René Lacoste designed the modern polo shirt as long ago as the 1920s. Accounts of why the French tennis great was nicknamed ‘The Crocodile’ vary: some say it was because of the way he dealt with opponents, others recount that it was because of his long nose. What is certain, however, is that his invention is still a popular and ubiquitous garment after all these years.
The polo shirt went on to become Fred Perry and Ralph Lauren ‘standards’. But nowadays, of course, it’s worn by everybody from fashion designers to tennis stars (Lacoste was both), presidents to rappers, everyday men and women in the street and, of course, company employees at their desks, working in the warehouse or manning exhibition stands. It’s classic, timeless, universally acceptable as ‘smart casual’ and, for you, represents a great opportunity for both brand visibility and supplying your employees (and yourself) with smart, comfortable apparel that’s equally at home in the workplace and the pub.
We list almost 200 polo shirts on our website. That’s almost 200 different products, to say nothing of the colour and size variants which each offers. You might regard having to choose from such a wide range as a problem. We, however, see it as a great opportunity: to pick exactly the one that’s right for your business.
Why so many?
First, there’s the material: you can choose from cotton, polycotton or polyester. All our polos are of high quality, but the type of fabric you select should be determined by whether you need high durability and stain resistance, very frequent washing, a soft-to-the-skin feel or a number of other factors.
Then, there’s the type of fabric: do you need the thickness and durability of Piqué or the smoother, flatter and more elastic jersey knit – which feels more like a T-shirt fabric. Do you need a long-sleeved garment, or perhaps a polo dress?
You need to consider the weight too, normally indicated in g/m².
How and in what position it will be personalised is also an important factor in choosing a polo … embroidered on the chest, printed across the back or featuring additional branding (or even a subtle standalone logo) on one sleeve or the collar.
To the seasoned apparel or promotional items buyer, these considerations are almost certainly second nature. If you’re new to buying corporate clothing, however, we recommend you have a chat with our sales team to tell them what the shirts will be used for.
Once you’ve decided on the type of shirt you’d like, it’s just a question of choosing fabric colour (including contrasting stripes or buttons for some items), size and fit (including ladies’ or men’s options). The quick selector and search function on our website make it simple.
What’s in a polo? There’s a lot more to it than meets the eye, but we have all the bases covered.
