For the polo shirt being such a basic staple of men’s style, there sure are a lot of crappy ones out there. Whether they’re old man sweatshirt-thick boxy pique golf shirts, or goofball-young-guy polos emblazoned with enormous logos, a lot can go “wrong” on the humble polo shirt. Below is the best of the reasonably affordable crop from this year. All polos shown are size medium on a 5’10” 180 lb frame unless otherwise stated.
GAP Mini Stripe Jersey Polo – $13.19
w/ LUCK ($29.95)
The color online says this is “red stripe” but it seemed to look much more orange and blue (War Eagle?) in person. 100% cotton, super soft, and that mini stripe has a bit of a retro thing going on too. Nicely cut through the sides. A little long, but not terrible. Placket has a nice bit of contrast too. Code LUCK is good for 40% off through today, 4/28/
UNIQLO Dri-Fit Button Down collar in Solid or Stripe – $22.90
Yep. Polo under a blazer. Keep it a cotton or linen blazer, and wear it with jeans or with some laid back chinos. As long as everything fits right, it can look pretty dashing. And the buttons on the collar help keep this polo from smushing out underneath the blazer’s lapels. Fabric is a pique-like, but super lightweight Cotton / Poly blend that really does help keep you cool and dry. There’s a bit of texture to the fabric too, so it won’t look like a short-sleeve poplin dress shirt. Fit is decently trim through the sides. (Blazer by J. Crew, Sunglasses by Warby Parker)
Target Mossimo Athletic Fit 2-Button Polos – $14.99
Again, these are NOT the exact same Mossimo 60% cotton / 40% poly jersey polos they were selling a few years back. Now, the good news: they’re still pretty darn good for ten bucks. Aside from the pocket, the other major differences from the old, well loved version would be a slightly heavier, ribbed material at the collar and cuffs. The previous 60/40 incarnation didn’t have that. Fit is still nice and trim.
Target Mossimo Slim Fit 60% Cotton / 40% Poly 4-button Polo – $17.99
“Not sold in stores”? Hogwash! They do seem to have trickled into some brick & mortars. And no, these ALSO aren’t a resurrection of the Mossimo Athletic 60/40 polos from the past few years. A little more polished than the chest-pocket option, but still casual. They’re not as thin as you’d think, with a small amount of slub to the weave… but they still feel really good on. Nice amount of stretch with these things too. Buttons are kinda crappy, but these should dip to the low double digits with sales.
Original Penguin 2.0 in Heritage Slim Fit – $41.30
w/ SPRING30 ($59)
Compared to the original, this one has more narrow/shortened collar points, while also shortening the placket. Sorta streamlines the look. Same great heritage slim fit. Fun for sure, with the piping and penguin.
H&M “Fine Stretch” Cotton Polo – $12.95
The best of the ultra-affordable. 95% cotton, 5% elastane. Nice depth to the three button placket. Super stretchy, very basic, and very… thin. It’s H&M, so quality is going to be hit & miss, but while this holds up (who knows, it might hold up for awhile?) it’ll be a favorite for many.
Billy Reid “Pensacola” Polo – $44.00 ($88)
They’re not cheap, even when on sale, but Billy Reid’s knits really do feel a cut above in terms of quality. Real mother of pearl buttons, cotton sheeting on the placket, collar band, and under collar give it a little more structure, and they’re cut from 100% jersey cotton. Made in Peru.
Michael Bastian x UNIQLO Thin Stripe or Blocked Johnny Collar Polos – $22.90
Lots of 70s influence in the greater men’s style world lately, and these are included in that trend. Not the best idea if you’re pasty, have a good amount of chest hair, or both. Them plackets don’t close fellas. Still, great looking color & stripe combos on these things.
Kohl’s Apt. 9 Trim Fit Polos – $12.99 ($30)
NOTE: Consider sizing down (that green on the left is a small… blue on the right is a medium). Yes indeed. Kohl’s. Just because some stores don’t get a lot of play here on this website doesn’t mean they’re not being scouted with some regularity. And here it’s paying off. These Apt 9 solid trim-fit polos are a nice medium weight, smooth cotton (not spongy pique) and they have a better than decent fit off the rack. They feel well constructed too. Not flimsy. Tons of colors to pick from.
B.R. Luxe Touch Contrast Trim Polo – $29.70 w/ BRRAIN ($49.50)
Little bit of Mad-Men retro style going on here without going over the top. Cut in their super-stupid-crazy-smooth luxe cotton. Always on sale. Some guys size down in the luxe-touch polos, but the size shown above is a medium and seemed to fit quite well. Easy to dress up or down. First mentioned over here. NOTE: That “BRRAIN” code is tricky. Looks like it’s a select customers dohickey. So, not everyone is gonna get 40% off. Some will get 30% off, some will get 35% off.
Bonobos Pique Slim Colorblock in green/white/navy or navy/white/pink – $30.40* ($68)
Not the cheapest of the bunch, but they’re slimmed down through the sides, execute the color blocking thing well, and ship & return free since it’s Bonobos. * You’ll need the extra 20% off sale items code SALEAWAY for this price.
B.R. Luxe-Touch Solid – $26.70 or Rugby Stripe – $29.70 w/ BRRAIN
Worth mentioning that these super-smooth polos come in a bunch of different styles. Solids are basic, but good to have on hand. The rugby stripes are a bit more casual. Collar on these is pretty spread. If you’re inbetween a size, consider sizing down. Meanwhile, they call the polo on the right their “Luxe-Touch Vertical Rugby-Stripe Polo.” Now, yes, the stripes are stacked one on top of each other, in a vertical fashion… but wouldn’t you call those horizontal stripes?
GAP Heathered Contrast Placket Polo – $12.59
w/ LUCK ($29.95)
60% cotton / 40% polyester. Marled/heathered so the base is a dark grey with flecks of white in there. More casual that most on this list. A nice replacement when a t-shirt seems a little too grungy. All but sold out online, but they seem to still be kicking around in brick & mortars.
USMNT World Cup “Home” Soccer Jersey – $89.99
Less is more? “It looks like a golf shirt” … So what? It’s light years ahead of the NBA’s attempt to sell sleeved jerseys. And unlike a hockey or football jersey, you won’t be swimming in this one. Sure, the crest is looking very early 90s lately… and you can’t be hittin’ the chips and salsa while wearing this… and…. SHUTUP ‘MURICA YEAH SOCCER WOOOOO!!! (Here’s to hoping it’s not too brutal of an exit for team USA in Brazil this summer)
Your turn guys. What’s your favorite polo that’s still available for purchase? For the record, a bunch of stores were visited w/out much luck. Macy’s, J. Crew, Express, Nordstrom Rack, Old Navy, JC Penney, and more came up dry this year (either in terms of style, or price).
Joe, any thoughts on all of the preppy brands out there–e.g., Vineyard Vines, Lacoste, Southern Tide. Personally, I’m a big fan of Southern Tide polos. They claim to not shrink and to be “the perfect polo.” The guy who started that company went to my alma mater. Without a doubt, they’re expensive but I do enjoy them.
By the way if you support a white jersey team (I support England myself) the away colours are always an option. I wear my red away jersey more than my white home
A polo rundown can not be complete without a mention of Criquet Shirts. Some of the best fitting, softest polos I have ever worn, and they have a great vintage look.
A focus on some non-mainstream brands would be nice as well.
I see Joe has bought his annual tickets to the gun show early this Spring.
Bought the Banana Republic Luxe Touch Contrast Trim Polo last post. They are fantastic and the fabric is amazing. Love Banana’s Luxe touch polos.
Steven,
http://www.criquetshirts.com/men/classic-stripe-blue-with-red/
I just googled this. But the image doesn’t look that great fitting at all
$75-78 for a polo is hardly affordable (in the context of the rest of the offerings in this rundown)
I know you aren’t a huge fan of the traditional pique but I picked one up at JCF a few weeks ago during a sale for under $20 and the slim fit seems to do the job for me.
You get a pretty crazy (I’d say unjustified) markup on all 3, and of course the logo flare. If you want to advertise for a particular brand, its the way to go. If you just want to look good and feel comfortable, you can do it for a lot less. If you are paying more than Billy Reid charges for something, and it is made in southeast Asia, you are probably being over-charged.
Whatever Billy Reid is paying their photog, it isn’t enough. Those polos look amazing.
Those Original Penguin ones makes me feel like I’m watching Tron.
If team polos are your thing, Canterbury’s are well-fitting and well-constructed. Logos are a little big, but sometimes that’s sort of the point. http://www.canterbury.com/polos-c15#page1:infscr20019
They often run sales and for an extra $20 over the more expensive offerings here I can tell you that they are well worth it. They have a discount code if you sign up and buy your first shirt.
I don’t have any skin ion the game, but wanted to pass along a great alternative to the offerings here.
It looks like the model would have benefited from sizing down. I sized down and they fit great.
I tried one of those BR luxe touch polos on in store and it was great. Will definitely be picking one up. I like the pocket for sunglasses. It looks like target has some good options, I will have to check them out.
Also, in response to the “war eagle” at the begining of the article, Roll Tide!
Anyone else besides Uniqlo doing an affordable button-down collar polo?
“Not the best idea if you’re pasty, have a good amount of chest hair, or both.”
I’m out.
Any recommendations for long sleeve options?
I actually like pique polos better than jersey from coolness perspective. The pique fabric has lots of microholes that ventilate better than jersey fabric.
I’ve noticed that Land’s End as a new slimmer than their tailored fit fit (I think they call it slim fit) in their polos. Has anyone had any experience with that fit? If it’s actually slim fitting those might be a really good deal.
I used to wear the BR polos a few years ago, but I found that the sleeve was a bit too short for me. Plus, if you have any sort of build in your biceps/triceps, the sleeve quickly rides up into the underarm.
Yep. Same here.
http://images.wildammo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/WaldenWorkout.gif
Fellow Englishman here… Can agree with this wholeheartedly.
I’m #jelly.
Not sure on the button-down polo, but J Crew offers those funky button-down Popovers. Just different enough?
Ah, that almost does it, but don’t those run around $80? Which is craziness. I had my eye on a L/S popover at Brooks Bros that was crazy on sale, but couldn’t track down my size.
I’m a big fan of Target’s C9 golf polos. They hit all the marks: fitted (size down), lightweight/breathable, excellent collar, and inexpensive (under $20).
They have both a pique-type fabric as well as an Under Armor-type slick fabric.
New stripes for 2014: http://www.target.com/p/c9-by-champion-men-s-striped-golf-polo/-/A-15129570#prodSlot=medium_1_2
The short sleeve variants start around $60, but they’re always on some sort of sale. Right now, select styles are 30% off.
Frank and Oak does – they are on super sale now too ($14). I usually don’t do polos but I picked one up to see.
Hmm, I never noticed they were button-down before. The collars still seem super weird there, though. Like the button-down doesn’t give you the collar roll effect that a normal dress shirt does, but instead just locks the collars in normal polo position. I like the collar roll of the Uniqlo polos as something to wear under a blazer.
Gotcha, I gotta take another look!
Wow, so glad this is here. I was really starting to become disenfranchised with polos but glad to see there are so many affordable options out there, especially ones with 4 buttons or deep plackets. My only wish is that this came back in January when it started hitting 80 in FL.
I have the exact same problem, but I attribute it to the sleeves being a bit long. Since they try to cover the largest part of the bicep, they tend to ride up. If they were a bit shorter, they wouldn’t as much. One of the best things i found about the KW polos is the short sleeves, they didn’t ride up on me at all. Just too bad their fit is so straight, they don’t work well for athletic physiques.
I’d be careful with a 60-40 cotton poly blend if you live in a hot area. I live in DC, and have a t-shirt with that mix of cotton and polyester (it’s a vintage-inspired Briggs Stadium tee – I’m a Tigers fan) and it gets really hot in direct sunlight – much hotter than a 100% cotton tee.
I am not so sure either – that’s why I got it on sale just to check it out. I generally like slim or button down collars to prevent the Saturday Night Fever look the old guys at the office have.
Can’t say enough good things about the Mossimo Athletic Fit 2 Button polo. I snagged one in the store to see how I liked it, then went online and bought them in every other color (except red because I don’t like red).
Fit and fabric are great for me, and you can’t beat the price.
UQ button down collar ftw, fabric is awesome as well.
Any word on the sizing of the Uniqlo button-downs? It seamed like the Michael Bastian polos from last year ran significantly smaller than their OCBDs, for example. I know that Uniqlo sizing tends to be all over the map in general though.
Wow quite a selection, I have a few of the mossimo 2 button ones and they’re nice, looks like that light blue isn’t bad
try Perry Elis, while the brand doesn’t connote the same air of luxury it did pre 1990, the materials and construction are top notch for the price.
The only one worth it’s price is the Lacoste. Even with the logo the type of cotton used and the stitching is better than the others. The others need to be left for frat boys who refuse to grow up.
Hey Mark,
I bought three of the new Supima Slim Fit Polos.
They’re quite good so far. Supima cotton feels great, interlock-like material, and the fit is like RL Custom Fit. Has under-collar etc, a la Kent Wang polos etc, so works well with Blazer/Sportcoats
Apt. 9.
Kohl’s polos are cool. The slim fit polo fit me the same way the regular fit polos fit me. The colors and quality are good, but I would advise anyone looking for slim fits polos to avoid Apt. 9 polos.
they fit well. even the regular fit ones, once you size down, fits decent too, but those have very smooth poly feel, not my taste.
Joe, what’s the watch being worn here?
Right next to the Apt 9 polos in Khols are the Marc Anthony polos. They’re inexpensive, usually on sale for $24.95, and they fit much better. Not cheap feeling, very similar look to the Apt 9, and good color options.
I found these to be quite a nice fit and insanely inexpensive over the weekend at Old Navy. Made me think of Daniel Craig bond
http://m.oldnavy.gap.com/product.html?dn=op939357032&dv=1&shopid=1&pdn=oc5256
For the golfers out there: H&M’s “fine stretch’ cotton polo is the FIRST and BEST polo I’ve tried (and I’ve tried quite a few) to not come untucked after a couple of golf swings. I highly recommend them. I’ve finally fixed a problem that I’ve had for years with a polo that is extremely affordable — AND I’m able to get other uses out of it by wearing it with jeans, chinos, or even trousers. TIP: Remove them from the store hanger ASAP and never hang again to eliminate those stretched out points in the shoulders.
If you do plan on getting them, op for the Slim Fit. The Regular/Relaxed is too baggy. It’s the Souther Prep style, but not very stylish.
Is there an ideal body length for Polos? Is it similar to untucked OCBDs (midway between fly)? I’m 5’8″ and a little overweight, so most size M end up a little long for me. Thanks!
Joe, The first GAP mini stripe, what size are you wearing?? Its welcome when you post the size shown
“All polos shown are size medium on a 5’10″ 180 lb frame unless otherwise stated”
WAR EAGLE!