Polo shirts are a pretty straightforward and easy to wear piece of men’s wear, but sometimes knowing how to pair a polo shirt with the rest of your outfit ensemble can be tricky business.
You want to be comfortable in your favorite polo shirt, but you also don’t want to fall into any common fashion faux pas. This article will give you some clear dos and don’ts for how to properly wear a men’s polo shirt.
Don’ts for Wearing a Men’s Polo Shirt
Don’t Pop The Collar
Popping the collar of your shirt has been shown as “cool” in many a highschool hallway, but more often than not, this style choice comes off as immature and ridiculous. Any adult sporting a popped collar is likely to be scoffed at rather than respected.
Don’t Layer Polo Shirts
Polo shirts are designed to have a close fit. While polo shirts should not be too tight, they should be fitted close enough to the body to not allow them to be worn over another shirt. Doing so would cause the materials to stretch and bulge in an unattractive manner.
Don’t Wear a Polo Shirt Under a Dress Jacket
While polo shirts can be worn to semi-formal occasions, they should not be worn under a blazer. The reason for this is that the soft collar of a polo shirt will not lay flat, so it will look inappropriate under a blazer collar. It is better for occasions that require a jacket to wear a formal shirt underneath.
Dos for Wearing a Men’s Polo Shirt
Do Ensure Your Polo Shirt Fits Properly
In order to look nice, a polo shirt needs to be well fitted to your size and height. Be sure when trying on a polo shirt that it does not hang down too far; the end of the shirt should land halfway down your butt at the longest. You should also make sure the shirt is loose enough to allow you full range of motion for your arms, but not so loose that it looks baggy or unkempt.
Do Buy Athletic Style Polo Shirts for Sporting Activities
Polo shirts have a long history of being worn as part of men’s athletic fashion. As the name suggests, they were first introduced as clothing for polo players, but since then they have also been an iconic part of athletic clothing for golfers, tennis players, and many other sporting gentlemen.
Experiment With Colors and Have Fun
Since polo shirts naturally have a mildly formal, official quality to them, it can be fun to mix up your style with different colors and cuts of polo shirts. Polo shirts come in many exciting, bold colors allowing you to express yourself and find the perfect polo shirt for any day.
Be Confident In Your Style
Now that you know some of the essential dos and don’ts of polo shirt etiquette, you are ready to confidently show off your men’s polo shirt style. You have the tools necessary to avoid embarrassing style slip ups, but just because there are some good rules to follow, doesn’t mean that you can’t be creative in how you dress.
The most important elements of any outfit you wear are that it serves its purpose and that you feel good in it. Styles shift as time goes on, but you are the one that has to wear your clothes and like how you look, so follow your intuition to look as good as you feel in a well-fitting men’s polo shirt.