About The Polo Shirt For Men You Need To Know
aungcrown
Aung Crown
2021-06-08 15:50:14
When it comes to men’s clothing the terms “classic” and “iconic” are often used with ease, but in the case of the polo shirts no adjective would be more apt. In fact, very few men’s wardrobe garments have gone through of such an important presence and evolution. They’re timeless and a cornerstone of any good spring or summer outfit.
Symbol of the contemporary gentleman, traditionally being worn for polo, golf or tennis, polo shirt is nothing more than a simple t-shirt with a collar closed by two or three buttons and sometimes provided with a small pocket. It can be either with long sleeves or short sleeves and the fabric used to is usually piqué cotton.
Its essential and sporty design has not changed since it was conceived at the beginning of the 20th century, and still today it seems to have no intention of changing its timeless nature. However, the use of this superchic piece of clothing is instead changing. To fill the formality gap between the classic shirt and the T-shirt, polo is confirmed as the leading protagonist of any good spring or summer wardrobe, both for casual and business.
Summers are particularly difficult to dress sharp. Because it's hot out there. You are limited to very few pieces of clothing, you can't layer up your outfit as much as you like. It's a tough season.
Well, polo shirts can definitely turn these problems around. Polo shirt is a super versatile piece of clothing. You can wear it with shorts when you're on the beach or wear it with nice fitting chinos and throw a cool linen blazer on it to instantly be work ready. It's that simple!
A polo shirt is a perfect balance between casual and formal. It's formal than a crew neck tee and casual than a dress shirt. And it works perfectly for the summers.
History Of The Polo Shirt
1926. The US Open. Rene Lacoste hits the court. And what do we notice? He's wearing the first tennis shirt – his own design. While the other players are suffering in long-sleeved dress shirts and neckties, Lacoste looks cool in a white short-sleeve shirt in a weave cotton with a soft collar.
In 1933, Lacoste retired and turned his shirt into a popular clothing brand. It caught on with polo players – but it was still called the tennis shirt. Then in 1972 Ralph Lauren came up with his ‘Polo line'. He made a copy of what the polo players were wearing and soon after it came to be called the polo shirt.
Meanwhile, golf was picking up on these shirts as well. As the game's traditionally strict dress code became more casual in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, a lot of golf clubs started asking members to wear a ‘golf shirt‘ which is very similar to a polo shirt. The only difference is that golf shirts oftentimes have the pocket on the left and a slightly stiffer collar but the two are basically the same style.
To keep yourself comfortable, you don't need to look sloppy, just get a few cool polo shirts in different colours and patterns and wear them however you want to look sharp and stay comfortable in the summers.
Symbol of the contemporary gentleman, traditionally being worn for polo, golf or tennis, polo shirt is nothing more than a simple t-shirt with a collar closed by two or three buttons and sometimes provided with a small pocket. It can be either with long sleeves or short sleeves and the fabric used to is usually piqué cotton.
Its essential and sporty design has not changed since it was conceived at the beginning of the 20th century, and still today it seems to have no intention of changing its timeless nature. However, the use of this superchic piece of clothing is instead changing. To fill the formality gap between the classic shirt and the T-shirt, polo is confirmed as the leading protagonist of any good spring or summer wardrobe, both for casual and business.
Summers are particularly difficult to dress sharp. Because it's hot out there. You are limited to very few pieces of clothing, you can't layer up your outfit as much as you like. It's a tough season.
Well, polo shirts can definitely turn these problems around. Polo shirt is a super versatile piece of clothing. You can wear it with shorts when you're on the beach or wear it with nice fitting chinos and throw a cool linen blazer on it to instantly be work ready. It's that simple!
A polo shirt is a perfect balance between casual and formal. It's formal than a crew neck tee and casual than a dress shirt. And it works perfectly for the summers.
History Of The Polo Shirt
1926. The US Open. Rene Lacoste hits the court. And what do we notice? He's wearing the first tennis shirt – his own design. While the other players are suffering in long-sleeved dress shirts and neckties, Lacoste looks cool in a white short-sleeve shirt in a weave cotton with a soft collar.
In 1933, Lacoste retired and turned his shirt into a popular clothing brand. It caught on with polo players – but it was still called the tennis shirt. Then in 1972 Ralph Lauren came up with his ‘Polo line'. He made a copy of what the polo players were wearing and soon after it came to be called the polo shirt.
Meanwhile, golf was picking up on these shirts as well. As the game's traditionally strict dress code became more casual in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, a lot of golf clubs started asking members to wear a ‘golf shirt‘ which is very similar to a polo shirt. The only difference is that golf shirts oftentimes have the pocket on the left and a slightly stiffer collar but the two are basically the same style.
To keep yourself comfortable, you don't need to look sloppy, just get a few cool polo shirts in different colours and patterns and wear them however you want to look sharp and stay comfortable in the summers.
The most important thing you need to be careful about is the fit of your polo shirt. It has to fit right. No excuses there. You just can't get the fit wrong to expect to look good. Now, Here're a few pointers to help you get the fit of your polo shirt right. If you'd like to learn more about polo shirt, we recommend this detailed guide
1. The sleeves of your polo shirt should end at the mid-bicep level.
2. Check your neck. Your neck should not look too skinny, and the neck opening of your polo shirt should not be too wide or too tight. It should be comfortable but also wraps nicely around your neck.
3. The length of your polo shirt should not cross the halfway down your pants fly.
4. It should not be too tight from the sleeves of the chest. You are supposed to feel comfortable, remember?
5. If you are someone with a beer belly then never buy a slim fit polo shirt, it will highlight all the wrong parts of your body. Opt for a comfort fit.
6. If you have a toned up physique then, f course you can go for a slim fit However there are no hard rules here, you can also pick a comfort fit if you have broad shoulders.
The Fabric Of Your Polo Shirt
The whole point of wearing polo shirt is staying comfortable. So, the fabric of your polo shirt is equally important as the fit. You should opt for a fabric that's light and breathable.
There are many different types of shirt fabrics you can pick from. Most popular polo shirt fabrics are linen, pure cotton, blended cotton, polyester and silk.
1. The sleeves of your polo shirt should end at the mid-bicep level.
2. Check your neck. Your neck should not look too skinny, and the neck opening of your polo shirt should not be too wide or too tight. It should be comfortable but also wraps nicely around your neck.
3. The length of your polo shirt should not cross the halfway down your pants fly.
4. It should not be too tight from the sleeves of the chest. You are supposed to feel comfortable, remember?
5. If you are someone with a beer belly then never buy a slim fit polo shirt, it will highlight all the wrong parts of your body. Opt for a comfort fit.
6. If you have a toned up physique then, f course you can go for a slim fit However there are no hard rules here, you can also pick a comfort fit if you have broad shoulders.
The Fabric Of Your Polo Shirt
The whole point of wearing polo shirt is staying comfortable. So, the fabric of your polo shirt is equally important as the fit. You should opt for a fabric that's light and breathable.
There are many different types of shirt fabrics you can pick from. Most popular polo shirt fabrics are linen, pure cotton, blended cotton, polyester and silk.
For summers, we recommend you pick either pure cotton, Supima cotton or linen. These are most comfortable types of fabric, especially in the summers. These are airy, breathable and feels good on the skin.
Following fabrics you should avoid at all cost.
1. Polyester, they look very cheap.
2. Blended, mostly used for uniforms
3. Silk, because it bleeds colour and when it gets hot and wet.
KNITS & WEAVES
The most popular knits are Piquee knit (or Pique knit) & Jersey knit.
Pique knit is flexible and very breathable, hence the most popular polo shirt knit.
Jersey knit shirts have a smooth surface that is similar to tees. Most often than not this knit is less expensive than the pique knit. Not the most popular choice and less breathable than a pique knit. However, it depends on your style.
Following fabrics you should avoid at all cost.
1. Polyester, they look very cheap.
2. Blended, mostly used for uniforms
3. Silk, because it bleeds colour and when it gets hot and wet.
KNITS & WEAVES
The most popular knits are Piquee knit (or Pique knit) & Jersey knit.
Pique knit is flexible and very breathable, hence the most popular polo shirt knit.
Jersey knit shirts have a smooth surface that is similar to tees. Most often than not this knit is less expensive than the pique knit. Not the most popular choice and less breathable than a pique knit. However, it depends on your style.