Today, no shirt is more prevalent in men's closets than the polo shirt.
And for good reason. This is the shirt you wear when you want to wear something more than a t-shirt but less than a button-up. In the post-business casual world, it's almost always a safe middle ground. That's why it's a daily essential for millions of men.
In contrast, a 100% piqué knit cotton polo shirt will look better with age. Any signs of wear on the placket will make you feel welcome.
However, not all polo shirts are created equal. Some are more difficult than others. Some wear better than others. Some last longer than others. Some look more classic than others. Simply put, some are better than others.
Sadly, the most commonly seen polo shirts are some of the worst. This is a polo shirt that should be thrown into a large volcano on a remote tropical island. This is a polo shirt that doesn't even deserve to be used as a rag in the garage. A polo shirt that resembles the uniform of a junior data analyst at a nuclear waste disposal facility in the distant future.
These are smooth, shiny polyester monstrosities known as “Performance” or “Dri-FIT” polos.
Polo shirts can look unflattering. They may be unforgiving. No matter how nice something is, it can be difficult to wear. Due to the structure of the fabric and its overall thinness, body imperfections tend to be more noticeable. If you're carrying extra weight, your polo shirt will hit you in the face.
If you've ever wondered why you don't look so good in polo shirts, this is your answer.
you are not alone. And if all of this is true for the best polo shirts, 100% heavyweight pique cotton knit polo shirts, it's even more so for brightly colored petroleum-based polo shirts. The main way these clothes “work” is by making you look worse than you definitely need to be.
They accomplish this by being completely redundant. A “sporty” version of the polo shirt?Polo shirts have always been sporty and were “athleisure” a century before this category existed.
Polo shirts were originally made for tennis. French champion René Lacoste created this shirt in 1926 as a more comfortable alternative to the long-sleeved white button-up shirts that men usually wore on court.
Short sleeves. Pique knit cotton. Unstructured flat collar. It's hard to improve on that. And for many years no one tried. Until our scientific arrogance gets the better of us. What would happen if we made this out of plastic? And is it a color that you would never expect to find in nature? We were so focused on whether we could do it that we didn't stop to think about whether we should.
However, this polo shirt is said to “wick away moisture.” Nonsense. The claim that moisture wicking is desperately needed to make normal daily life comfortable is a delusion. If it's too hot and a pique cotton knit polo shirt isn't cooling enough for your daily routine, a short-sleeved buttoned linen shirt is perfect. It doesn't get any cooler than this. There's nothing more classic than this.
Synthetic Dri-FIT polo shirts, like all synthetic fabrics, degrade severely. Shirts look worse every time you wear them. Your shirt won't fall apart in one day. No repairs or repairs will ever be made. Synthetic polo shirts are designed to be thrown away the same day they start showing any wear or tear.
In contrast, a 100% piqué knit cotton polo shirt will look better with age. Any signs of wear on the placket will make you feel welcome. The more you get used to it, the more comfortable it will become. The cut on the collar feels like a worn handrail. The fabric is calm and quiet. The thickness of the knit is acceptable.
Synthetic polo shirts lead us down the path of disposables. It looks best with disposable pants and disposable shoes. A 100% cotton polo pairs well with 100% cotton khaki chinos and leather boat shoes. Nature begets nature. Natural brings out natural.
You need a better polo shirt. We recommend the 100% cotton pique knit polo shirt. Row your boat to the island, climb ancient steps, overlook crevasses, throw your moisture-wicking polo shirt into a volcano, and never look back.
