# polo shirt under sport coat: yay or nay?



## WPNX (Jun 27, 2006)

I've searched around as much as possible and have found opinions on both sides of the issue, so I thought I'd put it to the board here (although I suspect I know what the majority of replies will be). 

Is it ever an acceptable look to wear a polo shirt underneath a sport coat/odd jacket? If so, what sort of characteristics would you be looking for in the jacket? 

I'm looking for something to help break up the monotany of the business casual look in my workplace and thought a bright coloured polo under a close fitting grey sport coat could be one possibility that would inject some vibrance and life into what is an otherwise fairly drab environment. 

Thanks, 
Mike


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## JLibourel (Jun 13, 2004)

I have read that that sainted icon of American style Jack Kennedy wore polo shirts with a suit on occasion and presumably a sport coat as well. Thus, if JFK can do it, I don't think you'll go too far amiss. I seem to think I have worn a polo shirt with a sport coat on rare occasions. However, it is not a look I particularly like, but then I'm not a great fan of polo shirts in general. My vote--and I'll be the the first to grant that there are many on this forum with much more sartorial sophistication and refined stylistic sensibilities than I--would be a lukewarm endorsement.


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## pkincy (Feb 9, 2006)

I suppose it would work. I have no problem with the polo under a sport coat (I do play golf, btw) but much prefer the look of the myriad mercerized cotton, or silk or lightweight wool Ts that are available today under a sport coat.

However in a business environment the Ts wouldn't work if you ever take off your sport coat in the office. A polo could.

But for BusCas i would probably go with a really nice open collar Italian shirt and dress slacks. That you also can wear a sport coat over and look a heck of a lot better.

Perry


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## wheredidyougetthathat (Mar 26, 2006)

a polo shirt w/ linen, silk, seersucker, etc sportsjacket looks just fine.

it's "party casual" rather than "business casual" though, imho.


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## Mr. Golem (Mar 18, 2006)

Like wheredidyougetthat said, if it's casual friday and summer then wearing a nice muted summer color would be just fine.


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

It's a reasonable look. Not really dressy, but a lot better than what a lot of people do.


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## WPNX (Jun 27, 2006)

Perhaps I should have added that at my workplace (or at least on my floor) the standard Mon-Thurs. wear is an open collar button down shirt (both long and short sleeve are present) with either wool dress pants or khakis, or a polo shirt and khakis. There are zero ties and zero jackets. On Friday jeans and t-shirts are acceptable. 

Just day-to-day wearing a well fitting polo shirt (think RL or Lacoste) with some nice respectable pants, and a halfway decent (think ecco) pair of brown oxfords would almost certainly make you the best dressed person on the floor.

I don't love the idea of wearing polo shirts too often other than on casual Friday's, and keeping with my goal of wanting to dress slightly better than anyone else (but not so much as to go to a suit or a jacket and tie) I thought I could perhaps dress them up a bit by wearing a sport coat over top. I was thinking this look would be more formal than just wearing the polo, but less formal than wearing a traditional OCBD under a jacket. 

I do have a greyish/blue odd jacket by Boss that is a wool/linen blend...perhaps I will experiment a bit with it this weekend to see if I like the look, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't making a massive fashion faux-pas by wearing a polo underneath. Thanks for the suggestion of a fine quality t-shirt underneath, that look would perhaps work well for me on casual friday's with a sport coat and some nice dark jeans.


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## DonV (Apr 2, 2006)

I always feel funny with a short-sleeved shirt on beneath a jacket. Or are we talking about long-sleeved polos?


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## Morris (Feb 13, 2006)

More of a Trad look, but I have no issue with it.


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## Will (Jun 15, 2004)

I wear a polo under a jacket in summer, on weekends, for something like a Sunday afternoon outdoor concert.


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## ziggy (Jun 5, 2006)

I don't like the look for me, but it doesn't bother me on others. I don't like the feel of the jacked on my bare arms, and not seeing a cuff seems odd.


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## alaric (May 23, 2005)

A great look for casual weekends. The "bare arms in the jacket sleeves" has never been a problem for me. As anything, it can be overdone, I would not like to wear it so often, it becomes my "summer uniform."

alaric


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