Does your polo need a glow up?
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
For years, polos have effortlessly played the part of a simple, sober, smart-casual base layer – the plain foundations over which more exciting parts of the wardrobe can sit. Now, this once humble item is enjoying a glow-up, providing the visual spice to take centre stage. This is not the season for subdued, plain-hued jersey polos. Instead, look to stripes, prints, rich block colours and outrageously indulgent materials.
“We’re seeing luxury brands evolve the polo by experimenting with fabrication, pattern and construction,” says Mr Porter’s style director, Olie Arnold. “Most notably, knitted or cashmere and silk blends available from The Row, Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana. Italian label SSAM has an incredible brushed cashmere polo this season with a beautifully elevated, soft feel.”
A snazzy polo takes the pressure off the rest of your outfit. A textured waffle-knit simply needs tucking into a pair of sleeker, wider-leg jeans or pleated trousers and you’re good to go. “It offers a high-low approach to dressing,” continues Arnold. “It can dress down tailoring but can also help dress up sportswear looks too.”
There is fun to be had exploring the nuances. A textured or patchwork polo such as Isabel Marant’s will give a very different impression to something dark and moody from the likes of Loewe. Collars with buttons feel dressier than clean button-free styles, but are perhaps a little less louche.
Oliver Spencer has long offered luxe polo shirts as a cornerstone of his collections. To him, a short sleeve is preferable to a long sleeve, unless you plan to wear yours into the office. “It’s a short-sleeved garment,” he says emphatically. “The polo shouldn’t try to be something it’s not. It’s a hybrid garment that sits between T-shirts and knitwear, and that’s the genius of it. It’s part sportswear, part real clothing piece, and it has versatility written all over it.”
For SS24, Spencer’s polos come in terry cotton, or else in a thick, satisfying waffle knit. Brioni has also amped up the polo shirt’s texture, weaving polos in a thick ribbed cotton and wool blend, while Zegna’s have a slouchy, oversized fit and dramatic scooped V-necks. Back in the British camp, Connolly makes what it calls the Riviera polo shirt in finely knitted merino-wool horizontal stripes. In navy and cream, all a piece like this needs is a pair of well-cut, pleated navy chinos and some suede penny loafers.
“You should wear a polo with high-cut trousers,” Spencer advises. “It should be on the shorter side and sit above your hips, so you need trousers that will suit these proportions.” A polo worn with tailored shorts should follow the same principle. Says Spencer: “Once you start wearing it, you’ll never want to take it off.”
Casting, Teresa Salvatrice Martelli. Grooming, Claudia Coccoli using Mac Cosmetics. Photographer’s assistant, Emilio Garfath. Stylist’s assistant, Kirsty Henley. Special thanks, Anticàmera Location Agency
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