Polo shirts have been receiving a lot of love from men of different generations, and rightfully so! As a clothing item, polo t-shirt falls somewhere between a formal button-up shirt and casual t-shirts. It is practically the go-to shirts for days when you are uncertain of what to wear. Unfortunately, polo shirt wearers have been associated with the negative connotation that they are lazy to get dressed up. This is especially unfair to those who regard ‘wearing polo’ as their way of dressing up. Surely this is not the case all the time, but if you play your cards right, you can definitely style your polo tee fashionably!
Technically, there are no wrong ways to don a certain clothing item. That’s why any type of fashion statement is allowed and (mostly) acceptable. However, if you are looking for ways you can give a stylish twist to your plain polo, we may know how you can do it. Let’s dive right into it!
Bottom
Before considering and adding other elements, the bottoms come first. What trousers will bring the best out of your polo mainly depends on what kind of look you are going for (casual, semi-formal, or formal) and the sleeves of your polo tees (long or short).
All kinds of polo shirts generally match well with trousers. When tucked in, a polo shirt easily gives off a formal and professional look. Of course, the cutting of the trousers matters. Stay away from super skinny, bootcut, or extremely loose fit. Go for a pair of tapered trousers. A tapered fit will look better since polo t-shirts generally stick closer to your body. If you choose fully skin-hugging fit trousers from the waist down, your outfit can lack balance. One piece of advice you can stick to is to pair one tight item with another less tight or loose item. For example, if your top is form-fitting, there should be an area of your trousers where the cutting is a bit loose – just a bit. This way, your clothes will work harmoniously together. In case you are considering any of the sloppy, washed-out, and ripped jeans, those should be avoided completely.
Would shorts look good with polo tee? You may think this pairing won’t work, but you can certainly rock shorts with polo tees. It creates a neat look, one you’d put on when you are joining some light recreational activities or attending a casual party by the beach. Complete the outfit with low socks and a pair of sneakers and voilà! You’ve made this combination much cooler than it already is. If you are going for a strolling-in-the-park casual look, pairing your polo shirt with a jogger will be a good idea as it matches both the outfit and the circumstance.
Footwear
For the most part, you would look better in your polo with fully-covered shoes. In a casual setting, you look smart by completing the look with a pair of sneakers or sports shoes. To look more formal, you can create a classy look with a pair of well-polished leather shoes. Pairing flip flops with polo shirts can make you appear sloppy and even lazier, and at this point, we are basically trying to battle against that perception.
Outerwear
You can style your polo tee with hoodies, but it may not be the best idea. The problem with hoodies is that it is already heavily-packed around the collar area. It has a hood and thus adding a collar under it will only make the area look ‘crowded’.
Pairing it with a round-neck pullover is fine, especially if you have a long-sleeved polo t-shirt on. Pull the sleeves and make a bit of the cuff visible under the sweater. For a V-neck pullover, you can leave the polo’s collar out. With a round-neck pullover, you can tuck in the edges of the collar to make the area neater.
Layering a thin sweater with zips on top of a polo tee may not give you the most attractive outcome. Plus, if you would be squeezing the polo sleeves inside the sweater, you will end up looking like a rugby player with those bulky upper parts of the arms.
Accessories
Remember the beach party look we were discussing before? If there are some accessories you could add to better the look, they would be a pair of sunglasses and a classic-looking hat. You’d want to ditch the snapback for this as that would cause a 180 degree turn on the whole outfit’s feels. Instead, grab a medium-sized hat in natural, earthy colour. Since this look is meant to portray minimalism, you might want to use a belt in the same colour as the sunglasses to minimise the amount of colours you are lumping together on your outfit.
Colours
We cannot end this article without mentioning the key in styling up polo shirts; colour coordination. This actually plays one of the most important roles to make all elements work in unison, which is why we save it for last. Still, we do not believe in being rigid or too restrictive when it comes to fashion.
All we can say is; make sure to balance out the colours between the shirt, trousers, and other accessories (if any). Polo shirts seldom come in pastel or light colours, but if you have one, rock it! Such colours match well with dark blue or dark brown trousers.
Now that you know how to dress up better with your polo tees, you should be even more thrilled to expand your polo tees collection! With Custom Prints & Apparels, you can design and create your own personalised polo t-shirts. Our polo tee Singapore printing is one of our most popular services among our clients. Apart from free printing consultation, we also offer free shipping and free design review. We would love to personally guide you in creating your own custom-made polo shirts, so just give us a call!
