Tag / white polo

by Beau H.

Style Essentials: The Polo Alternative

If you’re searching for a slightly dressier alternative to a polo, the good news is, there are several places you can turn. The key with making the jump up from a polo is to not overdo it, and to pick the right time and place. Wearing a blue Oxford cloth button-down is absolutely a great step up from a polo; the texture is a bit more visually interesting, and if you like, it can be dressed up a bit more. The potential for the blue OCBD is practically limitless as far as pairing with other neutral, well-fitting items in your wardrobe.

A classic blue OCBD from Old Navy.

A classic blue OCBD from Old Navy.

Namely, the OCBD as a style staple has been worn in just about every way imaginable. It’s become standard business-casual dress for a lot of workers across the country, but there’s a difference between wearing one for the sake of wearing it, and wearing it the right way. The right blue OCBD fits trim through the body, has decently high armholes, and trim sleeves. Make sure it fits across the shoulders (doesn’t pull or tug when you move) is the first step, because a good tailor can always dial in the rest of the body. Once you’ve tracked down one at the right price, it can function in many of the same ways as the polo. To stray away from a  standard business casual look, avoid pairing it with khaki chinos. Shoot instead for a pant with a more dusty or visually appealing color.

Try and keep the fit slim, as well — a Levi’s 514 is a standard fit for many who have more leg muscle, but a 513 or a 511 (which you might already have in your closet), will keep the outfit on-point and trim. And when it comes to the belt, have fun with texture — a braided belt grounds the look more casually, as well. If you’d rather not wear brighter chinos or pants, dark denim is absolutely the way to go.

This might be repetitive to some, but the key with so many of these Style Essentials isn’t that they’re ground breaking or incredibly fashion-forward; the biggest key is that they work time and again in nearly any situation, helping you save money and fall into a trap of ‘too-fast’ fashion. As long as the basics fit well, other areas, like accessories, socks and watch straps, are ways to inject some personality into an outfit.

Dark denim paired with another shade of blue, the OCBD.

Dark denim paired with another shade of blue, the OCBD.

Now, back to the pants — slim, dark denim actually works very nicely with different shades of blue. Putting multiple shades together doesn’t inherently create a jarring clash, as Joe from Dappered notes here. In fact, the contrast between those shades is a good thing!

For other outfit ideas, throw on a navy blazer with that blue OCBD — once again, those shades of blue actually play well with each other. Additionally, v-neck sweaters can be a great layering piece once it gets cold. A rotation of different colors (like black, tan, or heather gray) could keep you in outfits for days, if not weeks.

If shorts are more your thing, look for a pair in a khaki or tan-colored shade, which plays off the blue nicely. And feel free to tuck that OCBD into the polo — it’s a way of polishing off the outfit. Again, that braided belt adds some nice visual interest, too.

It’s worth noting that the blue OCBD is only one alternative to a polo. Other solid-colored sport shirts, like a white OCBD, can be rotated in and out of each of these looks for something sporty or slightly more business casual. Start out by reaching for one of these shirts, and you’ll soon start to develop a rotation of solid “mini-uniforms” you can go to time and again.

by Beau H.

Men’s Style Essentials: On Your Torso

Putting together outfits is a complicated dance between coordinating what you have on your feet, to what you’re wearing on your legs, to what you’re wearing up top — all while keeping fit and situational awareness in mind. If you abide by the idea of a personal uniform, an outfit that you love to wear (and one that looks great on you), it makes picking out what to wear a breeze…almost. Sticking with well-fitting classics can be a great way to develop said uniform — this look, whatever that might be, is something you would feel comfortable throwing on day after day, with different variations of color and in different settings, ideally. Starting that process out with a clean, simple white polo can be a terrific foundation from which to build outfits and eventually experiment with more color. As it’s primarily a warm-weather option, it may not work for as many months of the year as it would for those of us in different, more temperate climates. But when it does warm up, here’s yet another option for casual wear.

The 'Classic Polo' in white from Old Navy. About as inexpensive & simple as it gets.

The ‘Classic Polo’ in white from Old Navy. About as inexpensive & simple as it gets.

If you’re in college, a white polo (or really, any polo) can be a nice, simple step to take away from the typical graphic t-shirt or plain shirt it seems so many guys wear. And many options are available at outstanding prices; Old Navy, for one, offers tremendous deals. But in terms of color, white is only a starting point; other color polos (when paired with neutral shorts, for example), achieve the same effect as a white polo. When it comes to versatility (and if you’d like to experiment with ‘loud’ shorts or an eye-catching watch strap), white is definitely one way to go. Navy is a great starting point, too, as it pairs with several different outfits and works in nearly identical settings as a white polo.

Putting on a collared shirt where you would typically wear a t-shirt (say, to the grocery store, for example) is more crisp and put-together looking; it can easily turn into something you do on a daily basis. And for the day-to-day college student, a polo is easy and simple; it dresses you up just enough without going into full-on suit territory. The right white polo would pair with jeans off-duty, with rolled chinos and loafers for casual wear, or with shorts for a hot trek across campus. And with desert boots and dark jeans, you have a solid foundation to throw in some pops of color with crazy socks or a bright watch strap. The perfect template for a casual outfit, if there ever was one.

A white polo lets show mix in other colors without overdoing it. Shorts by J. Crew.

A white polo lets you mix in other colors without overdoing it. Shorts by J. Crew.

On another note, a polo is polished without going too far over the ‘over-dressed’ line. If you’re looking to make small, easy upgrades, swapping that graphic t-shirt out for a polo makes a lot of sense.  Wearing better clothing, clothing that fits, helps you feel better, too; increased confidence translates to better grades, better work performance…you name it, well-fitting clothing can help you achieve it.

Outside of the classroom, even in a business casual setting, nailing the fit of the polo is something that can help you stand out in the right way. The ideal polo should fit trim through the body, with sleeves that hit about mid-bicep. Some polos, like the option pictured from Old Navy, have a bit of a longer back tail, which makes it tougher to wear untucked. Ideally, the polo should be fitted enough to wear either tucked in or untucked. J. Crew’s slub polos seem to hit the sweet spot on a personal note, as do options from Sunspel (although those are a bit on the pricey side; be warned). When it comes to fabric, the slub fabric and its texture are less dressy than a pique polo’s closer weave, but either option would do fine in a college campus or business casual setting, especially in a crisp, white color.

Using the white polo as a blank palette to build in other colors is a tremendous way to upgrade an outfit, too. White polo with red shorts? Sure, that works. As do blue shorts. And just about any other color you can think of. Dialing down the loudness of your shoes by wearing a clean, simple plimsoll or canvas sneaker accentuates your shorts or other colors in your outfit.

For versatility, a white polo hits the nail on the head. It can be matched with any other color, it can pair with jeans, chinos or shorts, and it can dress you up the right way for class, a date or a casual day at the office. It can be layered under a v-neck sweater during the cold months just as you would layer an OCBD, too (check out option #5 on this post for ways to wear a polo in cold weather). It may be basic, but by combining a simple polo with other colors, you can get more wear out of one garment than any other in your closet.

-Beau