The Mechanical Physics of Collar Failure ("Bacon Neck")
The neckline is the single most common failure point of budget t-shirts. Cheap manufacturers construct collars using 100% cotton ribbing without elastane, or worse, use the same thin single-jersey body fabric.
Because natural cotton fibers have poor elastic memory, the repeated mechanical stress of pulling a t-shirt over the head stretches the collar stitches past their yield point. When washed, the distorted yarns buckle into unsightly wavy folds resembling cooked bacon.
Adding 5% synthetic Lycra filament gives the ribbing instantaneous elastic recovery. The collar hugs the base of the neck firmly and cleanly through dozens of aggressive wash cycles.
