Sewing equipment ID needed

In article , R.H. of Road Runner High Speed Online

Are they for holding your sock taut while you darn it?

"She who would like to be obeyed once every Preston Guild" wrote

Or maybe even to facilitate drying? Trench Foot is nasty business and it was a big problem among the soldiers.

Aren't these wire thingies to hold the corners of a shirt collar down? The 2 points go into the underneath corners of the collar and the cross piece goes up to the neck where it buttons and under the tie.

Those are for darning or patching anything. Have you ever tried to apply a patch or mend an item without benefit of embroidery hoop or such? They can be pinned in place inside the pant leg or shirt sleeve to enable one to mend blown knees and elbows. (And yes, socks as well - although those would be just as easily done by shoving a tin of food or such down the sock and letting the needle glide off that. My step-mum taught me how to darn socks using an orange 'tossed' down to the toe...) Cynthia

Thanks to everyone for the replies, I haven't been able to verify on the web exactly what they are, but the answers of "collar stay" or "darning tool" sound very likely.