# Best polo for the money?



## jacflash (Aug 29, 2008)

Hello, a newbie here, presently in need of some polo shirts. 

Several months back I bought a few of the BB "vintage" series shirts and was fairly pleased with the cut and quality (and the fact that the fleece logo was dyed the same color as the shirt and thus nearly invisible), especially in comparison to BB's horrid flimsy offerings of 5-7 years ago. Since then I've lost some weight -- a happy thing -- and those shirts have gone from "a bit loose but comfortable" to "unwearably baggy". I need to move down a size. 

When I went to buy replacements this past weekend, I discovered that apparently Brooks has discontinued that particular variant. The local 'outlet' store had only a few, and bb.com no longer lists them. I need an alternative.

Long story short, where do you gentlemen go for well-made classic mesh-type polo shirts these days? I would prefer to avoid anything with a contrasting-color logo if at all possible, and I am old-school enough to associate fabric weight with quality and thus prefer shirts on the heavier side. I am somewhat slim-framed and have decided I prefer a tailored (though obviously not skintight) look to a baggy one. Any recommendations?


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

My favorite is the Perlis crawfish polo. The funny part is if I go anywhere outside the south, everyone asks where I got my "lobster polo." Seeing that you are in New England, it may be worth looking into. Great price, great colors, and great quality. They do run about one size big.


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## Duck (Jan 4, 2007)

www.jimmyandsook.com

Great shirts, wash them in warm water and dry the first time to shrink them a little.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

Duck said:


> www.jimmyandsook.com
> 
> Great shirts, wash them in warm water and dry the first time to shrink them a little.


I love Jimmy and Sook (a sister store of Khakis of Irvington), but at fifty bucks, I'm not sure their polos are the best value around. My vote would be for Lands' End.


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## ryn (Aug 5, 2008)

I'm new here so I don't know if my opinion will count for much, but the lands end polos are great. I've got a lot of RLP and the feel/style is very very close. I was turned onto them by others who speak highly of them here. Also at roughly 20 dollars it's a great buy.


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## vwguy (Jul 23, 2004)

I like the ones from LL Bean, plenty of colors and under $20.

Brian


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## gar1013 (Sep 24, 2007)

vwguy said:


> I like the ones from LL Bean, plenty of colors and under $20.
> 
> Brian


Ditto. I like them as well as the BB Golden Fleece Polos. Both are good values for the money.


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## Quay (Mar 29, 2008)

Another vote for LLB and LE as, for me, they come in the Large-Tall size which fits me very well. I like the fabric of many other polos, such as BB, but the larges are always too small and the extra-larges too big. So I go where the fit is good and the price is right.

Cordially,
A.Q.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

gar1013 said:


> Ditto. I like them as well as the BB Golden Fleece Polos. Both are good values for the money.


+1 The BB Golden Fleece Polos are indeed quite wonderful! They seem more of a bargain every time you pull one on.


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## A.Squire (Apr 5, 2006)

Topsider said:


> ... *My vote would be for Lands' End*.


but do they sell 'em with the gator? Without it everyone will think your wife is picking out your clothes while buying...well what ever it is that Target sells.


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## A.Squire (Apr 5, 2006)

eagle2250 said:


> +1 The BB Golden Fleece Polos are indeed quite wonderful! They seem more of a bargain every time you pull one on.


To be honest I only ever really wear three polos (white, blue and pink), all solids, though I have a few of the BB polos (nice stripes) and would recommend these in terms of quality. 
I also have several funky colored 90's vintage striped pony polos packed away _somewhere, _all too small now I'm sure.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

A.Squire said:


> but do they sell 'em with the gator? Without it everyone will think your wife is picking out your clothes while buying...well what ever it is that Target sells.


My wife doesn't shop at _Target_, thank you very much. She shops at thrift stores. 

Thank God, too. Have you seen what that Lilly Pulitzer crap sells for at retail...?

Edit: My favorite Lacoste shirts are vintage ones, from the 1980's. They're getting hard to find nowadays, and they certainly don't make 'em like they used to.


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## Danny (Mar 24, 2005)

Another vote for the Bean ones and the BB Golden Fleece ones. The BB ones are better, but more expensive. The best price I've been able to get them for is $33 each during some sales when they run 3 for $119 and then you can use a BB Corporate card to get another 15% off. The Bean ones are fine for $20.

Danny


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## jacflash (Aug 29, 2008)

Topsider said:


> Edit: My favorite Lacoste shirts are vintage ones, from the 1980's. They're getting hard to find nowadays, and they certainly don't make 'em like they used to.


Seconded. The new ones are really cheap-feeling, not at all as I remember them from my college days back in the '80s.


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## A.Squire (Apr 5, 2006)

Topsider said:


> ...
> Thank God, too. Have you seen what that Lilly Pulitzer crap sells for at retail...?
> 
> ....


What, was everyone spying on me last week in Charleston? First Harris and his _Favorite Tie_ thread, posted the very day I pick up my Yeomanry Regimental tie from Ben Silver and now you bustin' my chops for picking up some Lilly trou at Palm Ave. Ya'll musta been nappin when I snuck into Dumas.


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## Bebop15 (Jul 16, 2008)

Here comes the blasphemy: if you have a Polo (gasp) outlet near you, I would recommend their shirts, especially for slimmer guys. The BB ones seem to be generally wide and short, a problem only exacerbated by repeated washing. However, I would by no means pay retail for a RL polo. That's just obscene.


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## A.Squire (Apr 5, 2006)

Bebop15 said:


> ... However, I would by no means pay retail for a RL polo. That's just obscene.


Just curious, what is retail for RL polo? Do they sell for website prices at department stores?


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

Bebop15 said:


> Here comes the blasphemy: if you have a Polo (gasp) outlet near you, I would recommend their shirts, especially for slimmer guys. The BB ones seem to be generally wide and short, a problem only exacerbated by repeated washing. However, I would by no means pay retail for a RL polo. That's just obscene.


Polo sells two styles, "classic" (normal) and "custom" (slim). I agree, BB's polos are tent-like.


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## A.Squire (Apr 5, 2006)

Topsider said:


> Polo sells two styles, "classic" (normal) and "custom" (slim). I agree, BB's polos are tent-like.


I'll have to check to be sure, but if my BB polos are sized L (and indeed tent-like) I need to start watching my carbs. Last time I wore one (mending fences last month) my wife had to shuck me like cob, felt like straight jacket.


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## HistoryDoc (Dec 14, 2006)

Minor thread hijack: Do you go with a pocket or no pocket?


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

IMO BB Performance Polos are the best value for the money. While they are not exactly cheap ($60), they hold up very well to repeated washings and fit me perfectly. If buying one, you might want to do what I do...go one size DOWN. The large size is massive!


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## Hobson (Mar 13, 2007)

jacflash said:


> Seconded. The new ones are really cheap-feeling, not at all as I remember them from my college days back in the '80s.


One thing to be careful of, Lacoste has really altered their definition of sizing. A medium from circa 1980 that I wore in college will not now fit over my head. Yet their current medium fits fine. Many manufacturers have done something similar.


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## A.Squire (Apr 5, 2006)

HistoryDoc said:


> Minor thread hijack: Do you go with a pocket or no pocket?


Oh patch and flap, to be sure.


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

I buy Ralph's Polos in boys large and XL, they fit pretty much like other place's mediums and smalls (Target for example).
My local TJMaxx/Marshalls usually has them for $5-10.


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## RyanPatrick (Jul 3, 2008)

I've become a big fan of Southern Tide polos, but they do have a logo.


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## Cowtown (Aug 10, 2006)

I vote for the LE polos.


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

I've worn Bean's polos for years but recently a thread here got me to give LE's new "performance pima" polos a try, and I'm impressed. Much of LE's merch has gone downhill since the Searsification but the polos are better than Beans, or LE's old piques. No pale pink, though. Bastards.


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## Mr. Knightly (Sep 1, 2005)

One thing I like about Lacoste, is that I can track down in-between sizes from overseas. They come in number sizes, but they usually only send the equivalent of S/M/L to the US. I've found that an in-between size fits me perfectly.

Another thread hijack:
Does anyone know where to find a good 4 button polo? I know it's not exactly trad, but I would like to add one to the rotation to go with certain outfits. I've seen some nice looking versions with a long placket and jersey knit.


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## smujd (Mar 18, 2008)

GAP polos on sale are, hands down, the best polos for the money. Can be had for $10-$12. No exterior markings such as ponies, salamanders, crabs, crawfish, alligators, bobcats, armadillos, pike, gars, or other brand identifications.


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

Well yeah, at a certain point any $5 polo that doesn't smell like dog doo and has the right number of sleeves is "the best polo for the money".

I think the goal of this thread was to find the best "high quality" polo for the money, not the cheapest functional polo that doesn't suck too badly. Gap polos are pretty rough in terms of material and manufacturing, as should be expected of such inexpensive merch. But as I'm older than 22, they sort of don't cross over into the realm of contention, you know?

LE's new performance pima polo is the cheapest polo that can stand up to anything out there.



smujd said:


> GAP polos on sale are, hands down, the best polos for the money. Can be had for $10-$12. No exterior markings such as ponies, salamanders, crabs, crawfish, alligators, bobcats, armadillos, pike, gars, or other brand identifications.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

The Continental Fop said:


> LE's new performance pima polo is the cheapest polo that can stand up to anything out there.


I prefer their mesh polos. The pima/interlock variety are too...clingy.

This may not be a problem for those of you without man-boobs (I'm reminded of that Seinfeld episode about the "Bro"/"Mansiere"). 

Edit: I just noticed that LE makes a of their "Performance Pima" polo. Unfortunately, it has a three-button placket...I prefer two.


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## The Continental Fop (Jan 12, 2007)

The new "Performance pima" LE polos are mesh, and you would think they were standarde pique mesh polos if you didn't know better. I agree with you, I didn't care for LE's old pima polos either -- too clingy, very unflattering even if you have an athletic build. No, these new performance pimas are a very different animal. Just a high-quality mesh pique type polo that's even better than LE's old piques, which were quite good.



Topsider said:


> I prefer their mesh polos. The pima/interlock variety are too...clingy.
> 
> This may not be a problem for those of you without man-boobs (I'm reminded of that Seinfeld episode about the "Bro"/"Mansiere").
> 
> Edit: I just noticed that LE makes a of their "Performance Pima" polo. Unfortunately, it has a three-button placket...I prefer two.


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## dcjacobson (Jun 25, 2007)

I was not happy with the LE polos (classic mesh), size Large-Tall, that I recently ordered.

They were $22.50 each, but with the thin fabric and the too-short sleeves, they looked cheap. They did not look good on me at all, so I sent them back.

I have lots of LE shirts and slacks; this was the first disappointment I recall having with their products.

A few years ago I bought a bunch of "Cherokee" brand polos from Target, back when Target stocked tall sizes. They had a nice, thick fabric that held up quite well.

Good luck in your search,
Don


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## smujd (Mar 18, 2008)

The Continental Fop said:


> Well yeah, at a certain point any $5 polo that doesn't smell like dog doo and has the right number of sleeves is "the best polo for the money".
> 
> I think the goal of this thread was to find the best "high quality" polo for the money, not the cheapest functional polo that doesn't suck too badly. Gap polos are pretty rough in terms of material and manufacturing, as should be expected of such inexpensive merch. But as I'm older than 22, they sort of don't cross over into the realm of contention, you know?
> 
> LE's new performance pima polo is the cheapest polo that can stand up to anything out there.


Ehh. I'll go to bat for the old GAP polo. Even though I'm into my thirties, it remains my favorite weekend, "knock around" polo. Sure, it isn't as nice as my BB, VV, Lacoste, PRL polos, but it looks good with shorts or jeans, and I don't mind if my toddler spills, drools, or otherwise attacks it.


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## tinytim (Jun 13, 2008)

Thom Browne's Schooldays said:


> I buy Ralph's Polos in boys large and XL, they fit pretty much like other place's mediums and smalls (Target for example).
> My local TJMaxx/Marshalls usually has them for $5-10.


I'm really slim and buy all my LE polos the same way. Nice thing is that they're about $5 cheaper for boys XL than mens. If you put a boys XL up to a mens small the sleeves are cut slimmer and shorter. So, you don't have that ridiculously baggy looking short sleeve. The shirt is also a few inches shorter overall. Which is nice because it doesn't bunch up when you tuck it in.


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## jacflash (Aug 29, 2008)

I bought a Gap polo a couple of years ago -- I was impressed with the heft of the fabric and the general shape of the cut, especially for the money, so I decided to give them a try. But it hasn't held up -- it has faded badly and looks pretty tattered after just two years of very moderate wear (and reasonably careful washing). RL shirts I bought around the same time still look almost new after similar use.


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## AlanT (Jun 29, 2008)

*First post*

I like J. Crew repp polos, regular fit. They're not stocked in stores so you have to order them either online or by catalog. I measured a medium jcrew next to a current size 5 Lacoste and they have the exact same chest measurment (a little wider than RL) but are heavier, as heavy as RL. They don't shrink at all (even when washed on hot). No logo. 2 buttons. Tennis tail (not as long as the RL tennis tail). Just make sure you don't get the tailored or "vintage" polo found in stores. It's a completely different product.

The repp polos are regularly in the clearance section of the site or can be bought 2 for 50 (it seems they just raised the price to 2 for 60. . .). I think they're a good value, especially considering how overpriced most things are at that store.

But, as others have already recommended, try to find some early 80s lacoste shirts. They're superior to anything currently offered.

Also, didn't summer just end? Not too much time left to wear polos.


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## stainless (Aug 27, 2007)

Has anyone tried the kirkland signature polos that Costco carries?


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## smujd (Mar 18, 2008)

stainless said:


> Has anyone tried the kirkland signature polos that Costco carries?


Disappointing. Not terrible, but not what I had hoped for given other Kirkland items I've purchased.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

smujd said:


> Disappointing.  Not terrible, but not what I had hoped for given other Kirkland items I've purchased.


Kirkland/Costco is hit-or-miss. Their undershirts are amazingly high-quality for the price...much sturdier and long-lasting than any that I've bought from BB or PRL.


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## chucklehead (Apr 27, 2007)

just make sure its tucked in.

how about a tennis / polo / golf shirt (whatever they call them now :devil
were you could pick your own / customize your embroidery.

i think i'd like a grenade or a couple of crossed cav swords. ic12337:


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## pinkgreenpolo (Jul 15, 2005)

*Best polo for the money*

Hello All,

I have quite a few LL bean polos and love them, great quality and an awesome price. I have a few Ralph Lauren Polos I received as gifts and they are awesome, they wash up great and are full cut, but they are pricey. ( Just as a side not I also have a few of the Target polos which are nice for the price.)

Regards;
PGP


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## AldenPyle (Oct 8, 2006)

I pretty much just get Uniqlo, because they are cheap (almost free), I like the slim cut, and there is a shop next to the subway station.


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## jacflash (Aug 29, 2008)

Thanks to all for the suggestions. Yesterday I wandered into a thrift shop and came up with a RLP polo -- mesh, white with horizontal black stripes, at least several years old -- that, stripes aside, is absolutely everything I ever wanted in a polo shirt. Fabric with real heft (including the collar), perfect cut, a bit longer than most polos, not baggy, perfect in every way. It's nothing like the last RLP polo I bought, maybe 2-3 years ago, more like the ones I remember wearing in college in the 1980s. Does RL still make shirts like this one? I can live with the horsey logo on a shirt this nice.

I'll post a photo tonight.


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## JohnHarvard (Oct 7, 2008)

I like Lacoste & RL...they get flamed here but when they go on huge sale discounts I think they're worth it


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## eris (Mar 31, 2008)

I'm very happy with my "duckhead" ones....


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## Moose Maclennan (Apr 20, 2006)

I beg to differ. I wore Lacostes in the 80s. Ho-hum. Any $5 polo (3 for $10 anyone?) survives twenty times as many washes than any T-shirt and is almost always, oddly, _sans_ logo.

Despite the oft-repeated mantra of 'you get what pay for', my experiences of the perceived low-end stuff offer much evidence to the contrary. And that low-end gear is surprisingly often domestically made to boot.



The Continental Fop said:


> Well yeah, at a certain point any $5 polo that doesn't smell like dog doo and has the right number of sleeves is "the best polo for the money".
> 
> I think the goal of this thread was to find the best "high quality" polo for the money, not the cheapest functional polo that doesn't suck too badly. Gap polos are pretty rough in terms of material and manufacturing, as should be expected of such inexpensive merch. But as I'm older than 22, they sort of don't cross over into the realm of contention, you know?
> 
> LE's new performance pima polo is the cheapest polo that can stand up to anything out there.


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## Dr.Watson (Sep 25, 2008)

I have found that the brand Chaps (generally found in departmant stores like Belks) makes very good polos. They are very well made, and sturdy thought they run a bit long, (can't wear them untucked). On sale they run around $12. They do have a logo, but franky, at my age and budget, I can't afford to care. 

-Huzzah-


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## J Simulcik (Oct 11, 2008)

I wonder how far apart (now? ever?) Chaps vs. Polo vs. Rugby are in terms of quality. It seems to me one of those things Ralph could save some money on very easily; just put three logos in the embroidery machine and go!


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## CrackedCrab (Sep 23, 2008)

I like RL ones. They have a 'weathered' one in the classic, not slim fit that I like. Not sure if they always carry it though.


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## CCabot (Oct 4, 2006)

I hate to say it, but I like the regular fit RL polos as well. They are always on sale at some point however, so never buy them retail. I have found their fit and length to be good. BB polos are also alright but as others have said, tend to be billowly. J. Crew polos are pretty cheap and logoless, but are cut a tad short. VV polos have been hit and miss for me. The new Lacostes are cut far too short in my opinion; impossible to tuck them in if you want. The L.L. Bean polos I have had were thick and unbearably hot in the summer, though they might do the trick in late spring/early fall. Have never tried the Lands' End polos.


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