polo shirts

[oc_in_fw]

I always wear them when I am tending my string of poloponies . Seriously, good advice above.

 

[BSAGuy]

I am not aware of any shirt that can meet your stringent specs. Good luck in your search.

 

[StillShaving]

I do not have anything specific to recommend. Though I would try other "middle tier" stores such as Macy's, Gap, Old Navy, Kohl's, JCPenny, etc. and test whatever looked promising. I have not paid close attention but you may be highlighting that many shirts are now either 100% poly or a blend. I might actually prefer a blend these days but I find those golf/athletic style shirts that dry out quickly to be a little uncomfortable to wear.

I have seen laundry detergents which claim to be hypoallergenic and suitable for babies, though you have probably already tried many products already. Worse case maybe take a "spring cleaning" approach to laundry and occasionally wash everything with a harsher detergent and then send through a second wash or rinse cycle with just water to help flush it out.

 

[ColtRevolver]

I read the washing replies with interest.....I have been a cold water washer for over 20 years. Matter of fact, I don't even have a hot hose going to the machine. I make my own laundry detergent. I can make 5 gallons for 2-3 bucks. Been using the homemade stuff for about 5 years with no ill effects. The woman of the house is all about her clothes. I would have heard about it long ago if the cold water or homemade detergent weren't working.

 

[paintflinger]

Clothes tend to age better with cold water.

 

[johsa]

I've been wearing Lacoste polos for a long time and I have always washed them in warm water, always hang dry though, and I have never had any issues. They still looks good and have maintained shape and color better than any other polo brands I have tried.

 

[StillShaving]

My intuition and experience may be wrong but I believe the dryer does the most damage to shirt collars and the placket. Especially when ran on high heat and beyond the point were the clothes start to dry out and become slightly cooked. If they can be dried on low heat or not completely dried out that is best option to help the fabric keep its shape.

 

[anoop]

My intuition and experience may be wrong but I believe the dryer does the most damage to shirt collars and the placket. Especially when ran on high heat and beyond the point were the clothes start to dry out and become slightly cooked. If they can be dried on low heat or not completely dried out that is best option to help the fabric keep its shape.

My dryer has moisture sensor and it has several settings for how much moisture to have remaining. The top is "extra dry", the second is "normal", the third is "iron", and so on. I usually put it on normal. The clothes come out evenly dry with a very tiny bit of moisture still in them. It also has a "wool" setting which I use when drying socks. They come out partially dry and I leave them on some piece of furniture to completely dry.

I get that heat does some damage if the fabric wasn't designed to take heat.

I tend to wear lighter colors, so fading is not much of an issue for me.

 

[musicman1951]

I remember a nice looking polo shirt in Esquire magazine earlier this summer for about $970. Since nobody here owns one maybe you could be the first and give us a review.

 

[Crixus]

I have been getting my polo shirts (and I wear a lot of them) from Lands End for over thirty years. Like everything and everywhere else, the thickness of the fabric has waned slightly over the years. Once Sears group bought them out, the beancounters got to have their say. However, I have always enjoyed the fit and relative quality of my LE polos. I always buy old school 100% cotton, I always wash them on a cold water cycle, and I ALWAYS hang them on nice tubular plastic coat hangers to dry once I remove them from the spin cycle. Most of them last for years. They have never, ever fed a clothes dryer lint filter. And I'm talking about at least three dozen polos over that time.

 

[Nicegy525]

I like to wear columbia sportswear polos. they fit me well, not too loose not too tight. good weight and seem to go through the wash well.

I also prefer underarmor golf polos but they tend to be more of an athletic/trim fit.

 

[anoop]

I finally caved in and decided to give these a try:
https://www.vastrm.com/

This is the specific one I got:
https://www.vastrm.com/polo/made-to-measure-polo-shirt-in-soft-yellow-comfort-pique-carnegie

At $165+tax, they are extremely pricey (I have been wearing Timberland polos for which I typically pay $30-45 depending on availability of discount sales). So this was about 4x what I typically pay. I did the $1.00 trial which took a couple of weeks. Then I ordered one in the fit I liked (I didn't think any adjustments were needed for the style I wanted because I'm not that picky about fit) and it took about 3-4 weeks for the shirt to arrive. The material seems to be of very good quality and put it through a hot wash/machine dry and it did just fine. The collar and placket held up perfectly. Of course, one wash is early.

The shirt was made in Vietnam.

Is it 4x better than the Timberland? So far I am enjoying the purchase. The biggest negative is the wait time, which applies even if there are no customizations requested. If it doesn't wear well and I need to replace it within a year, then I would say it's probably not worth it. If it lasts a year, wearing and washing once a week, I think it is money well spent.

 

[A3M0N]

Old Navy. I have been wearing several of their polos for several years. I wear the t-shirt material polos in the summer time. I practically live in polos.

If not Old Navy, I usually pick a few up if they're on sale somewhere. I just got two over 50% off at Aeropostale today, very small logos, feel pretty sturdy.

 

[StillShaving]

Those Vastrm polos look nice but are pricey, especially considering the labor costs over there. I am not sure what the material costs or how it gets sourced but it would not require too many items for it to be worth flying to Vietnam and getting some custom shirts made while out sightseeing.

 

[anoop]

Those Vastrm polos look nice but are pricey, especially considering the labor costs over there. I am not sure what the material costs or how it gets sourced but it would not require too many items for it to be worth flying to Vietnam and getting some custom shirts made while out sightseeing.

Haha. I don't think it will possible to buy one of these there. Often these are made for export only. You'd have to know where they are sourcing their materials (the kind that can hold up to a warm/hot wash without losing shape), their design (the placket is quite thick), etc. So it's not simple. It is doable, but not simple.

 

[johnmrson]

My suggestion is Jos a Bank Travellers Collection. I love them. I buy them in the US over the internet and get them posted to Australia. I've found that the Thailand made ones are better quality than the ones made in India. Avoid the Jos a Bank Leadbetter. They are completely different.

 

[anoop]

From what I recall Jos A Bank does use a chemical treatment on their shirts/polos to make them non iron. That chemical tends to irritate my skin.

 

[camjr]

The LL Bean "Double L" polo shirts are outstanding, and are offered in both a standard and tall length. They are cut slightly larger than some, so you may consider a L if you normally wear an XL. Guaranteed for life, and the collars are done in such a way as to not fray. They are a fantastic product.

 

[BigJ]

+1. The Bean's shirts have worked well foe me!

 

[santamariasteve]

I wear polo shirt often, but I've not experienced any of the concerns mentioned.

They generally are "middle quality," like Tommy Hilfiger, Penny's, and so forth.