Are Sweater Polos (Knit Polos) Timeless, or Just a Trend?

Knitted polos or sweater polos have seen a resurgence in recent years, but in the 30s and 40s, they were highly popular before they fell out of favor. So, are they really timeless or just another trend that will wax and wane?

If you’re anything like us here at the Gentleman’s Gazette, you’re keeping up to date on all the latest menswear trends. After all, there is a difference between classic style and vintage style, and you might find an item that is in its very infancy of becoming a classic style piece.

Recent years have seen soaring interest in wearing a sweater or knit polo shirts, and they’re often paired with other trendy items, such as gurkhas. We’ve already placed our stamp on whether gurkhas are timeless or a trend. And if you want to learn more about it, you can check that out in our other guide.

Today, though, we’re going to look at the top half of one’s outfit and look at the polo shirt or polo sweater, and ask if it’s a timeless piece or just a trend. But before we can answer that question, we have to lay down its definition.

What Is a Knit Polo?

Somewhat unsurprisingly, the sweater or the knitted polo is a garment that is knitted together with materials you would typically find in a sweater but with a polo-type collar. So, this means it’ll have a short body, typically short sleeves, although it can have long, and a collar. This makes it look different from a knitted T-shirt. They may or may not have a complete opening in the front or just a pop-over style.

So, for the sake of this guide, we’re going to refer to all of these as knitted polos. The thing that differentiates a knitted polo from a regular polo is the lack of cotton. The main characteristic is that they’re typically made of materials that you would find in a traditional sweater, things like Merino wool or cashmere.

Moreover, cotton could be seen as a blend in these shirts but is typically not the main material, and at this point, you might be wondering, why is wool used? I mean, after all, it’s scratchy; it’s uncomfortable, like why would you do that? And while that might be the case for lambswool, Merino wool actually possesses naturally stretchy, lightweight properties and is great at regulating temperature. This is why, for example, some people swear by Merino wool socks.

You know that here at GG, we are all about the comfort of our cotton socks, but Merino wool is unbeaten when it comes to things like polos or sweaters. Silk is very similar in terms of temperature regulation, but it isn’t as stretchy or as elastic as wool is. Therefore, you commonly see these two as a blend; Merino and silk. This way, you get the balance between luxury and practicality. Silk production can actually be quite fascinating, and you can learn more about that in a separate post.

We thought it was very important to make this clear that there is a difference between this and another type of polo that’s been very popular, which is the toweling or terry cloth polo. These polos are typically made from a chunkier toweling cloth. Hence, the name terry cloth polo, and although they aren’t technically knitted, they look and are made in a very similar way to the knitted polo shirt.

History of Knitted Polos

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that several years ago, we did a review and looked at the history of the Lacoste polo shirt, and if you haven’t seen our honest review, we would highly recommend it, as Raphael does a deep dive into how the polo shirt came to be.

Since we need to have a little bit of history in this guide, and we don’t want you jumping back and forth between posts, I’ll give you a spoiler and say that polo shirts began to exist in the 1920s and 30s. However, these polo shirts were made from pique cotton. This particular weave of cotton allowed for more flexibility and breathability, which is perfect for playing sports in.

So, as the popularity of the polo shirt began to rise, people began to experiment with making them in different materials. Where pique is a complex weave to manufacture, in order to give cotton elasticity, certain types of wool were already prized for their natural stretchiness. They can be knitted in a much simpler flat stitch, making them quicker and easier to produce.

Therefore, knitted polo shirts really gained in popularity in the 30s and 40s, as people began to wear them away from the tennis courts. They were also especially present in the illustrations by famous menswear artist Lawrence Fellows. And, once again, the interest in knitted polos continues to rise.

In the 1950s, the knitted polo shirts popularity just continued to soar, and you can see this played out on the silver screen in The Talented Mr. Ripley. We did a “Menswear Expert Reacts” to this move, which may be of interest to you as well.

Even though the film was made in 1999, the costume department put a lot of effort into what was worn, which you can see by looking at other movies that came out in the 1950s and 60s, like 1963’s Any Number Can Win. This is also when the Aloha Fridays trend began to happen, which was the precursor to Casual Fridays. This is also a potential reason why society dresses much more casually nowadays. Incorporating knit polos into their own outfits allow people to relax, not only on the weekend but in the office as well.

Knit polos are more casual, but the fact that they possess a collar and buttons makes them a lot more dressed up than the typical T-shirt, which is a winning combination. 

[Image Credit: Vintage Dancer]

So, because of this, in the 80s and 90s, it’s only natural that knit polos were not very popular for much of the 21st century, but in recent years, has seen a lot of the styles of the 50s comeback through modern wearability.

Much like in previous decades, today’s film stars are giving the knit polo a boost in popularity. For example, Daniel Craig’s knit polo in Spectre was a much talked about element of his hot weather wear when James Bond was in Morocco. As was much of James Bond’s wardrobe, this piece came from Tong Ford and was $960.

How To Wear Knit Polos

Get The Fit Right

First things first, get the fit right. You don’t want a piece like this to look baggy, but on the other end of the spectrum, we also don’t want this piece to be too tight. Even though the materials in a knit polo will differ from a cotton polo, you really should strive to have the fit be the same.

If you’re confused about polo shirt fit, you can check out our other guide, where Kyle goes into how a polo shirt should fit.

Go With Solid Colors

One of the things that date many of the knit polos are stripes and color blocking. Again, refer back to Chandler Bing. If you buy something with a lot of color and pattern, you can very quickly look like you’re wearing a bowling shirt, or a bad 1970s costume. Therefore, it’s best to pick a solid color where you can showcase the knitted material. And much like other knitted garments like sweaters, a classic cable knit will look a lot better than a bunch of wild patterns.

For A Vintage Aesthetic

As knitted polos do have a more Golden Age of Menswear aesthetic, you might want to go all in and go with a complete vintage-inspired outfit. So, to make this look good without making it look like a costume, here’s some advice to take.

Keep your polo tucked into your trousers. The trousers should be high-waisted with deep pleats; think of something like Hollywood trousers or gurkha trousers. You can also add in some casual footwear, like a pair of spectators or white bucks, and if you’re feeling really brave, add in a blazer, and extra points if you put the polo collar over the lapels.

If you’re really feeling like topping it off, add it in an ascot. If you catch a polo solid in color, adding a little splash around your neckline is a good touch here.

For A Classic (Understated Elegance) Look

Of course, a vintage-based ensemble might not be for everyone, so let’s consider how you can incorporate a knitted polo into a classic look full of understated elegance.

Simple chinos will form the outfit nicely, or you can go with a pair of gurkha trousers, but regardless, we suggest tucking the polo in. Also, keep in mind that your chinos or gurkha trousers don’t have to be as full of a cut to have a good look. But at the same time, we also would advocate that you don’t go for a skinny fit.

A plain pair of Derby shoes make for a great pair of footwear and avoid dark colors as they typically raise the formality level. Instead, go for like a mid-brown. Instead of a sports jacket, go for a shawl-collared cardigan. In this look, a structured sports jacket would just look way too formal, whereas the cardigan looks a lot more relaxed. But don’t worry, putting a knit polo with a knitted cardigan isn’t like a Canadian tuxedo; you can wear knit and knit.

For A Modern Take

If you’re looking for a more contemporary or modern take on this, we have you covered as well. 

Start by switching out the chinos for some sartorial denim; a good pair of dark wash jeans that are cut to fit you is a great addition to keep your classic wardrobe relevant. By choosing dark blue tones, your pants will look smart but not too stuffy.

Adding in some well-designed leather sneakers is the next step here. A cordovan dress sneakers as a perfect example of the type of thing we’re talking about here. Simple, elegant, but spot on for contemporary styling. And for those who aren’t fans of sneakers, a classic penny loafer would look great here, too.

An overshirt or shacket would also round out the outfit nicely, giving you a little bit of utility and some extra pockets. Again, a blazer or sports jacket would just be a little bit too formal, so adding in an overshirt balances it out nicely.

Knit Polos: Timeless or Trend?

Given everything that we’ve discussed today, we are firmly in the camp that they are a timeless piece, if done correctly. After all, we are fans of classic menswear, so we’re very happy when a classic piece spikes in popularity. But keep in mind, if you’re adding one to your wardrobe, to add one that doesn’t get dated quickly. Focus on a great fit and simple style, so you can transcend trends.

As an added bonus, this sort of vintage trend seems to be in right now, so you also could find ones that are gently used for a really great price. However, we would still recommend that you buy something new, as they cut, and the condition will last a lot longer than a vintage piece. 

What are your thoughts on knitted polos? Is it something that you already own that you wear every single day? We want to hear more about it in the comments below.

Outfit Rundown

Today, I have a classic business casual ensemble. I was going to wear a knitted polo, but the one that we ordered was way too tight. So, instead, I’m wearing a blue and white striped university Oxford cloth button-down shirt. It’s made to measure by Proper Cloth. I have a simple brown belt and some L.L. Bean tan chinos.

My socks are our Fort Belvedere Prussian blue and gray shadow stripes. On my feet is a pair of blue suede unlined Loro Piana Summer Walk loafers. These are another piece that are very trendy right now. If you want to check out these socks, or any of the other cool products we have over at Fort Belvedere, check out our shop here. My cologne today is one that I go with quite often, which is Aventus by Creed.