The polo shirt is just business enough to be business casual and just casual enough to wear to a beach-side bonfire. The trick is making sure you get one that doesn't make you look like a balloon. I love wearing polo shirts all the time, in fact I wear them more often than t-shirts. My wife even comments on how strange it is to see me in anything without a collar anymore. Don't be afraid, it really is a good thing. Today I'll show you how to find a polo that you'll look great it and will be as versatile as brown shoes (which you should read about in this blog:
Buying Fashionable Men's Shoes.)
Keep it Trim
One day I will write a blog that doesn't include something about fit...actually, probably not. But in this case, the fit of your polo will be the biggest thing that determines whether you look great or look like another guy wearing a polo 2 sizes two big. The sleeves should be a little short, just above the biggest part of your bicep. The sleeves should also be tight, not cutting-off-your-circulation tight but tight enough that they stretch a bit. Make sure that the fabric around your chest and waist is tailored well and does not bellow out. Tuck it in and look at the back in a mirror: does it puff out like a marshmallow? If it does then it's too big, get a size smaller or move on to a brand that knows how to cut a shirt correctly.
A Logo Does Not A Great Shirt Make
Everyone knows the Lacoste and Polo logos that get slapped onto countless polos, but these logos only mean one thing: you are wearing a billboard for that company. That's it. Just because something is made by a certain company does not mean it will fit you well, last long or look good. Simply, don't be impressed that there is an alligator on your shirt. And the bigger that logo is, the more you should avoid that polo. No one is impressed by the dude with the gigantic horse plastered across half his shirt. And if the polo that looks great doesn't have a logo, who cares? You certainly shouldn't.
Pop? You Should Not.
Okay, there is an argument that some would like to make about popping a polo collar coming from a tradition of sailors who wanted to keep the sun off of their necks. Great, next time you're at sea go ahead and flip your collar up. Otherwise, do everyone a favor and don't. It just makes you look like an east coast frat boy who's looking to show off his "killer keg stand." For an alternative point of view, check out this post from Of Rogues and Gentlemen:
To Pop or Stop. Let me know who you agree with!
Thanks for reading. As always,
be dapper.
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