To avoid missteps, check the following:
1
The polo shirt is an extremely connoted piece that can quickly make you switch to a "daddy's boy" or false "bad boy" style.
2
Originally used to protect the neck from the sun, the raised collar is nowadays very frowned upon, at your own risk...
3
The polo shirt being a sportswear-inspired piece, it must highlight your build. Concretely, the piece must outline your shoulder line without molding you, and obviously must not be too big. The sleeve should fit snugly across the bicep.
4
Avoid all fantasies! No bright colors, stripes or excessive logos. Stick to a sober, solid color here: white, heather gray and navy blue are excellent choices.
QUALITY CRITERIA
The material must be 100% natural, no exceptions allowed. The ribbed edges must be sewn neatly and must not curl. Check the strength and regularity of the overlock seams.
Finally, pay particular attention to the quality of the collar, which should be slightly stiff and thick. Nothing worse than a polo collar that cracks!
WHICH MODEL TO CHOOSE?
If the model popularized by Lacoste remains the market leader, many designer alternatives have appeared. Some dressier polo shirts, with deeper buttonholes and long sleeves, appeared at high-end blouse makers and designers like Marchand Drapier or G. Inglese.
WHAT MATERIAL TO CHOOSE?
If the most used material remains cotton pique at the entry level, all materials are allowed, including chambray, linen, silk and increasingly merino wool!
THE ORIGINS OF POLO
Chauvinist friends, this garment is typically French, its inventor is none other than the famous tennis player René Lacoste.
At the beginning of the 1920s, tennis was essentially an aristocratic sport; players only wore long-sleeved shirts.
Lacoste, then number one, invented a shirt with shortened sleeves and buttonholes, which he unveiled for the first time in 1926. The knit of this piece, a pique cotton jersey, absorbs perspiration better while being lighter and comfortable than period shirts.
Encountering significant success on the tennis courts, the polo shirt has become popular as a symbol of sporting success, part of a chic sportswear aesthetic tinged with preppy.
