It's a Polo Shirt Summer
Where T-shirts and tanks were once the obvious summertime go-to, they're being edged out by a semi-formal contender. Move over, tank tops. The polo shirt resurgence is here.
This was probably bound to happen as fashion went preppy again. However, this is not the polo shirt you were once forced to wear for school picture day.
These days, the polo shirt options are endless. Everyone's making their own polos and they're better than anything that came before.
Bottega Veneta does it in linen and Martine Rose goes all '90s oversized. Telfar's new polo collection retools the collared classic as conventional short-sleeved polos, backward styles (yes, backwards), and even long, roomy dresses.
Meanwhile, Miu Miu is quite literally the queen of polos, having sent several styles down the runway for the past few seasons. They're cut tight and short, often layered atop each other like undershirts gone overshirt.
Yes, the polo shirt has been around for years. It even had a mini-bump last year, when it was first reconsidered as a summertime staple.
But when you think of the polo shirt, it's hard not to picture the Ralph Lauren pony.
And with polos back in the spotlight, the OG brand is poised to rise.
The polo shirt comeback hits as demand is spiking for the Polo Ralph Lauren label as a whole, polos included.
The ever-stylish Lil Yachty has been pushing P (Polo) lately, getting fitted in rare vintage pieces from the American brand.
At the same time, Polo is buzzing on TikTok, both new and old.
As its signature piece gains ground, Polo Ralph Lauren has put a couple fresh spins on its polo.
For instance, while progressive collaborators retool the polo into something subtly wild, Ralph Lauren itself is serving up OG (but updated) iterations of the shirt, classically cool and utterly now.
The beauty of it all is that the polo shirt isn't quite a T-shirt nor a collared shirt. It's both and neither, something semi-classy but casual enough to be taken in any direction. It's suitable for summer, given the short sleeves, but the buttoned placket and slight collar lend it a trad edge that can then be warped with imaginative styling, OTT sizing, or more directional designer twists.
And, yes, with the sudden demand for preppish hats and leather loafers (or at least, loafer-ish shoes), the polo is sitting pretty.
Sounds like it'll be a polo shirt kind of summer.
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