I wear polo shirts most days. They work with slacks, jeans, or shorts. They’re comfortable, inexpensive, and easy to care for. If you’re going to run a go-to men’s fashion play over and over, the polo is about as good as it gets.
It seems Gentlemen’s Quarterly agrees:
“…we urge you to take a closer look at the T-shirt’s more sturdy, well-dressed cousin: the polo. When done right, it’s the most casual way of looking put together.”
But then, later in the same article, we find:
“…do not wear them with an undershirt. They’re meant to be casual. They’re meant to project the notion that you may or may not be on a boat in the next few hours.”
Hey, GQ? Out here in actual America, lots of people are fat. And even people who aren’t fat take up a little more room than the dainty little tykes found in your pages. And guess what else? Real people sweat. Some real people sweat a lot. An undershirt keeps a polo looking good, preventing both short-term and long-term perspiration stains. It is an eminently pragmatic solution that solves real problems. Declaring it unfashionable is arbitrary and asinine.
(GQ‘s advice for this is yes, you should be concerned about spots on your shirt, so be sure to wear deodorant that doesn’t contain aluminum. Oh, very helpful. Let me know how that goes, all you people who sweat only under your arms.)
To be sure, there are a few guidelines that I believe are prudent to observe. Though a fleeting glimpse of an undershirt is sometimes unavoidable, it should be prevented to as practical an extent as possible. An undershirt should fit fairly closely, and should never have longer sleeves than the shirt worn over it. Also, I prefer a V neckline to minimize exposure around the collar and placket. Finally, always choose a high-quality cotton-heavy fabric or synthetic blend specifically engineered for coolness. This will “magically” add warmth in the winter, but will not contribute to overheating in the summer.
Bluntly, it’s silly to insinuate that an undershirt with a polo is uncool. A suggestion of using non-aluminum deodorant instead is daft and unrealistic. Choose a good undershirt and wear it. It’s cool. I promise. Know how I know? Because I do it.
And I’m very cool.
You might also like:
- I want cold!
Do you remember it ever being this consistently warm this late in the year? I’ve usually been able t… - My name is Bo, and these are my jorts
I don’t do fashion. I don’t dress like a slob, but neither do I make any particular effort to comply… - The magic of the Hawaiian shirt
Most Fridays, I wear a Hawaiian shirt. You can’t be in a bad mood wearing a Hawaiian shirt (which mi… - Three tips that will double the life of your blue jeans
Bought any jeans lately? Even my old-man Levi’s, discounted, are topping $40 now. It makes good sens… - The last last first weight loss post
Blogging about it has generally been the kiss of death for my weight loss effort—have a look at the …
The mister always wears a t-shirt under his polos. Always. Which is every day he goes to work. He sweats. A lot.