They work just like braces. I've found the posts run at high speeds and have little resistance to sliding into the grooves of my shirt collars. They hang well by the collar when I wash my shirts. As an added bonus, they feel good when the shirt is ironed. Leftovers can complain a little about the heat, but they don't curl in a whimsical way when exposed to heat. you can take it! Honestly this is a great purchase. I would always buy them. However, you will receive a whole box of 250 pieces. So unless you're careful with them, or your washer/dryer aggressively rips them out of your collar, there are plenty of things that will last you almost a lifetime.