# Is there no hope for the Polo Ralph Lauren Oxford Shirt?



## Brio1 (May 13, 2010)

Just wondering how many "Trads" would still consider wearing one of these? I was given one as a gift in the red university stripe. Looks like they picked up a custom fit from T.J. Maxx for $35.

How would it hold up under a sweater? Quite frankly, I may feel like a bit of a "chav" wearing it.:icon_pale:


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## closerlook (Sep 3, 2008)

its just the long arms with the small neck. who are they fitting???


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## Georgia (Aug 26, 2007)

I like the PRL Custom Fit oxfords. While they may not fit the most 'trad' in terms of formal definitions, it's a solid shirt. I do wish they had a pocket rather than the logo...


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## Sir Cingle (Aug 22, 2009)

I don't see any problem wearing such a shirt under a sweater.


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## pinkgreenpolo (Jul 15, 2005)

Ralph Lauren oxfords are a high quality shirt. I would put them up against any other shirt, even Brooks(minus the collars roll). The best part is as they age they get this awesome softness..and a vintage feel.. I do not have a problem with these shirts under a sweater. 

PGP


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## JCrewfan (Nov 9, 2008)

I have a couple that I like very much. In general, their sleeves run a little long for me. But I'll occasionally find irregular ones that have shorter sleeves.


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## Trip English (Dec 22, 2008)

The higher end blue-label shirts have no logos and are sized for neck and sleeves. A little more pricey and less "trad" in terms of cut, but very very well made shirts.


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## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

While BB Supima, Gitman bros., and LE Hyde Park ocbds are my staples...I always have a few prl buttondowns in my shirt collection. They are a good quality shirt. As noted above, I sure wish they had a pocket...but I really don't mind the logo. I wouldn't suggest them as one's "go-to" shirt...I think they definately have their place in your shirt collection. Not the greatest to wear with a tie because of the "short" no-roll collar, but I do it occasionally and it is certainly acceptable.


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## Brio1 (May 13, 2010)

Sir Cingle said:


> I don't see any problem wearing such a shirt under a sweater.


I should have asked if there is a need to hide the shirt under a sweater.

Anyway, I feel more confidant wearing one now that I'm aware that there are others partial to Trad clothing that on occasion don this shirt.

I'm just not sure how the smaller collar will hold up under a sweater. I will have to wait until later in the season to experiment.:cool2:


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## Dr.Watson (Sep 25, 2008)

I have long arms and a small neck; a PRL medium fits me like a custom made shirt. I have a few. Pinkgreenpolo is right, they age nicely. I wear them under alone and under sweaters.

I wish they did not have the logo too, but it doesn't matter to me all that much. I have said before that down here in the South, even the 'old money class' wear RL oxfords, so there is not really a 'chav' connontation. I don't know about D.C. however.


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## Brio1 (May 13, 2010)

Dr.Watson said:


> I have long arms and a small neck; a PRL medium fits me like a custom made shirt. I have a few. Pinkgreenpolo is right, they age nicely. I wear them under alone and under sweaters.
> 
> I wish they did not have the logo too, but it doesn't matter to me all that much. I have said before that down here in the South, even the 'old money class' wear RL oxfords, so there is not really a 'chav' connontation. I don't know about D.C. however.


Thanks, it's good to know how they are generally perceived in that neck of the woods as I'm originally from the South. Yes, back home in the Tidewater area (Williamsburg specifically) they are considered a "symbol of wealth" and worn by "old money".:icon_study:


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## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

Dr.Watson said:


> I have said before that down here in the South, even the 'old money class' wear RL oxfords, so there is not really a 'chav' connontation. I don't know about D.C. however.


As a Southerner I can vouch for the fact that no one looks down their nose at the polo logo. It is perfectly acceptable. Brooks Bros. didn't have the regional iconic tradition with the gentry that it did in the Northeast. PRL is seen today as just a quality buttondown...more recognizable than most.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

I like their oxford button downs. There isn't as much roll as on a Brooks Brothers, but it certainly isn't flat either. The collar points are also 3" compared to 3 3/8".

https://www.ralphlauren.com/product...b=ln_men_cs1_slimcustom-fit&parentPage=family

Same price as a BB shirt, which is available in Slim and Extra-Slim. Compare your options. I wish they had a pocket instead of the logo, too.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

PRL oxford cloth shirts are certainly not my first choice for OCBD's but, the are also not unacceptable. As others have noted, the proportional size of the collar and irregularities in sleeve length can be frustrating. However, a particularly good deal on the purchase, does seem to salve away the pain of such frustrations!


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## linklaw (Aug 1, 2007)

I have several PRL OCBD shirts that have been in my rotation for over three years. They have outlasted BB OCBDs which frayed at the cuffs and collars. Mine are the older shirts that have specific sleeve sizes rather than the newer average sleeve sized shirts. I prefer the exact sized sleeves but they are not available any longer.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Fortunately I come in at a perfect 16/35 so I could just take off the second button. At least they have that, unlike the crazy BB Black Fleece sizing.


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## Pugin (May 15, 2010)

If someone gives you such a shirt, fine. But I would avoid paying a man, even very little, to serve as his billboard.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

It bothers some people more than others. Polo has been branding their shirts and sweaters since at least the early '80s. Lacoste has been doing it for well over half a century. Not saying that makes it right, of course.


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## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

Pugin said:


> If someone gives you such a shirt, fine. But I would avoid paying a man, even very little, to serve as his billboard.


A principled stand. While I understand the sentiment, that Rubicon has been crossed by so many for so long that neither am I going to let the presence of a fairly discreet logo disqualify a quality garment from my wardrobe. Now that GIANT logo they've introduced recently should be a deal killer for anyone. It is not only distasteful it is garish and vulgar. Why is ole Ralph doing that? Surely he can afford a pair of reading glasses to see the smaller one...even if, like all of us, he is getting further along in years.


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## sjk (Dec 1, 2007)

Saltydog said:


> It is not only distasteful it is garish and vulgar. Why is ole Ralph doing that? Surely he can afford a pair of reading glasses to see the smaller one...even if, like all of us, he is getting further along in years.


In an interview in Fortune, I believe, a few years back, RL said that they introduced the Big Pony on the shirts of the ballboys and ballgirls and linespeople at the US Open and Wimbledon so that the logo, literally, could be better seen on television. The Big Pony has had, unfortunately, a life of it's own.


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

Personally I don't like them.

The logo irks me, the fit is wrong for me, the collar is too small and I like OCBDs that you can with or without a tie (and I really don't think polo's OCBDs look good under a suit or with a tie).

Having said that, they do seem to wear very well, even when you find old one's at thrift stores only those who've been treated with a ton of starch have fraying or deterioration.


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## sjk (Dec 1, 2007)

Two or three years ago, RL briefly offered a small batch of OCBDs from what they called the Bleecker line which were entirely unlogoed and had chest pockets, soft unlined collars and cuffs, side gussets, and came in exact collar and sleeve sizes. Some had the third button on the back of the collar, others didn't. They were a bit more expensive but I got a few at deep discount (as usual). Regrettably, I haven't seem since.


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## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

Leave the logo if they must...just give me a pocket. It may not be the most fashionable thing in the world. But the old saying: "As handy as a shirt pocket"...does hold more than a grain of truth.


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## Taken Aback (Aug 3, 2009)

Saltydog said:


> A principled stand. While I understand the sentiment, that Rubicon has been crossed by so many for so long that neither am I going to let the presence of a fairly discreet logo disqualify a quality garment from my wardrobe. Now that GIANT logo they've introduced recently should be a deal killer for anyone. It is not only distasteful it is garish and vulgar. Why is ole Ralph doing that? Surely he can afford a pair of reading glasses to see the smaller one...even if, like all of us, he is getting further along in years.


I like some of the smaller yachting/tennis versions. The sport logo isn't always accompanied by the name or initials.


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## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

Taken Aback said:


> I like some of the smaller yachting/tennis versions. The sport logo isn't always accompanied by the name or initials.


Yeah, the fish logos are fine too I think. Of course the Polo pony and rider doesn't have a name or initials on most of it's versions and the original/traditional is not large at all.


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## scn (Sep 5, 2007)

I'm a fan. While I don't have a "custom" fit, I do have a few classic fit OCBDs from RL. I think the newer models are particularly better; my two latest additions have longer tails reminiscent of the old shirts I would swipe from my dad's closet.

While I agree with others about the collar-not-right-for-ties comments, and I too tend to stay away from most logos (PRL is however almost ubiquitous in the south as others have mentioned) I have to say that they are among the better fitting shirts I own and a good sport shirt.


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## Valkyrie (Aug 27, 2009)

Sometimes we make interesting, if irrational, distinctions. Rules that only apply to ourselves. While I am not logo crazy, the little polo pony on polo shirts or plaid sport shirts is fine (for some reason) and I have a bunch of each. Dress shirts? I would never buy a shirt that I planned to wear a tie with that has a logo, so all BB OCBDs for me-for dress shirts, or dressed down dress shirts. For some reason the logo on a dress shirt with a tie is _too much_, like a pocket square _and_ a carnation. Less is sometimes more. And more is sometimes too much.


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## green_isle (Oct 16, 2009)

Not with a tie or suit. Otherwise great. IMO polo is about 25% better quality than other department store brands at similar prices.


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## Reptilicus (Dec 14, 2004)

closerlook said:


> its just the long arms with the small neck. who are they fitting???


I have been asking myself this question for 10 years.


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## jimmyfingers (Sep 14, 2010)

I have been working at Ralph Lauren Outlet store for about 2 weeks now. I got the job through a friend as a very very part time job pretty much to buy some clothes. I hate paying big money for clothes and I get 30% off from the outlets and 50% from the actual store and internet sites including Rugby. I have yet to make a purchase from them though, but plan on testing the Rugby oxfords and some of the Chinos. 

I really could care less about the logo and I actually like the very small pony. I cannot stand the giant pony they use. It seems like we get more and more stuff in our store that has the giant logo each time I go in.


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## Charles Saturn (May 27, 2010)

Do they even sell an on oxford cloth dress shirt. It looks like its all poplin, or what they call "fine" whatever that is.


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## PedanticTurkey (Jan 26, 2008)

RL apparently makes some without the logo... if you can choose a monogram, presumably you can choose nothing at all.

https://www.ralphlauren.com/product...1760781.3619200&csm=1&ab=CYO_MonoMode_3064569


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## Kurt N (Feb 11, 2009)

^ You'd think. But although the middle initial is optional, first and last are apparently required.


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## AldenPyle (Oct 8, 2006)

Bullet Point
From the bullet point

Ralph Lauren
Available everywhere and at many different quality price levels
Not always clear what quality level you are getting
Interesting colors
Many different cuts
Short collar points, no roll
Sleeve sizing at 2" intervals.


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## JimmyG (Jun 10, 2008)

I have a few of the older "big shirts" that have a pocket. Plus, the logo is on the shirt tail so if it's tucked in you can't see it (the newer ones have the logo on the pocket). They have held up well and are some of the softest and most comfortable shirts that I have. They still turn up on ebay from time to time. I've seen blue, white and pink solids and I picked up a nice yellow university stripe at the beginning of the summer.


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## Trotsky1940 (Jul 5, 2010)

I have an older one and don't like it... it's my usual size but feels like a tent on me. It's almost as big as the last Eddie Bauer shirt I had, which is _damn_ big. Plus the collar is small enough that it doesn't take a tie very well.


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## sjk (Dec 1, 2007)

The RL "Big Shirt" (c. 1991-2000) was definitely a casual shirt. The last versions of this shirt, if I remember correctly, which were offered in the earlier years of this decade (i.e. 2001-2) had pony logos on the pocket, which ruined the effect. I sized down from XL to L, otherwise I'd definitely be dealing with a sail. 

For all of RL's blather about "timeless style," the cuts and profiles of his clothing has been cyclical. Maybe this decade will see a resurgence of the generously cut shirt.


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## msphotog (Jul 5, 2006)

Several years ago, I started a thread about Chinese made RL shirts, and kind of went on a rant about how the chinese versions were cut too skimpy. After wearing them and also the Classic Oxfords with pocket, I realized that, like some RL shirts, the Classic Oxfords were cut a full size larger. I eventually quit wearing the C.O. shirts, and continued to wear the chinese made oxfords. BTW, the shirts were size XXL, and I should have bought XL in the Classic. One thing about the RL shirts is that the tails are shorter than BB by an inch or two, so they're better for wearing un-tucked :>)
Personally, I love BB must-iron OCBD's, but they are too heavy for any time except winter. I did get a couple of BB lightweight OCBD's that weren't non-iron, and they are incredibly soft, with seemingly no stiffener in the collar or placket. I really love those!
Different OCBD's for different occasions...


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## fred johnson (Jul 22, 2009)

I have quite a few of these shirts bought back before he started "naming" his shirts. They all are at least 10+ years old and have worn very well being still in excellent condition. They are all also exact neck/sleeve sized. His newer ones I would not buy. For some reason his shirts work best with only his ties, something about the 3" collar points no doubt.


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