Yeah - I’m cool with that. But it just kinda surprised me because this somewhat fashion impaired old fart concluded some time ago that polo shirts were just about the PERFECT item of attire. Able to go from the business casual office to the golf course. Even wear my old ones for yardwork.
Hell, my wife is just happy to have weaned me off of my Hawaiians, my tank tops, and - my fave - the flannels with sleeves and tails ripped off! Now if I could figure out which ones are supposed to go with the blue pants, and which with the black . . .
Polo shirts are just not comfortable. They are hot in the summer and have those dinky sleeves that show a different tan line than a normal short sleeved shirt.
I don’t think anyone ever looks good in one. They always look like old Jersey mobsters rocking on a porch smoking bad cigars and drinking spiked tea.
Personally I don’t like polos. Around here they are the easiest way to identify douchebags and former high-school jocks and fratboys who think they’re being classy by not wearing the same t-shirt they’ve worn for the last three days.
Well, nothing is wrong with them compared to other large picture t-shirts, but I suppose the problem is large picture t-shirts vs all other clothing. Large picture tshirts, particularly large picture animal t shirts, just scream out of touch to most folks, I think. They were cool in the 70s and 80s, I guess, which is why they look so terribly dated now.
Plus, you can’t buy those shirts in any of the “trendy” stores, just places like Walmart. So, that also speaks to the demographic that is usually wearing them. I mean, hey, not everyone WANTS to be trendy, I acknowledge that, I’m just saying that most do and those large print shirts are a good way to stick out like a sore thumb.
I feel they are awesome if you are aspiring to be Jon Gosselin or Spencer Pratt. They go great with trucker hats, fauxhawk hairdoos, Redbull based drinks, and self tanner.
You should wear all of them at once, pop the collars and call everyone “boss” or “chief”.
Put me down with the polo haters. Especially that horrible pique knit material. It doesn’t breathe at all. If you have any gut at all, and it seems most guys do, you can’t tuck it in- it emphasizes the belly. Leave it untucked, and it drapes down making a belly curtain.
The worst way to wear them is tucked in with khaki shorts and loafers with no socks. [shudder]
All that being said, I totally understand it being the work uniform. Doed that meke me wishy-washy?
There is another alternative I didn’t see mentioned. I guess it would be called a “camp shirt”. It’s cut like a hawaiian shirt, short sleeves, collar buttons and a square tail, but no patterns. Just plain colors. Usually in a comfortable knit fabric.
An awful lot really depends on HOW you wear clothes. Does it fit properly? Is it a good color for you? Is it pressed if neccessary? Does it make you feel good? Are you wearing the clothes or are they wearing you?
As for the shirt and tie haters: does your collar fit right? Is your tie too tight? It shouldn’t be any less comfortable than a turtleneck sweater. More so, in fact. IMHO, nothing looks better on a man than a good fitting suit.
But which rates higher on the douchebag scale? Frankly, I think that some of the polo shirt hate really needs to be reserved for Ed Hardy T-shirts. There really isn’t much difference between an Ed Hardy t-Shirt and a Wolf t-shirt.
Interesting aside: When I was a sophomore in high school, one of my class mates wore twenty-five shirts (many of them polo) one day. Just to poke fun at the wearing two polo shirts thing.
Ed Hardy seems like more of a Hollywood West Coast/Sunshine Belt motorcycle culture douchbag while Polo and Abercrombie & Fitch are more of an East Coast preppy frat guy jock douchebag.
Speaking of wolf shirts, did anyone else see the episode of The Apprentice UK where the teams had to pick items to sell on a TV home shopping program? One of the products they picked was this obscenely ugly wolf fleece jacket and it ended up being one of their best sellers! Apparently the fashion nightmare that are wolf shirts is not limited to the US.
