Why do polo shirts have a neck button?

No one ever buttons the button at the top of the neck on polo or golf shirts, so why do the manufacturers even bother to sew it on? They could save a few more cents per shirt and increase profitiability. I’m positive this must have occurred to them, but they have obviously decided against it. So what is the reason they continue to do it?

[hijacking his own thread]
What is the difference between golf and polo shirts?
[/hijack]

Style.

Yep. For the same reason there are still buttons on the sleeves of men’s suit coats. That one dates back 200 years or so. Besides, you have to button the top button for that proper “Nerd Goes To Town” look. :smiley:

Really?

Whoa! No less than the Tigercat himself buttoned right up to the Adam’s apple!

Just one more reason they should leave it off - so no one will be tempted to use it.

No, no, no! Tiger is wearing a golf shirt, and that makes all the difference.
[sub]I’ll bet that if he doesn’t button it, the fabric falls over and covers the Nike swoosh, and that would imperil his endorsement deal.[/sub]

sigh Never mind. I reread the OP and see that golf shirts were mentioned. My subtext still applies, though.

Golf shirts used to be designed so the collar, even with the top button undone, stayed fairly close around the neck. That’s no longer the case, (the jerks) and more and more non- nerdlike people are fastening the top button because they don’t like the feel or the look of the shirt sliding down their shoulders.