The polo shirt is maybe some of the misunderstood clothes in fashionable menswear. This soft-collared, short-sleeved high has had a foul rap in recent times – shunned by many for its alleged ‘uncoolness’ and lack of discernible trendy outfit purposes.

It could, nonetheless, be a crying disgrace to disclaim this traditional piece a spot in your wardrobe. The stress-free of gown codes in recent times has afforded the polo a brand new probability to shine. Now this sporting staple is simply as at residence worn alongside tailoring on a date night time as it’s with shorts to a summer season gathering.

The polo shirt is formally again, which means now is an efficient time to start out sourcing your personal. However earlier than you do, right here’s all the pieces it’s good to find out about some of the surprisingly versatile clothes a person can personal, together with the place it got here from and which manufacturers are making the best choices.

What Makes A Nice Polo Shirt?

The Resort Co

On the subject of searching for the right polo, there are some things to be thought of. Not all polo shirts are created equal, and it pays to know what to search for if you wish to find yourself with a great one.

Firstly, match is essential: a polo shirt ought to be slim however not tight. The shoulder seams ought to sit on the level the place the arm meets the torso. The collar ought to be snug when fixed as much as the final button, and the hem ought to sit simply above the hips.

Cloth is essential, too. Pique cotton ought to be tender and stretchy – by no means scratchy. In the event you’re going for a knitted model, it ought to be of a really high quality gauge and really feel tender to the contact.

Sizing varies drastically from model to model. Lacoste, for instance, makes use of a numbered system, so be sure to know your dimension before you purchase.

The Greatest Polo Shirt Manufacturers

There are numerous manufacturers on the market placing their title on the common-or-garden polo shirt. Right here, we element those doing one of the best job.

Tailor Retailer

The most effective polo shirt is one that matches you completely. And with Tailor Retailer, that’s precisely what you’re getting. The Swedish model applies made-to-measure ideas to all the pieces it produces, together with its distinctive vary of polo shirts.

All it’s good to do is reply a couple of simple questions – together with your age, physique peak and weight, most well-liked match and size – and Tailor Retailer’s intelligent know-how will create the best becoming polo for you.

This isn’t only a gimmick both – every design is crafted from high-quality, 100% Pima cotton and is available in quick or lengthy sleeves. You possibly can even go so far as to customize your design in addition to your match, specifying all the pieces from the placket model to the button thread.

The most effective half? This nearly bespoke expertise begins at simply $55.

Shop now at Tailor Store

ASKET

Swedish model ASKET lives as much as the Scandi stereotype by providing a stripped-back, minimalist menswear assortment that you may construct a capsule wardrobe round. As you’d think about, the polo shirt sits proper on this remit, with the label providing a easy alternative: would you like quick or lengthy sleeves?

Each variations are crafted utilizing a considerable natural pique cotton knit, which drapes completely because of its straight reduce and a neat three-button French placket. In the meantime, a high quality rib collar and mother-of-pearl buttons show that no aspect has been ignored or scrimped on.

Having first launched in 2016 and now in its fifth era, the model has arguably achieved perfection.

Shop now at ASKET

Aurelien

Though primarily based in Amsterdam, Aurelien is a champion of timeless Mediterranean model. Oozing the relaxed class and carefree joie-de-vivre of the Riviera, its polos are reduce slim in varied high-end supplies, starting from terry towelling and Egyptian cotton to 100% linen and additional high quality merino wool.

Coming in summer-ready pastels and daring main hues, they’re a vital addition to any refined gent’s resortwear arsenal.

Shop now at Aurelien

Vilebrequin

Vilebrequin has been producing luxurious resortwear since 1971, and from the very starting, it’s all the time positioned nice emphasis on cloth and match. Its vary of polo shirts is not any exception, crafted utilizing the highest-quality materials, together with cotton, linen and Tencel.

The French model has change into famend for its distinctive prints and vivid colourways, however whether or not you go for one thing loud or understated, these are among the finest luxurious polos in the marketplace. There’s a purpose they’re a standard sight in high-end resorts throughout the Riviera.

Shop now at Vilebrequin

Artknit Studios

Not many labels can tick off beauty, craftsmanship and sustainability in a single go, however Italian makers’ model Arknit Studios does it in model. It’s a licensed B Corp, so the eco credentials are air-tight and the minimalist trend is equally untouchable.

The label has a wonderful and in depth assortment of polo shirts. Lengthy- and short-sleeved choices are available in natural cotton and merino, some with open collars, some with breast pockets, some with knitted, ribbed finishes.

The palette is impartial throughout the board (suppose milky whites and staple navy), guaranteeing you may put on them with virtually something.

Shop now at Arknit Studios

Billy Reid

Typically described as one of the best dressmaker you’ve by no means heard of, Billy Reid creates a model of preppy Americana with a distinctly Southern edge. His Alabama-based label is also described as lived-in luxurious, and the gathering of polo shirts completely captures that vibe.

Begin with the model’s Penascola polo. Constituted of wondrously tender cotton, it retains slightly construction from its well-made placket and collar. Elsewhere, you’ll discover striped and patterned polos and the odd knitted choice reduce in Pima cotton.

Your chino shorts are crying out for any one among them.

Shop now at Billy Reid

Wax London

Regardless of the title, Wax London brings a couple of worldwide influences to its collections, together with a unfastened Mediterranean sense of informal dressing and an Indian strategy to wealthy textiles and patterns. All of that is evident within the London label’s polo shirts.

The gathering has conventional short-sleeve choices, however they’re adorned with flamboyant broad collars or fabricated in tactile knits. Fifties-style ribbed knits are a favorite, as are button-through knitted polos that work simply as properly with summer season fits as they do tailor-made shorts.

Shop now at Wax London

The Resort Co

Sustainable, moral manufacturing is on the coronary heart of all the pieces The Resort Co does, with every garment handcrafted by expert artisans working in small, family-owned factories dotted round Italy, Spain and Portugal.

The Swedish model gives a small however completely curated collection of polos. There’s an open-collar terry fabric design perfect for lounging across the pool within the peak of summer season and a knitted model crafted from 100% GOTS-certified natural cotton that is available in each lengthy – and short-sleeve codecs to see you thru each season.

Shop now at The Resort Co

Polo Ralph Lauren

The polo shirt was already properly established by the point Ralph Lauren began together with it in collections. Nevertheless, the East Coast clothing store’s knack for preppy styling and collegiate cool thrust it additional into the highlight.

For a very long time now, the polo has been one among Ralph Lauren’s staple gadgets, a lot in order that a complete line has been created across the theme.

Buy now at SSENSE

Percival

Knitted polos are all the time on our agenda for summer season jaunts, whether or not to the Italian coast or a pub beer backyard. Usually constructed from a wool or cotton mix, which helps smarten up the model, they offer off a mid-century vibe that works properly with pleated chinos, shorts or denims, in addition to loafers and minimal sneakers.

Figuring out this properly, Percival produces probably the greatest collections of knitted polos in the marketplace, with designs starting from vibrant stripes to tonal prints and all the pieces in between.

Buy now at Percival

Fred Perry

British heritage model Fred Perry is a lot greater than only a tennis clothes firm. This can be a label that has underpinned numerous youth subcultures, turning into nothing wanting iconic within the course of.

The Fred Perry polo shirt isn’t only a sporting staple however a counter-culture icon. Uniform for the mods, punks, skinheads and past, it’s a garment steeped in historical past and a worthwhile asset in any man’s wardrobe.

Buy now at END.

A Day’s March

What’s a polo shirt if not a timeless important? And A Day’s March is a specialist in these varieties of clothes.

With its elevated tackle traditional wardrobe fundamentals, the Scandi model is a one-stop store in your each day necessities, polo shirts included. Count on a extra refined tackle this summer season staple, reimagined in premium, tactile materials like merino and terry fabric and ethically produced to the best commonplace.

Buy now at A Day’s March

James Perse

Closely influenced by the laid-back vibes of America’s West Coast, James Perse’s distinctive knack for merging informal styling with luxurious is unmatched.

Recognized for his high-end, plain T-shirts and different premium staples, the polo shirt makes an apparent addition to Perse’s squeaky-clean seasonal collections.

Buy now at James Perse

Lacoste

Rene Lacoste’s eponymous label has been instrumental in getting the polo shirt to the place it’s at present.

The French model’s crocodile brand has change into emblematic of crisp, European cool and slick, sporty model. The unique, arguably one of the best and an simple must-have merchandise for any self-respecting trendy gent.

Buy now at END.

Reiss

Utilizing their signature mix of traditional and up to date, high-street favorite Reiss manages brings the timeless polo bang updated through fashionable fabrications and detailing akin to zipped and open collars.

The British model’s knitted and patterned designs are noteworthy and assist raise the polo into statement-piece territory.

Buy now at Reiss

Orlebar Brown

Poolside hasn’t all the time been the simplest place to make a method assertion. However Orlebar Brown’s model of luxurious resortwear has made the entire thing loads simpler.

The British label’s easy but trendy polos enable for optimum beach-to-bar potential. Good sufficient for a night drink, but relaxed sufficient for a stroll alongside the shoreline.

Buy now at Orlebar Brown

Uniqlo

Japanese retailer Uniqlo is famend for its fabrications. It makes use of its manufacturing capabilities and substantial shopping for energy to supply high-end supplies for a fraction of the price of luxurious manufacturers. You possibly can count on supremely snug pique cotton, refined merino wool, sweat-wicking Dry-Ex, and its trademark odour-neutralising, quick-drying Airism cloth.

And one of the best half? All of those might be had for beneath £35. Top off.

Buy now at Uniqlo

John Smedley

From rock ‘n’ roll royalty to James Bond himself, John Smedley has lengthy been kitting the model elite out in among the best knitwear cash can purchase.

Why are you studying about it in a roundup of polo shirts? Nicely, the British clothing store’s output doesn’t finish at cardigans and crew necks; there are additionally some tailoring-friendly knitted variations on provide. Count on fine-gauge knits, premium supplies and a form-hugging match that’s second to none.

Buy now at FarFetch

Sunspel

Typically, much less actually is extra, and no label gives extra concrete proof than Sunspel.

The British fundamentals model has carved out a distinct segment for itself because the premier purveyor of stripped-back luxurious – the straightforward issues carried out properly. And polo shirts are definitely no exception.

Buy now at MATCHESFASHION

Brunello Cucinelli

King Of Cashmere, Brunello Cucinelli made a reputation for crafting vibrant sweaters. Immediately, his namesake label is recognised for its ultra-luxe aesthetic, trendy suiting and upscale informal put on.

The latter is the place the polo shirt finds its pure residence. Cucinelli’s polos are unrivalled in luxurious – boasting high-end fabrication and development, slick cuts and a wholesome dose of Italian aptitude.

Buy now at FarFetch