Nowadays, Polo t-shirts are one of the most essential piece of clothing in any man’s wardrobe. It is because of its versatile nature that the t-shirt can be worn both as sportswear and as leisurewear. In order to understand the basics of polo t-shirts, it is important that we go back to the origins of this alluring piece of attire. This popular piece of attire originated in the 1920’s era. It started as a uniform for the people belonging to the white-collar class to play tennis. These were designed by the sports lord René Lacoste himself. This garment was specially fabricated in a way that the sportsperson could easily get all the light-weighted benefits. Over time, the shirts worn for the game has evolved substantially.

These t-shirts were largely seen in the 1970s in various colors, designs, and patterns all across various cities and towns. This was the period when there was a boom in the popularity of polo t-shirts. During these golden times, these t-shirts became the most go-to option for semi-casual wear. In this period, the regular office wear was replaced by Polo t-shirts. All thanks to the shirt’s sleek looks and cost affordability.

Classification of Polo T-Shirts

1. Jersey :

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A jersey polo has a fabric quite similar to that of a common t-shirt or a fine woven sweater. This type of polo t-shirts are specially meant to be worn as sportswear or when one is indulging in any form of physical activity. These appealing pieces of the garment can be identified by the presence of its traditionally hemmed sleeves which add a higher definition to the bicep muscles. Such open pique knit t-shirts enhance breathing ability of the skin in comparison to traditional polo shirts.

2. Pique :

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Pique is a more standardized form of polo tshirt as it made up of simple woven fabrics. This elegant piece of fabric has attained this unique name due to its special feature of a three-dimensional waffle look. Pique tshirts are also well known for its lightweight and its excellent breathing space. These shirts are commonly worn by men during any form of physical work.

Fabrics to Choose From

1. Blended

Blended polo t-shirts are largely used in the corporate circle as corporate uniform shirts. It is popularly worn in the grocery service sector as the blended fabric can easily endure harsh stains, rash handling of the fabric, and has increased durability. This special feature makes blended them most suitable to be worn in harsh conditions of work, making them the casual yet not so casual workwear.

2. Performance Material

Polo t-shirts made out of performance materials are specially designed to be worn for athletic activities. These t-shirts are a blessing to sportsmen as they come with the special feature of odor reduction since they are lined with silver or UV protection feature. These t-shirts are light weighted and are worn mainly for sports such as golf and athletics.

3. Polyester

Polo t-shirts made out of polyester material offer high durability as they don’t shrink or get wrinkled easily. It does come with a benefit however, polyester being a synthetic material doesn’t absorb sweat hence it is definitely not recommended to be worn as sportswear.

4. Silk

The material ‘silk’ makes the polo t-shirts look much altruistic and glamorous. Gladly, these t-shirts made out of silk, despite being very sleek are prone to discoloration on soaking in too much sweat. Since the material used is a shiny material, it gives the t-shirt a rich look. This makes this type of t-shirts suitable to be worn in non-sports activities.

5. Linen

Linen being the most sort after material in today’s time has a high demand in various work domains. With the linen polo shirt’s sophisticated looks, another dimension is added to the overall look of the man wearing this tshirt.

6. Cotton

Cotton t-shirts are the most common polo t-shirt that are found in the market in recent times. They are popular for their decent moisture absorbing quality, high breathing ability, light weight and high durability. It has been found that there are two different ways in which these shirts are knit; woven material and the knit material way. Most of the features of this t-shirt depends mainly on the knit type of the cotton.

It has been over a century since the origin of the polo t-shirt and this marvelous piece of attire still continues to dominate a man’s wardrobe. There is a polo t-shirt designed for every occasion. Designers are constantly experimenting with new looks each day. Looking at the popularity of this shirt, one can be confident that there is something very exciting waiting for us in store.