Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. In today's video, we're
going to look at the knitted polo shirt or polo sweater, and ask if
it is a timeless piece or if it's going to just unravel and be a trend.
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Now, if you're anything like us here at the Gentleman's Gazette, you're keeping
up to date on all the latest menswear trends. After all, there is a difference between classic
style and vintage style, and you might find an item that is in its very infancy of becoming a
classic style piece. Recent years have seen the soaring interest of wearing a sweater or knit
polo shirts, and they're often paired with other trendy items, such as gurkhas. Now, we've
already placed our stamp on whether gurkhas are timeless or a trend. No, not the soldiers; [Kyle screaming]
the trousers. [Kyle coughing]
And if you want to see more on that video, you can check that out here,
but today we're going to look at the top half of one's outfit and look at the polo shirt or polo
sweater, and ask if it's a timeless piece or just a trend. But before we can answer that question,
we have to ask: what is a knitted polo? So, somewhat unsurprisingly, the sweater or the knitted polo is
a garment that is knitted together with materials you would typically find in a sweater, but with a
polo type collar. So, this means, it'll have a short body, typically short sleeves, although
it can have long, and a collar. This makes it look different from a knitted T-shirt. They may or may
not have a complete opening in the front, or just a pop-over style. So, for the sake of
this video, we're going to refer to all of these as knitted polos, and if you have any complaints
about how we name them, or what we call them, list them in the comments below. Now, the thing that
differentiates a knitted polo from a regular polo is the lack of cotton. The main characteristic is
that they're typically made of materials that you would find in a traditional sweater; things
like Merino wool or cashmere. And cotton could be seen as a blend in these shirts, but is typically
not the main material, and at this point you might be wondering, why is wool used? I mean,
after all, it's scratchy; it's uncomfortable, like why would you do that? And while that might be the
case for lambswool, Merino wool actually possesses naturally stretchy, lightweight properties and is
great at regulating temperature. This is why, for example, some people swear by Merino wool
socks. Now, you know here at GG we are all about the comfort of our cotton socks, but
Merino wool is unbeaten when it comes to things like polos or sweaters. Silk is very similar in
terms of temperature regulation, but it isn't as stretchy or as elastic as wool is, therefore,
you commonly see these two as a blend; Merino and silk. This way, you get the balance between luxury
and practicality. Silk production can actually be quite fascinating, and you can learn more
about that here. And let us know if you'd like to know more about Merino down in the comments.
We thought it was very important to make this clear that there is a difference between this
and another type of polo that's been very popular, which is the toweling or terry cloth polo. These
polos are typically made from a chunkier toweling cloth. Hence, the name terry cloth polo, and although
they aren't technically knitted, they look and are made in a very similar way to the knitted
polo shirt. Now, with all the technical aspects out of the way, let's dive into the history of
this garment. Now, if you're a regular on our channel, you'll know that several years ago, we did a review
and looked at the history of the Lacoste polo shirt, and if you haven't seen this video, we
would highly recommend it. In this video, Raphael does a deep dive on how the polo shirt came to be,
but since we need to have a little bit of history in this video, and we don't want you jumping back
and forth between the two videos, I'll give you a spoiler and say that polo shirts began to exist
in the 1920s and 30s. However, these polo shirts were made from pique cotton. This particular weave
of cotton allowed for more flexibility and breathability, which is perfect for playing
sports in. Yeah, that might look stylish, but I would never play tennis in an outfit like that.
So, as the popularity of the polo shirt began to rise, people began to experiment with making them
in different materials. Where pique is a complex weave to manufacture, in order to give cotton
elasticity, certain types of wool were already prized for their natural stretchiness. They can
be knitted in a much simpler flat stitch, making it quicker and easier to produce. Therefore, knitted
polo shirts really gained in popularity in the 30s and 40s, as people began to wear them away from the
tennis courts. They were also especially present in the illustrations by famous menswear artist,
Lawrence Fellows. And, once again, the interest in knitted polos continue to rise. In the 1950s, the
knitted polo shirts popularity just continued to soar, and you can see this played out on the
silver screen in The Talented Mr. Ripley. We did a "Menswear Reacts" to this video; you can check that
out here. And even though this was made in 1999, the costume department put a lot of effort into
what was worn, which you can see by looking at other movies that came out in the 1950s and 60s,
like 1963's Any Number Can Win. This is also when the Aloha Friday Trend began to happen, which was
the precursor to casual Fridays. And this is also a potential reason as to why society dresses much
more casually nowadays. Incorporating knit polos into their own outfits allow people to relax, not
only on the weekend, but in the office as well. Knit polos are more casual, but the fact that
they possess a collar and buttons make them a lot more dressed up than the typical T-shirt, which is
a winning combination. But unfortunately, like many things when it comes to menswear, knit polos fell
out a favor in the 80s and 90s. And although these 80s and 90s knit polos were inspired from those
of yesteryear, oftentimes, they were portrayed in really drab colors and boxy fits, like those
associated with FRIENDS character Chandler Bing. So, because of this, in the 80s and 90s, it's only
natural that knit polos were not very popular for much of the 21st century, but in recent years, has
seen a lot of the styles of the 50s comeback through modern wearability. Much the same as
previous decades, today's film stars are giving the knit polo a boost in popularity. For example, Daniel
Craig's knit polo in Spectre was a much talked about element of his hot weather wear when James
Bond was in Morocco. As was much of James Bond's wardrobe, this piece came from Tong Ford and was
960 dollars. Moving on... Okay, since we've discussed what knit polos are and the history behind them,
let's talk about how to wear them. First things first, get the fit right. You don't want a piece
like this to look baggy, but on the other end of the spectrum, we also don't want this piece to be
too tight. Even though the materials in a knit Polo will differ from a cotton polo, you really
should strive to have the fit be the same. And if you're confused about polo shirt fit, you can
check out our guide here, where Raphael goes into how a polo shirt should fit. For another
general tip, go with solid colors. One of the things that dates many of the knit polos are
stripes and color blocking. Again, refer back to Chandler Bing. If you buy something with a
lot of color and pattern, you can very quickly look like you're wearing a bowling shirt, or a
bad 1970s costume. Therefore, it's best to pick a solid color, where you can showcase the knitted
material. And much like other knitted garments like sweaters, a classic cable knit will look
a lot better than a bunch of wild patterns. As knitted polos do have a more Golden Age of
Menswear aesthetic, you might want to go all in and go with a complete vintage inspired
outfit. So, to make this look good without making it look like a costume, here's some advice to take.
Keep your polo tucked into your trousers. The trousers should be high-waisted with
deep pleats; think of something like Hollywood trousers or gurkha trousers. You can also add
in some casual footwear, like a pair of spectators or white bucks, and if you're feeling really brave
add in a blazer, and extra points if you put the polo collar over the lapels. And if you're really
feeling like topping it off, add it in an ascot. If you catch a polo solid in color, adding a little
splash around your neckline is a good touch here. And of course this vintage based ensemble might
not be for everyone, so let's consider how you can incorporate a knitted polo into a classic
look, full of understated elegance. Simple chinos will form the outfit nicely, or you can go with
a pair of gurkha trousers, but regardless, we suggest tucking the polo in. Also, keep in mind
that your chinos or gurkha trousers don't have to be as full of a cut to have a good look. But
at the same time, we also would advocate that you don't go for a skinny fit. A plain pair of Derby
shoes makes for a great pair of footwear, and avoid dark colors as they typically raise the formality
level. Instead, go for like a mid-brown. Instead of a sports jacket, go for a shawl-collared cardigan.
In this look, a structured sports jacket would just look way too formal, whereas the cardigan
looks a lot more relaxed. But don't worry, putting a knit polo with a knitted cardigan isn't like a
Canadian tuxedo, you can wear knit and knit. And if you're looking for a more contemporary or modern
take on this, we have you covered as well. Start by switching out the chinos for some sartorial
denim; a good pair of dark wash jeans that's cut to fit you is a great addition to keep your classic
wardrobe relevant. By choosing dark blue tones, your pants will look smart but not too stuffy. Adding
in some well-designed leather sneakers is the next step here. Look at that I did a Preston pun.
[Clip of Preston dancing to disco music]
Speaking of Preston, take his cordovan dress sneakers as a perfect example for the type of thing we're
talking about here. Simple, elegant, but spot on for contemporary styling. And for all of you in
the comments who hate sneakers, a classic penny loafer would look great here, too. An overshirt
or shacket would also round out the outfit nicely, giving you a little bit of utility
and some extra pockets. Again, a blazer or sports jacket would just be a little bit too formal, so
adding in an overshirt balances it out nicely. So, returning to the question of today's video, is
the knit polo shirt timeless or merely a trend? So, given everything that we've discussed today,
we are firmly in the camp that they are a timeless piece, if done correctly. After all,
we are fans of classic menswear, so we're very happy when a classic piece spikes in
popularity. But keep in mind, if you're adding one to your wardrobe, to add one that doesn't
get dated quickly. Focus on a great fit, simple style so you can transcend trends.
[Clip of a man getting mindblown]
As an added bonus, this sort of vintage trend seems to be in right now, so you also could
find ones that are gently used for a really great price. However, we would still recommend
that you buy something new, as they cut and the condition will last a lot longer than a vintage
piece. What are your thoughts on knitted polos? Is it something that you already own that you
wear every single day? We want to hear more about it down in the comments below. So, in
today's outfit, I have a classic business casual ensemble. I was going to wear a knitted polo, but
the one that we ordered was way too tight. So, instead, I'm wearing a blue and white striped
university Oxford cloth button-down shirt. It's made to measure by Proper Cloth. I have a simple
brown belt and some L.L. Bean tan chinos. My socks are our Fort Belvedere Prussian blue and gray
shadow stripes. On my feet is a pair of blue suede unlined Loro Piana Summer Walk loafers.
These are another piece that are very trendy right now. If you want to check out these socks,
or any of the other cool products we have over at Fort Belvedere, check out the link below. My
cologne today is one that I go with quite often. It is Aventus by Creed.
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