A true staple of any man’s wardrobe is the polo shirt. Golf polos are perfect for hitting the links, while a polo with a blazer can help you feel comfortable and confident in a casual business setting.
A polo falls somewhere between a dress shirt and a t-shirt. It’s a design that’s perfect for events that aren’t exactly formal but aren’t necessarily fully casual, either.
If you have a lot planned for the day or the evening, a polo offers the versatility you need to stay ready for anything while still looking your best. Knowing how to style your polo for different settings and how to pair it with other menswear essentials to create the perfect outfit is key. Here’s everything you need to know about styling your favorite polo shirts.
Polos of Every Kind
First, it’s important to understand that different types of polos are ideal for different settings. Your choice can depend on the fabric they’re made with, your plans, and a few other details.
Active
For polos you can wear during an active day, reach for your golf polos. They’re an excellent choice for a full 18 holes, the kids’ soccer practice, or even a day of running errands all over town. Search for a design made with lightweight, moisture-wicking fabric to keep you cool and permanent collar stays to ensure you always look your best.
Casual
Similarly, the perfect casual polo will also feature light, stretchy fabric. Look for a trim fit for a modern silhouette that’s still breathable and wrinkle resistant. These are the polos you want for kicking back on vacation or taking the family to a neighborhood barbecue on the weekend. Casual polos are also perfect for showing off your personality with fun prints and colors.
Office-Ready
If you’re looking for a polo you can count on for a day in the office, you need a design that can do it all: it’s lightweight, breathable, offers stretch, wicks away moisture, and looks a bit classier than your casual or more active polos. If you can almost taste the weekend and you’d prefer to keep it more casual than your usual mens collared shirt, an office-ready polo gets the job done.
To Tuck or Untuck
The right polo should feel as soft as your favorite t-shirt while still offering the put-together look you expect from a shirt with a collar. When you’re wearing a polo or a collared shirt, the question of whether to tuck your shirt plays a significant role in how you present yourself.
Remember, there’s a time and place for both. Tucking in your golf polos gives you a smart look on the fairway but can also give you full range of motion for a smooth swing. You might choose to leave your polo untucked for weekend brunch or any other relaxed environment.
You can even use the buttons on your polo to match your choice to tuck or stay untucked. Undoing all the buttons on a polo could be seen as sloppy. However, buttoning your shirt all the way up could be too stiff in a casual setting.
When in doubt, keep it simple. Find the perfect balance based on your plans, and rock your look with confidence.
Layered Styling
Layering is essential for staying comfortable throughout the spring. A classic layering technique is pairing your polo with a sweater or quarter zip to help you stay warm for an early tee time or your commute to the office.
For a classy, layered look, try pairing your polo with a quarter zip. Low-top sneakers and cropped pants complete this prep-inspired look, which has become a streetwear fixture in recent years.
Want to embody the classic style of Cary Grant and Fred Astaire? Grab a light bomber jacket, a polo, and some chinos. This outfit exudes mid-century appeal. Make it modern with a pair of sneakers. Choose a polo with an eye-catching pattern or color to really make a statement.
Styling In Summer
When you’re ready for some time in the sun this summer, break out your lighter-colored polos, such as gray, white, or stone. Your first instinct might be to wear a light polo with dark pants. You totally can, but if you want to shake things up, try cream or white chinos and a pair of leather sneakers.
The summer season is also the perfect time to break out your colorful and patterned polos. What better time to show off your personality than when the weather feels great and you’re looking forward to endless good times?
In a casual setting, an untucked polo with khaki or light-colored shorts, canvas sneakers, a nice watch, and a pair of aviators are perfect for capturing a casual yet elevated summer style. It’s classier than a t-shirt but avoids the stuffiness of a conventional dress shirt.
Mixing and Matching with a Blazer
Mixing and matching your polo with a blazer can be an inventive way to effortlessly boost your style in a slightly more formal setting. Choose a blazer that’s soft, relaxed, and unstructured—it’s the perfect choice for combining with the polo.
If you have meetings on your calendar but aren’t closing a big deal or sitting down with the leadership team, wear a polo with a navy blue blazer in place of a button-down shirt and tie.
Take color combinations into account, too. Wear light colors as a contrast to the dark tone of your navy blazer. Or choose a pattern that really pops under your jacket. You can even wear light-colored pants to complement your polo and enjoy a two-toned look.
When choosing a polo you can wear with a blazer, search for a design with a collar you can count on. Soft collars can rumple or collapse behind the collar of your jacket. But when the collar stays upright and peeks out the top of your jacket, you know you’ve found a winner.
Complete Your Outfit
No polo look is complete without the rest of your outfit to complement it and show off its best features. Canvas shoes are perfect for a summer dinner date, while loafers elevate your look. Shorts are perfect for a casual outfit, while chinos help you look classier.
The key is to determine the right choice based on your plans for the day. First, that means choosing the right type of polo as your foundation. Golf polos are great for a family day at the park or when you want to head straight from the office to a nearby golf course. A classy polo can take you from your final meeting of the day right to happy hour.
Once you have the right fit, it’s all about choosing the perfect pants, shorts, jackets, and accessories to get the most out of your polo look. A trendy watch, leather belt, and nice sunglasses are the perfect complement to tie everything together.
