The best knitted polo shirts for injecting some mod energy into your wardrobe
From Jacob Elordi to Pharrell Williams, the knitted polo shirt is a modish style staple. Find yours with GQ's pick of the most praiseworthy polos out there
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Once upon a time, evoking an image of the best knitted polo shirts might have meant 1950s Italian-America, The Talented Mr Ripley’s Dickie or even Mad Men’s Don Draper. Today, you may also think of Jacob Elordi in Saltburn and its attached press tour — we all remember the star in that perennial sell-out Ami Paris number on Jimmy Kimmel, don’t we? Modern retro or a modern classic, the truth is that the knitted polo is becoming almost as important a wardrobe staple as a T-shirt and a pair of chinos.
Percival ‘Pablo’ knit polo shirt | Duke + Dexter ‘Wilde Orange’ loafers | Burberry ‘Kensington’ trench coat
What are GQ's best knitted polo shirts for men?
- Best overall knitted polo shirt: Arket, £67 at arket.com
- Best retro style knitted polo shirt: Percival x Ilaria Urbinati, £149 at percivalclo.com
- Best chunky knitted polo shirt: Ami Paris, £420 at flannels.com
- Best knitted polo shirt by a classic brand: John Smedley, £230 at johnsmedley.com
- Best textured knitted polo shirt: Mr P., £225 at mrporter.com
What is a knitted polo shirt?
Characterised by the louche sportswear vibe of the original cotton polo shirt, the textured knit polo takes many of the same cues as the preppy stalwart, what with its soft collar and button fastening. The original polo shirt, though, originates (as the name suggests) as the preferred uniform of polo players: short sleeves encourage mobility while pique cotton lends itself to breathability also favoured by tennis players. The main difference between this original and the knitted update comes in the construction: while many do appear in knit cotton, you’ll also find plenty of merino wool options that err on the smart side of smart-casual.
Some country club types may still wear theirs with blazers (or sport coats) and loafers but there’s a myriad of ways to wear yours, whether it’s a jacquard, a crochet or a merino wool polo. From new in to British and American stalwarts, here are our picks of the best knitted polo shirts you can buy right now.
Which knitted polo shirts are best for a smart casual look?
The nature of the knitted polo shirt — that is, generally relaxed in fit and topped with a short placket of buttons — lends it perfectly to smart casual dressing that hits almost every single time. To err on the smarter side of the spectrum, try buttoning yours to the top and pairing with dress pants and loafers (with a flash of white sock for a more modish look). For something more caszh, just add your favourite pair of straight leg tapered jeans and box fresh sneakers: you can get away with opening up pretty much every button on that placket, particularly if there's a curb chain necklace flashing underneath.
How do we select our favourite knitted polo shirts?
So, how exactly do we choose what constitutes the best knitted polo shirts for men in 2024? Simple. We know our stuff, we do our research, and we get out there to experience as much product as possible.
Our section head of menswear for GQ Recommends, Heidi Quill, is obsessed with clothes. Joining British GQ in 2021, Heidi might primarily look after clothing content, but she spends a healthy amount of time up to her neck in samples, checking product for the very best quality, price and design, all before recommending it to you. That includes knowing everything there is to know about an excellent knitted polo.
Finely balanced between smart and casual, this menswear staple ought to have a short, sharp placket and use either a cotton or wool blend to create a textural finish. That's in the minds of Heidi and our team of contributing writers and freelancers (Jessie Atkinson, Faye Fearon and Adam Cheung), anyway. Scroll on for their top picks.
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