Polos, the tee shirts older cousin. A great piece to have in your closet for all occasions is a polo guys. The way that I see a polo is something like I need to go out I don’t want to be too casual and not to formal. I found that this piece is so vital to a mans wardrobe that I decided to pull off 3 looks, in 3 different formalities to show its importance.
History
As you all know I like a little of history, and the polo is no different. The polo came to be from the actual game of polo, and originally it wasn’t short sleeved it was actually long sleeved and of heavy fabric. Not until Lacoste came around and changed the game by making it short sleeved and of pique fabric (which is what we have now). Until the beginning of 20th century polo players wore thick long-sleeve shirts made of Oxford-cloth cotton.This shirt was the first to have a buttoned-down collar, which polo players invented in the late 19th century to keep their collars from flapping in the wind (Brooks Brothers' early president, John Brooks, noticed this while at a polo match in England and began producing such a shirt in 1896).(Wikipedia)
Now before we get into it, this blog is sponsored by my good friends over at Mio Marino, they sent me their short sleeve designer polo which is killer it is, durable polyester & spandex blend. Breathable, lightweight design. Anti-rolling banded cuffs & collar, and Moisture-wicking technology. I highly recommend it gents. Pick yours up here.
Now that we have th history, let’s dive into these looks.
As always the looks go from formal to casual.
FORMAL (Kinda)
Now before you guys cut my head off telling me that this isn’t right due to formalities, I want to just mention, it doesn’t matter. This is just the way that I see you can dress up a polo shirt. I decided to style it very formal casual if you will. I put on an unconstructed blazer and a pair of pants along with some double monks. Now this look is simple and elegant too, you can wear this to different events or even get away with it somewhere more formal. This look is perfect to keep cool especially during warm weather. This is also a good choice for gents that don’t like to put on a tie but still want a collared look.
Get this look:
Blazer (similar): Uniqlo
Pants: Combatant Gent
Shoes: Express
Smart Casual
This is perhaps my favorite way to pair a polo, a lightweight jacket, a pair of chinos and some loafers. This look is perfect for a night out with friends at a bar or even to work if it allows. Wearing a light jacket is a great way to spice up any outfit, but I also spiced it up with some purple chinos, yes, purple chinos. Because its a white polo its good to wear colors around it. If your wearing a different color then I would recommend to do the opposite, keep everything else neutral and let the polo color do all the talking.
Get this look:
Jacket: Bespoke Post
Chinos (similar): Club Monaco
Loafers: Mio Marino
Casual
The simplest way to wear a polo is just on its own with a pair of jeans. Now you could also wear these with a great pair of shorts for summer as well but I dont wear shorts all that often so I went with a pair of denim. As you can see there is nothing all that special about the look but the shoes make it up. I threw on these sneakers (also by Mio Marino), and it adds a good amount of umph to the outfit. Keeping it simple is probably the best way to rock anything. This is a great look for running errands, Sunday mornings, casual work looks (tuck in the polo) etc. This is like my leasure look when I don’t want to get all that dapper.
Get this look:
Denim: DSTLD
Kicks: Mio Marino
Now I know that there are probably more than 3 ways to wear a polo but these are just mine. You can combine these endlessly. Moreover, I think that a polo is just a great style staple for any gent to have, its super easy to combine with stuff and you don’t have to think twice. I hope you guys enjoyed these looks! Make sure you guys like, comment and share.
-Mr.Martinez