Polo's, How Do You Feel About Them? - YouLookFab Forum

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Polo's, How Do You Feel About Them?

deb

Veteran

I have read for the past several months that polo shirts are making a comeback. I am not sure how I feel about them. I had a few in the 80's and wore them with kakis but am not into that look now. So If you were to purchase a polo shirt or tee, how would you style it?

56 replies

Latest reply was from texstyle

delurked

Veteran

Fine for others. A skip for me. I have never felt good in them, even back in the 80s. Then for a few years, I wore one as part of a work uniform. Even if fashion is a never say never, please take my temperature if I venture down the polo road. The funny thing is my DH lives in them.

Molly Mac

Veteran

I wore polo shirts in the 80's as a teenager and loved them. Now as I head toward the half century mark, I find they make me feel meh. I do have one I like because it is nipped in at the waist and it is 8 buttons. The extra buttons allow me to give the shirt a more Vneck fit which I prefer.

Sal

Veteran

I do have negative feelings about polos for me. The short sleeves, collar and often boxy or clingy fit make them quite unflattering on me.

They are also worn here as work or sports uniforms often in bad fabrics.

To make them modern I guess I would try bold or interesting colours?

Jon often wears one - quite close fitting - and to work. He can carry it off somehow.

JAileen

Veteran

Deb, whatever you do, don’t wear a red one to Target!

The Cat

Veteran

I'm also not sure. Like you, I wore some in the 80s. The collar made them look more dressy than tees, so I considered them OK for work. For many years now, I've seen them on men only. Interesting that they are making a comeback.

I own several regular tees. The plain solid ones are used as casual wear only, often with a scarf and worn with jeans, cardigans, loafers, etc.

I also have some nicer and more feminine tees, with embellishments or polkadots, and they are worn at work, with skirts, blazers/cardigans, ballet flats and a short necklace or perhaps a scarf (if not in conflict with the embellishment of the tee).

LaPed

Veteran

I find most of them pretty meh, but I'm always on the lookout for the right one: fitted, substantial cotton knit, funky stripes. Something more 70s than 80s. Haven't found it yet. What I am very fond of is rugby shirts, but again, haven't found quite the right one...

Anonymous

I won't be wearing them. My BF wears them every single day. I don't want us to become that couple that starts dressing and looking alike.

krishnidoux

Veteran

They say Never say never but at this point I really couldn't imagine how a polo could crowl its way back into any of my outfits. Even if I have started exploring rekindling with this old love (Preppyism), doing the polo with be a stretch for me.

Also, I notice some are cut in the worse, masculine, shapeless ways - especially those with hi-low hems where the side slit flap sadly at the side, sides already sadly flapping away far from your body and cutting it at a wrong height, so as not to cover crotch but hiding waist.
Others yet have a much better, feminine cut, and tend to show the waist and look good unbottoned with collar up.

deb

Veteran

MollyMac, what brand is your 8 button polo? That sounds interesting.

Janet, maybe I can earn some extra retirement income with a red one in target. Lol

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Personally I m not keen .I had to wear a polo shirt most of my working life and my daughter wears one as school uniform so to me they are quite a functional piece of clothing and not one I would choose to wear.

Anonymous

I just can't , sorry. Unless I'm on a golf course, they are just too Staples Copy Centre looking . I do think men can wear them a lot easier than women, for some reason. I buy my husb super bright colours from golf apparel lines in a silky jersey knit , and I think they look great for casual wear.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I had a huge collection of lacoste/izod in the 80s to go with my gloria vanderbilts. The polos were big at my prep school.

I read that they were making a comeback and bought one about a year ago. My daughter made so much fun of me.

My ex-husband always called polo shirts "employee shirts" and refused to wear one under any circumstances.

Cee

Veteran

I don't mind them, but I prefer crew or t'neck collars on my shirts.

Anonymous

Oh- yes, Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. Those were great !

Colette

Veteran

I wore my polos, way back when, with Levi's. I loved them and will always have a affinity for them but I don't wear them anymore. However, I still have an alligator in my closet ready for duty.

And like Sterling, my SO wears a polo almost every day in the summer and I really don't want to be THAT couple.

DonnaF

Veteran

I think I still have a black and white striped one that I never wear. My mom used to wear solid ones, and I had a complicated relationship with her. Thus, I cannot ever see myself wearing them, especially since I think they would also remind DH of her and she was not the kindest to him.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Never say never...but...am I allowed to whisper never?

jussie

Veteran

I’d consider it. I wore them a lot in the early 2000’s. As Krishnidoux mentioned some are cut in a very unflattering way but some are better.

kkards

Veteran

i may own 2 or 3... they may be part of my things i've owned more than 6 years.....i may have to wear one this summer....i can't guarantee that i will actually make it outside my house...

Echo

Veteran

I have very negative associations with them and I can confidently say I'd NEVER buy one for myself. That's not to say that others cannot make the look work (though it would likely still strike a poison eye for me). As Lisa said, for some reason they seem to work fairly well for men for a casual but not sloppy look, but they're a lot harder to style for women.

Liz

Veteran

I'm just going to go wild and say "never." I've worn them for a uniform, and think they're great for that. But as a pear...these shirts don't fit me.

Windchime

Veteran

I didn’t enjoy wearing them in the 80’s; I could never pull off the polished preppy look that made them look good. If they return, I’ll personally probably give them a pass, but I do think they can be styled to look great on some people. I can picture you looking great in a polo, as a matter of fact!

tanstaafl

I’m in the never camp, or I guess I should say never again. They remind me too much of my teenage years working at a gas station. We had to wear the store polos, which they did not have in women’s sizes. We also sold fried chicken, and no matter how you washed the shirt the smell did not come out.

rachylou

Veteran

I like a shrunken fitted polo

LaPed

Veteran

Ah, see now I think polos are *worse* on men than on women. Neither a shirt nor a tee... the worst of both worlds. Luckily DH agrees and would never be caught dead in one.

Oh, and polo dresses -- whole different beast. Remember the Royal Tenenbaums? I adored Margot and had a succession of little fitted polo dresses throughout my late teens/early twenties.

Colette

Veteran

I think I'm the only one that would consider wearing a polo shirt again. LOL!!! I saw this polo shirt inspiration outfit a long while back and thought it looked cool.

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Anonymous

Oh Suz! There’s that 5 letter word again .....and it’s not coming out of my mouth- lol
Deb- I have one and while it gets wear- it’s not at the top of my hit parade. On the other hand my husband looks fantastic in them and has a bunch.
My sister in law has a pink one that looks divine on her- I went to get that exact one and boy was it a no go- and I usually look pretty good in pink- hence I think it was polo style that looked meh.

anne

Veteran

I was keen on them for about a year in 1986 - and then not really. They are a mainstay of school uniforms here in Australia, as well as work uniforms.
I don't mind that look Colette posted, although it is barely visible that that's a polo shirt - it's the sum total of the outfit that makes it stunning.

Like La Ped, I've often had a soft spot for polo dresses as opposed to shirts, though I've not ever worn one. I think mine stems from a pretty flatmate wearing one out dancing in my flat-sharing early 20s.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

Not a good look on me.

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