POLO SHIRT PERIODICAL

The Polo Shirt

The Polo Shirt is as versatile as it is cool in the heat, so as the mercury starts to rise, consider adding some fresh new Polo Shirts to your wardrobe rotation. Whether it is for your work, special event or casual outfit, Polo Shirts are a cool, casual, and versatile summer wardrobe essential.

The polo shirt was originally developed in India at the end of the nineteenth century, in order to meet the requirements of recreational horse riders, notably, for the sport of polo, from which the name is derived. Having been brought back from India to Britain, this new ‘outdoor activity’ shirt gained further popularity during the twentieth century as a garment for tennis, made famous by the French champion René Lacoste and furthermore, as golfing and cricket attire. In the 1970s, Ralph Lauren increased the popularity of the style by embracing it as a core component of his ‘up and coming’ fashion line. The allowance for movement from the knitted, Piqué cotton fabric, small collar and eventual transition to pull over rather than full button down, made it the obvious choice for the sportsman.

Bearing the distinguished history of the humble polo shirt in mind, consider ditching the worn and shapeless tee shirt for a polo, not only to raise the bar on a casual look, but also to address your more active side! So whether you are heading to the beach, catching up with friends, or off to a family barbeque, remember the polo was made to suit your active lifestyle with both comfort and panache.

Styling a polo shirt is easy. Standing between a tee and a button down shirt on the formality scale, substitute one for either of these other two options in order to hit that middle ground. Bold colours and designs are great on a summer’s day, whilst plain subdued tones make for a smart casual option in the evening.

Routleys presents an excellent selection of polo shirts from preppy stalwarts like Polo Ralph Lauren, Gant, Tommy Hilfiger, to contemporary fashion houses such as A Fish Named Fred, Ted Baker, NN07, Bugatti and many more. Whether you are into bold designs or block pastels, be sure to check out our collection, either in store or via our online boutique.