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The first “polo” shirts were worn by 19th-century polo players, but while you likely picture a short-sleeved shirt when you think polo, they were always long-sleeved. The short-sleeve polo shirt as we know it today was actually made famous not by polo players but by tennis players. By the late 1920s, the polo shirt had gained widespread wear in the pro tennis community, largely thanks to its adoption by star player Jean René Lacoste. (Yes, that Lacoste, the crocodile logo brand.)
The retro “knit polo” is having a moment once again. While polo shirts have always been knit (not woven), what’s in style at the moment are polo shirts designed with visible texture and a soft-to-the-touch feel, which gives the sporty top a luxury appeal. If you want to feel great while looking great while playing tennis, sailing, or enjoying a luncheon, we’ve got you covered with an assortment of vintage-inspired knit polos for just about any occasion.
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Much like a good handshake or a dry martini, this cotton jersey knit polo from Buck Mason is always welcome at the party. A light but sweater-like polo, this shirt can be a great choice for layering with a tee underneath it or with a jacket worn over it. The yarn-dyed Italian Slub Linen is a fine shirt for summertime—especially for those summer nights— but it will also be an acceptable post-Labor Day garment.
Dandy Del Mar's Sebastian Knit Polo Shirt says "refined gentleman" without being too loud. Are you looking for that sophisticated, old-money appearance? Look no further than pretty much anything from Dandy Del Mar. It's giving "I spend my summers on an island in the Mediterranean that you've probably never heard of."
When we talked about grandpa’s shirt earlier? Yeah, this is the one you might not have been thinking of. It’s the shirt you can wear poolside or bar-side or downtown or uptown. It’s a shirt your grandkids will find in a big wooden chest some day and say: “Damn, Pop was hip!” The boldly colored and wildly textured shirt is made with a blend of cotton and silk (oh, yeah).
Soft to the touch, easy on the eyes, and somehow at once both eye-catching and completely refined, the Dandelions Polo from Percival is a perfect polo for the summer. Anyone with a decent eye for clothing will be able to tell that this is a well-made shirt. It’s knit from a cotton blend also incorporating several synthetic fibers that add a bit of stretch and motion. No matter day or night, this is going to be your summertime staple.
Madewell's Johny-Collar Knit is soft and loose and has a decidedly relaxed fit and feel; if you’re an old jeans and chucks kind of guy, then this is your polo shirt. Ditto if you’re a swim trunks and sandals guy. We can see it is classically missing some buttons on the collar to add some unique flow, but the textured fabric is the main draw here. This shirt will look like a well-loved standard piece of your wardrobe from the first time you wear it, and that’s not meant as a denigration.
If you wanted to know what cozy looks like, it looks like the Organic Cotton-Silk Polo Sweater shirt from Quince. Made with 55% mulberry silk and 45% organic cotton—which is wild, considering how affordable it is—this is one seriously soft, comfortable shirt that you will want to live in.
This luxuriously textured shirt is made from merino wool knit and rocks a retro-inspired johnny collar (meaning it’s free of buttons in the collar) with ribbed collar, arm brands, and hem. It will go perfect under a blazer for some upscale pop or stands out great with some jeans or trousers.
MORE FROM SCOUTED:
- This Short Sleeve Button-Down is Elevating My Entire Summer
- The Jacket You’d Want if You Were Lost in the Forest, or Just Walking Downtown
- Western Style is Here to Stay, So Saddle Up
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