The Best Polo Shirts Are More Than Casual Friday Fallbacks (2024)

The Legacy-Defining Polo

No designer has done more to bolster the polo's pedigree than New York’s very own Ralph Lauren, the Americana obsessive who scaled the highest echelons of the schmatte business off the strength of his pristine shirting alone. 50 years after its debut, the brand's reputation-making polo shirts (cut from a luxe pima cotton fabric, adorned with the now-iconic pony on the chest) still set the standard. The slim-fit polo is a staple, but Ralph makes classic fit polos that sync up well with baggier pants. Not only that, the polos come in every color under the sun, but the crisp white OG version will help you carve out a legacy of your own—as the slickest dresser around.

The OG Polo

Would this be a proper polos list without Lacoste? Famed French tennis player René Lacoste invented the polo as a way to blend performance with good style. Nearly a century later, the brand is still around (not bad for starting with just a shirt, right?) and the polo is as popular as ever, well beyond its origins on the tennis court. Today, the signature design still features the short button placket with that elegant collar, ribbed sleeves and hem, and that iconic cotton pique fabric that's both sturdy and soft as well as surprisingly breathable. In other words, they're still doing it better than most.

The Surprisingly Affordable Dupe Polo

Call it the Ripley effect or chalk it up to camp shirt fatigue, but knit polos—especially retro-leaning, stripe-y styles—are everywhere right now. A lot of our favorite versions cost a pretty penny, but riding the new wave of La Dolce Vita-drenched style doesn't have to mean dropping big money. Luckily, Abercrombie—a brand riding a revival wave of its own as of late—dove headfirst into the trend this season, offering up a version of what they dub "sweater polos" for around 60 bucks. This version feels incredibly worthy of a mid-century Jazz album cover, paired with some wide, pleated slacks, swanky loafers, and an ice-cold old fashioned.

The Best Performance Polo

You expect certain things out of a performance polo, but you wouldn’t guess that it would be made of merino wool. It’s counterintuitive, but merino wool is actually a great material for high-performance activities. It’s naturally sweat-wicking, quick-drying, and way softer than you think and Proof’s 72-hour Merino Polo Shirt is—ahem—proof positive. It’s surprisingly silky, properly stretchy (without the use of spandex), and is as moisture-wicking and odor-blocking as the best synthetic joints. They’re also sun-protective with a UPF 30+ rating so while you might get smoked on the tennis court, you won’t get burnt. And don't worry—you can even throw these it in the washing machine.

The Celebrity-Loved Polo

If you’ve noticed a hell of a lot of Percival around lately, you can thank celebrity stylist Ilaria Urbinati, who’s dressed many an A-lister in the British label’s heart-throb-worthy polos. Her collab with the brand leans into retro details like a tipped collar and sleeve cuffs, a subtle argyle knit into the fabric, and a tasty espresso color. That said, Urbinati and Percival have made a handful of styles, each one as handsome as the next. The best part is you, don't need to star in a blockbuster to get Urbinati's star-making styling.

The Swanky, Sultry Upgrade Polo

If you're out to impress a date and need the right look to pair with your martini, Banana Republic's Stokke polos are a great choice. They're made from a luxe blend of cashmere and silk, which gives both looks suave and gives the shirts an elegant drape for maximum elegance. Whatever Stokke polo variation you go with—Banana Republic makes them long- and short-sleeved, with buttons and without (let the chest breathe!)—will make a sport coat look doubly debonair or happily go solo with a pair of retro high-waisted trousers and some loafers.

The No Buttons, No Problem Polo

Think of the open-collar polo as the shirt equivalent of kicking back with your arms behind your

head, soaking up an achingly beautiful sunset while you ignore whatever work shenanigans are going down in your inbox. Stòffa's Mouliné polo takes that joie de vivre and filters it through an elegant light charcoal melange and an impossibly rakish silhouette befitting of old Hollywood's most dapper leads.

Plus 11 More Polo Shirts We Love

Polo Shirt FAQs

The key to selecting the right polo for a specific occasion largely comes down to fit and fabric. If you're in the market for a polo that skews more casual, either bigger (boxy and loose) or smaller (pec-grazing and bicep-hugging) work fine. Any event that requires some cursed variation of office- or wedding-appropriate attire almost definitely demands a less dramatic fit. Smoother cottons look more elegant than heavily textured cotton. For extra oomph, a knit polo cut from a hardy-but-soft wool—or even an extremely ritzy cashmere—will keep the chill at bay and help you look handsome-as-hell in the process.

There's no best material overall—but some work for better situations than others. If you’re after a polo that will perform on the golf course or on the tennis court, you’ll want something that’s lightweight, breathable, and moisture-wicking, likely made out of some kind of synthetic material or a poly-cotton blend. Lightweight merino wool polos are also a great natural performance material. Though definitely don't be the guy wearing his golf polos outside the fairways.

Pique polo shirts are the most classic version of the genre—think of the slightly rough fabric on the basic Lacoste polo, and that's pique. That texture keeps the fabric from sticking to the skin and allows for better air flow, making it a great option for the warmer months. It can read as a bit casual, though, if you're on the job.

And you can now find polos in damn near any knit, from merino to cashmere to mohair and beyond. You'll often find the weird, wilder stuff made from knits. Why?