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Following on from the wardrobe spend thread, i need to smarten up my act at least a a little, so starting with some new polo shirts.
Was hoping Rapanui may have some but couldn’t see any, looking for ethically sourced, decent quality/value, for the shorter but more chunkily built middle aged bald bloke. Bonus for a tenuous cycling connection.
Where should I be looking?
Finisterre (in the sale)
Community Clothing do polo shirts. Not sure of fit as I don’t wear them. They’re around £45 each.
FWIW, all the t-shirts I've had from Rapanui haven't been great, quality wise. They went baggy and saggy pretty quickly. Same goes for BAM.
I had the same issue with Rapanui t-shirts, they were great until about the 3rd wash then they lost shape
For balance, my wife reckons their knickers and socks are great
I’d agree the Rapanui comments - T-shirts lose shape quickly. However I have the canvas showerproof smock, which is very nice indeed!
my daily wear when WFH and on Teams calls is Rohan Polo shirts. I have probably half a dozen of them, some SS some LS. They seem to last well, and still look as good as new after a few years.
People still wear polo shirts?
Patagonia?
[i]People still wear polo shirts?[/i]
Yep. I do. Is there anything you wear that I might not wear? Just asking so I can make sure I tell you that I don't wear that kind of thing, as that seems to be your point.
Only the people who know 🤡
I have an active job and find the Patagonia Capilene polo shirts great
comfortable cycling in hot weather commutes as well as all day comfort out and about
I forget where I purchased mine from but the style is the same as the link below
all of the ethics of Patagonia but pleasantly surprising without the patagucci tax
https://www.outdoorsupply.co.uk/polo-shirt-patagonia-men-capilene-cool-trail-superior-blue
People still wear polo shirts?
Yep. I do.
So do you work at Screwfix or McDonalds?
And NHS workers too...
The most boring answer possible but M&S. Responsibly sourced cotton, alleged good supply chains, lots of colours (16 on the internet) and £18 each.
They aren't the most hard wearing, fashionable or elegant but do the job for office wear. Yep a lot of offices still sort of require a 'smart casual ' vibe even though they won't declare that. Don't need to wear a tie these days and unlike normal shirts polos don't need ironing so that's fine for boring everyday stuff.
The pure cotton means they don't last as long as poly cotton but are nicer to wear and look better to me.
I got given a Rohan one for Christmas. It is warm and polyester and a bit boxier but kind of less well shaped M&S. Good for cooler days but then I've also just looked up the price! £55 is a lot for a polo shirt.
People still wear polo shirts?
Yep - for work - and Slazenger ones at that! 🤣
They're cheap so I don't mind them getting messed up and they bloody last and last. Some are over 6 years old and still hold their shape and colour.
If you want a really good fit (ie you're not a regular size) then Spoke tops are good but their Polos are now £75(!). I've not had their polos but their t-shirts are definitely a cut above the norm and it's great to have off-the-peg shirts that actually fit my long arms/body. All their stuff is European made I think. 15% discount with my referral
Uniqlo for quality/value, but no idea about the ethics of their supply
Bit difficult without knowing what you consider reasonably priced or ethical but here's a few more that haven't been mentioned (all of which I've had well made products from, but not always their Polos):
- Two Thirds
- Knowledge Cotton
- Peregrine
A bit on the fence w.r.t ethical credentials but material sources are seem ok:
- Selected Homme
- Isobaa (merino)
- Sunspel
- Paul Smith
Ones I've not tried but have (or had when I last looked) decent reputation:
- A Day's March
- Far Afield
If you want a really good fit (ie you’re not a regular size) then Spoke tops are good but their Polos are now £75(!). I’ve not had their polos but their t-shirts are definitely a cut above the norm and it’s great to have off-the-peg shirts that actually fit my long arms/body.
I have quite a few pears of Spoke chinos (at least 5) and think they are really good. I did buy a couple of their Polo's and they went to the charity shop in under a year, some odd shortening shrinkage and losing of shape generally. I also have a couple of Rapha ones that i bought in the sale, but they are heavy compared to the Rohan ones that I normally wear, plus they tend to hold sweat smells a fair bit.
I have a polo and a couple of t shirts from Meccanica. If you sign up they have good sales a couple of times a year but I find the stock on the website is always wrong so it is best to email them and ask what they have in your size.
Nice quality cotton, british made in either pretty plane or cycling inspired designs
https://meccanica.cc/collections/polos