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You don’t need us to tell you that a polo is a menswear staple, as looking in the closet of practically any man reveals this to be true. Thanks to the likes of John E. Brooks (of Brooks Brothers) and Jean René Lacoste (of, you guessed it, Lacoste) it’s a piece of clothing that many a men have come to rely on to make them look stylish and refined without much effort.
But there’s no season in which the importance of the polo is felt more than summer, when the often sweltering temperatures make looking put together a monumental feat. Yet the polo remains infallible in its ability to make you look calm, cool and collected even if you feel anything but.
So with summer in full swing, it’s time to up your polo game even more, preferably in fabrics and designs best suited to the season. To help ensure your closet is well stocked and to better help you avoid any wardrobe crises come 90 degree days, below we’ve detailed the 20 best pique, mesh, supima cotton and jersey polos, all equipped to help you look and feel cool this summer.
Pique
Lacoste Slim Fit Polo in Petit Piqué
No list of polos would be complete without one from the brand that started it all, Lacoste. The brand’s most famed polo, the Slim Fit, is made from 100% cotton petit piqué, designed by founded Rene Lacoste himself and featuring a weave composed of small cell-like designs to allow for breathability. Available in 57 different colors, it’s as classic as classic gets.
Bonobos Classic Pique Polo
Made from soft 100% Peruvian cotton piqué, this polo from Bonobos might look like your standard grey shirt, if you flip up the collar, you’ll find a contrasting color with tipping underneath, helping to add a little more personality.
Everlane Performance Polo
Eschew the more popular logo polos in favor of one that keeps it extremely simple, like Everlane’s Performance Polo. Wanting to offer the feel and comfort of technical fabric without the shiny look, the brand opted for a 2-way stretch pique fabric that’s sweat-wicking, quick-drying and odor resistant, all offered in a streamlined design that even includes a hidden button placket.
Todd Snyder Fine Pique Polo
True to Todd Snyder’s design ethos, the brand re-imagined the staple pique polo in a yarn-dyed, Turkish cotton-tencel blend complete with a three button placket and structured collar that will elevate your jeans and shorts or just as seamlessly pair underneath a blazer if the weather or occasion calls for it.
Uniqlo Dry Pique Short-Sleeve Polo Shirt
You can’t beat a $20 polo, especially one made using quick-drying DRY technology and featuring thinner ribbing on the cuffs to create a sleeker appearance.
Mesh
Mack Weldon Vesper Polo
Mack Weldon developed their micro mesh fabric by combing Pima cotton into fine threads and then blending it with lightweight modal in a micro-mesh construction, thus creating a polo that they’ve deemed the “softest, lightest, most breathable polo you’ll ever wear.” Available in 11 colors, two of which are patterned, we’d say it’s worth testing out and seeing if it lives up to the hype.
Sunspel Cotton Riviera Polo Shirt
Yes, you can now own the polo that the James Bond wore with Sunspel’s Riviera Polo Shirt. Tailored for Daniel Craig in the Bond film Casino Royale, the shirt doesn’t simply epitomize style but comfort too, made from a cotton mesh developed by Peter Hill (the grandson of Sunspel’s founder) who found cotton the usual pique stifling, resulting in a polo that’s refined, lightweight, breathable and a modern classic.
Ralph Lauren Iconic Mesh Polo Shirt
Ralph Lauren’s Mesh Polo has been icon since its release in 1972, continuing to remain a favorite thanks to its highly breathable cotton mesh, the honeycomb pattern from which it’s constructed conforming to the wearer’s body over time while the fabric will continue to develop a beautiful patina, making for a shirt that will be entirely unique to you.
Stüssy Burgundy Cable Mesh Polo
If you’re really looking to take the idea of a mesh polo seriously, we recommend this number from Stüssy, which features a visible mesh pattern that will allow for a slight glimpse of skin while the open collar silhouette adds a retro touch.
Rhone Delta Band Collar Polo
While this might not be a traditional polo but rather a band collar polo, Rhone’s version is still worth wearing thanks to the Polartec® Delta Lightweight pique mesh fabric with cooling yarn technology and GOLDFUSION Anti-Odor Technology that works to wick moisture. So if you’re really prone to the sweats, we recommend this one.
Supima Cotton
Brooks Brothers Slim Fit Stretch Supima® Cotton Performance Polo Shirt
If you’re looking for a polo that’s built to last, look no further than Brooks Brothers Supima Cotton Performance Polo Shirt, made from American-grown Supima cotton with just a hint of spandex that’s then finished with the brand’s signature performance treatment, working to help retain the shape and resist shrinking, fading and piling, so it will remain the same polo you know and love for years to come.
Flint and Tinder Supima Air Knit Polo
The secret to the softness behind Flint and Tinder’s Supima Air Knit Polo lies in the brand’s “Baby Jersey” knitting technique, which helps to further enhance the softness and airiness of the special and rare long-staple Supima cotton sourced from California’s San Joaquin Valley. Preshunk for an even better fit, there’s a reason Huckberry touts these as the softest and best-fitting shirts they’ve ever worn.
Banana Republic Authentic Polo
Banana Republic offers a more relaxed, casual take on the polo thanks to their garment-dyed cotton, which helps to lend the polo a slightly more faded and worn-in look.
Lands’ End Short-Sleeve Super Soft Supima Polo Shirt
One of the added benefits of supima cotton is that it continues to retain color despite even copious amounts of washing, which means this jewel-toned beauty from Lands’ End will continue to remain as vibrant as the day you got it.
Jersey
Billy Reid Garment Dyed Stripe Polo
This subtly-striped polo from Billy Reid is cut from an insanely soft jersey fabric made just for the brand and then garment-dyed to further increase the softness.
J.Crew Performance Jersey Polo Shirt
Offering the benefits of a performance polo without the sportier look, J.Crew’s Performance Jersey Polo is fit for a range of activities, whether that’s hitting a few golf balls or grabbing dinner with friends, the soft cotton blend helping to keep moisture at bay. Plus, the contrasting fabric along the four button placket helps it to stand out (but not too much) from other solid iterations.
James Perse Sueded Jersey Polo
Add a bit of texture to your outfits with this polo from James Perse crafted from sueded jersey. If you’re unfamiliar with the fabric, it’s essentially cotton that’s then treated (typically brushed) to give the appearance of suede, all while keeping the benefits of cotton.
Orvis Indigo-Dyed Polo Shirt
For those who can’t be bothered with breaking in a polo themselves, skip the process and snag this artfully faded and worn-in polo from Orvis. Using an exclusive vintage-wash process, the 5.9-oz. dyed jersey fabric is broken in from the first wear and will continue to fade and build character with each wear.
Alex Mill Standard Slub Cotton-Jersey Polo Shirt
One of Alex Mill’s best sellers for a reason, the Standard polo is constructed using the brand’s signature slub cotton-jersey that is then washed for added softness. We’re partial to this ‘Berry Red’ hue which will liven up even the most basic of jeans, shorts or chinos this summer.
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