As the perfect compromise between smart and casual, polo shirts are ideal for any number of professional or personal scenarios.
As part of the uniform in a corporate, warehouse or hospitality setting, they ensure staff look the part and exude an aura of efficiency and expertise. Meanwhile, they’re also great when worn for sporting occasions or even as part of your everyday wardrobe. Stylish, comfortable and contemporary, it’s no surprise why the humble polo shirt is incredibly popular across all strata of society.
Of course, the details of the shirt itself are all-important in creating that first impression. The fabric, colors and design should all be chosen carefully to reflect the ethos of your brand (if comprising part of a uniform) or to express your individuality (if being worn as a casual item of clothing). One aspect of polo shirts which perhaps doesn’t receive quite so much attention as others, however, is the collar.
The collar is the defining feature of a polo shirt, since the garment gained its name from the fact that the first polos were worn by the British Army as the played the game of the same name on horseback.
This small but important modification caught the eye of John E Brooks, who was the grandson of Henry Sands Brooks, the founder of America’s oldest clothier, Brooks Brothers. Inspired to apply the same detail to all Brooks Brothers’ dress shirts, the buttoned down collar popularised by polo shirts quickly became “the most imitated item in the world of fashion”, according to popular legend.
In general, there are three different styles of collar to choose from when it comes to a polo shirt. These are comprised of:
As the name suggests, these collars are constructed from exactly the same fabric as the rest of the garment. This means that it is often both more comfortable and more long-lasting than some other options, since it is generally manufactured from high-quality materials. It creates an impressively professional aesthetic that is perfect for working environments such as retail or hospitality.
Knitted collars are perhaps the most popular option on the market and, similar to self-fabric collars, are created using the same yarns as the body and sleeves of the garment. However, unlike self-fabric collars, knitted collars can incorporate patterns and colors different from that contained within the rest of the polo, allowing for greater customization. They’re ideal for use in offices or warehouses with a smart/casual dress code.
Contrast collars are more closely aligned with the original polo shirts sported by the British Army on horseback. The “contrast” in their name comes not only from the two- or three-tone colors used to create a striking disparity with rest of the garment, but also from the fact that they’re constructed from different material.
Hopefully, with the above information of vaithunboco.com, customers can choose the right types of collars for the designs of the company or their own sewing factory.