Polo Shirts for Summer 2007

  The thought of the classic polo shirt is always associated with the words − proper or uniform. The polo shirt is a topic that we haven’t touched on. In the past few years, the polo shirt has made attempts to come back into style, but there are only two kinds of polo shirts that made a name for themselves in stores. These two are the striped polo and the basic polo. Both of these shirts can we be worn as a “collectively cool” look. The most important thing to keep in mind when shopping for the polo shirt is to make sure you follow the same guidelines discussed in the original tee shirt article.

  Let’s begin with the striped polo. The name says it all. It is striped. How the stripes are designed is a whole other topic. Striped polo’s can be awful or amazing; its all in the design. Scotch and Soda (carried at Urban Outfitters) makes a great engineered striped polo called the “lurex”. Being engineered means that the stripes line up from the arm sleeves into the stripes on the body part of the shirt. This shirt has an earthy color in the background, which I highly recommend. The color scheme here is simple, and makes a statement, which is what you want to do with the polo. This way the stripes are more distinctive and it is almost impossible to go wrong with a color scheme. Another great example in a darker color scheme is the BC Ethic “punk” Polo. This polo takes a very simple approach again of a black background with white stripes. Add this all up with a vintage wash, and that is a great polo.

  The next kind of polo is a basic polo. The basic polo is usually brand driven. These polos are the more preppy polos that are worn casually cool. Lacoste, which is a French brand that made a splash a few years back, is still holding strong with their basic polo and their alligator symbol. This basic polo comes in a variety of colors, and can be found at the department stores and specialty stores. Another great basic polo brand is Penguin Clothing. Penguin also makes the basic polo with the penguin symbol on it. They make a great basic polo with no labeling and a very cool pocket on the upper left side called the “the jack”. Penguin polo shirts can not only be found at their own boutiques, but at other select stores. www.originalpenguin.com

  Polos are another item that can be added to your summer wardrobe to add style and variety all at once! You can swap styles through out the summer and go with the vintage style striped polo, then to the preppy cool polo. As long as you get the right fit and stick to simple colors, you are golden!

About the author:

  Rochel Friedlander has spent her last five years working in men’s fashion in New York City. Now living in Los Angeles, she continues to move forward in the fashion industry. During her sales experience, she has guided such retailers as Macys, Urban Outfitters, Atrium, E street denim, and National Jean Company to hit the right trends in the marketplace. Her knowledge of men’s fashion comes from her experience and extensive travel of the world. She has spent years living in London, England and toured through France, Australia, Greece, Italy, and many more countries. This has helped her understanding of European trends and how they are transposed into the North American market.