While not specifically designed for use by polo players, Lauren’s shirt imitated what by that time had become the normal attire for polo players. With the start of the tech industry and more offices adopting less formal work environments, polo shirts began to be worn as standard work apparel. Soon industry took notice, and the polo shirt was included in many trade and retail uniforms. Companies began to realize that they could easily brand the shirts and began to use them as a regulated uniform for their staff with logos branded on the sleeves, breast, collar, and back of the shirts.
Having the right shirt for the occasion is a must, but knowing what shirt to wear and when is not as clear-cut as many men would like it to be. Here are a few guidelines you can use to determine which shirt you should pull from your closet. Join our Polo Ralph Lauren t shirt email list and be the first to know about new products and special offers. Some fields and companies stick to the traditional, suit-and-tie look, while others are more flexible. That doesn’t exactly let you know what’s appropriate workwear, does it?
The original polo shirts were more like contemporary button down sport shirts. For this reason, Brooks Brothers markets its line of oxford cloth button down shirts as “Original Polo.” Over the latter half of the 20th century, as standard clothing in golf became more casual, the tennis shirt was adopted nearly universally as standard golf attire. Many golf courses and country clubs require players to wear golf shirts as a part of their dress code. Moreover, producing Lacoste’s “tennis shirt” in various golf cuts has resulted in specific designs of the tennis shirt for golf, resulting in the moniker golf shirt. There are good reasons to wear an undershirt in the summer and these reasons apply to polos and, forgive me, tee shirts as well as dress shirts.
Brooks Brothers still produces this style of button-down “polo shirt”. Still, like early tennis clothing, those clothes presented a discomfort on the field. Until the beginning of 20th century polo players wore thick long-sleeve shirts made of Oxford-cloth cotton. Nice guide, yet I thought long sleeves polo were considered as polo shirts too. I would never wear a short sleeves polo with a jacket, but a long sleeves one can look and feel really nice.
(I do not suffer from middle age dilusions, thank you!) It adds a bit of ‘flava’ to my look. (My personal style, I’ve developed and nurtured!) I believe, it makes me appear hip, not ‘square’ uptight, stodgy. Couple the look with fitted b- ball cap or with a summer straw or panama hat, worn ‘old school’ – flat brimmed, “acey-ducey”… the total look works!! As always, it pays to learn the rules and then break them.
With its crisp look and sophisticated wrinkles, it certainly adds another dimension, but it is also much rougher than cotton. As such, it is only recommended in blends if you want the crinkly linen look. It would be wrong to stipulate a rule never to tuck or untuck your polo shirt. With a pair of madras shorts, you don’t want to tuck them in, but with a pair of seersucker slacks or chinos, it will look better when it is tucked in.
For example, sport shirts tend to have more whimsical designs, and are therefore available in more color combinations and pattern choices. They often have detailed polo dress shirts features like pockets, and may be made from different fabrics such as denim. Sport shirts are typically worn in “business casual” settings, usually without a tie.