sticky adhesive residue on the fabric, which ruined the shirt anyway.

There was nothing to be found that felt soft, remained invisible, and kept your clothing intact.

Getting to work ourselves

Because we both always think we can do better, and Linne is used to working with different backings, adhesives, and fabrics from her studio, we decided to figure it out ourselves. We wanted a strip that met a few very clear requirements:

  • It must be comfortable: a soft, breathable layer that doesn't itch or chafe. 
  • Completely invisible: attached to the inside of your collar, so no one sees anything from the outside.
  • Truly absorbent: sweat, sebum, and sunscreen must be blocked before they soak into the fibers.
  • Safe for your clothing: it must adhere firmly all day, but come off just as easily in the evening without leaving any adhesive residue.

After a lot of testing, trying, and comparing, we ended up with the material we now use for BoordFris.

Do you have a question about the material or would you like to know more about how it works? Feel free to send us a message.

Oh! And we try to package everything so that it is as recyclable as possible. 

Best regards!

Maarten & Linne
Haarlem, The Netherlands