Hybrid design is a tricky proposition (see: zip-off cargo pants), but the best knitted polo shirts are the exception to the rule. How, exactly, do they manage to pull it off? Simple: by combining the telltale elements of two reliable menswear stalwarts—the sweater and the polo—and ensuring that 1+1 really does equal 3. So let’s start with the first half of that equation.
The sweater is renowned for its uncanny ability to render its wearer delightfully cozy without sacrificing any respectability in the process. The polo is a shirt that dads and your WASPiest friends have worn on the weekends and golf courses since the dawn of time. Back in the days of goodfellas like Henry Hill, though, knit polo shirts in lightweight fabrics, frequently embellished with bold patterns, were a go-to. And as luck would have it, the style gods have brought them back right as a new wave of old man style is reaching high tide.
Whether you’re on your Mad Men-era power lunch tip, woefully posturing your way through country club life, or simply looking for something else to wear besides tees and camp shirts this summer, the best knit polo shirts deliver in a big way—and every version worth knowing about is right here.
The Best Knitted Polo Shirts, According to GQ
Best Budget Knit Polo: Abercrombie & Fitch Open Stitch Sweater Polo
If you’re a little timid about diving into the texture-heavy deep end of the knit polo market, Abercrombie’s enormous selection of stylish, sub-$100 options can help you test the waters without breaking the bank. This particular option isn’t only easy on the wallet—because it’s on the more minimal side (single color, buttonless design), its integration into your wardrobe doesn’t require a full style overhaul. And should you learn to love the vibe, there’s an entire quiver of options to help you double or triple down on the look for the rest of summer.
Best Long-Sleeve Knit Polo: Beams Plus Striped Knitted Polo Shirt
Menswear writers (us) like to indulge in the annoying habit of anointing “staples”. You know the type of pieces we’re talking about here: they’re versatile, sure, and you should probably own one or two of them, but you could definitely make it through life largely unscathed in their absence. So consider this both a mea culpa and a doubling-down on the idea—because the long-sleeve knit polo fits the bill to a T. Do you really need one if you already own one of its short-sleeve counterparts? Probably not. Will your wardrobe be all the better for it the moment you buy one? Absolutely. Take this pleasantly retro version from Japan’s answer to J.Crew as an example. No matter the context, it’ll rise to the occasion with spectacular alacrity, dressing down a nubby linen blazer at your next rooftop drinks hang, or elevating your jeans during a hazy night out. We’re really trying to curb our tendency of wantonly anointing “staples”, but damn, Beams Plus makes it hard.
Best Everyday Knit Polo: Madewell Three-Button Sweater Polo Shirt
If you’ve ever owned a knit polo, you know how easily the right one can become an everyday go-to—or an everyday want-to, depending on your laundry cycle. The journey there starts off simple enough: you try wearing one with a crisp pair of trousers, and before you know it, you’re wearing it with every pair of mid-rise jeans you own. (It’s all over after that.) That entire rigmarole is part and parcel of the knit polo’s appeal, and few encapsulate its distinct brand of versatility like Madewell’s, the born-again powerhouse of jack-of-all-trades menswear. This version boasts a Godlilocks length, a perfectly-dialed collar, and just enough visual interest to land it a starting spot in your weekly rotation.
Best Designer Knit Polo: Wales Bonner Sonic Stripe Long Sleeve Rib Polo
A classic is a classic is a classic—at least until a designer like British wunderkind Grace Wales Bonner gets her hands on it. Her signature soccer jersey-adjacent knit polos, for example, imbue the erstwhile casual Friday hall-of-famer with a jolt of retro-sporty flair: slim profile, slinky cotton fabric, pronounced V-neck collar. All of them are good, but the way the blue collides with the green on this gorgeous striped number transforms it into an instant—and thoroughly modern—classic. No need to worry about toning those verdant colors down: When the silhouette is this rooted in menswear lore, it’ll hold its own against whatever you throw at it.
Best Knit Polo for Summer: Banana Republic Giorgio Linen-Cotton Resort Shirt
If you just checked the weather app and realized it’s going to be, like, tropics-level balmy for the next few weeks, the last thing you need is to expend undue energy worrying about what to wear. Short of going shirtless, your best bet is linen, the unbeatable summer fabric prized for its easy, breezy nature and nubby handfeel. We’re on-the-record fans of linen shirts of every flavor, but Banana Republic’s cotton-linen riff on the knit polo is especially drool-worthy for its sheer versatility. If the airy knit pattern isn’t enough to whet your appetite, the full-placket front will get your tummy rumbling. Rock it buttoned, semi-buttoned, or totally unbuttoned as the weather dictates.
Best Upgrade Knit Polo: John Smedley Sea Island Cotton-Piqué Polo Shirt
So you’ve mastered the beginner-level knit polo. Maybe you own one of them, maybe you own ten. Either way, you no longer need convincing of its unimpeachable outfit-upgrading prowess—which means it’s time to upgrade your own selection, too. Enter John Smedley, the generations-old British label whose knit polos are so storied, so sumptuous, its riff on the style was the only version to secure a coveted spot in GQ’s inaugural All-Stars class. For decades now, Smedley has thrown the full weight of its expertise behind a second-to-none selection of preposterously soft pique-knit polos that fit like a sweater but wear like the laid-back collared joints you grew up with. The secret to their success is two-fold: the Sea Island cotton, which might literally be the softest in the world, and that thoughtful ribbing along both the sleeves and hem. Paul Revere was right: The British are, indeed, coming…for your polo rotation.
Best Links-Ready Knit Polo: Metalwood Studio Crossline Knit Polo
Are you a self-proclaimed cool guy who likes to golf? You’re in luck—these days, there’s no reason your on-course fits shouldn’t reflect that. In 2024, there are more ways than ever to skip the drab, ill-fitting khakis and mesh-y pique polos that used to dominate the links. Metalwood’s Crossline knit polo, for example, looks equally at home at the country club during the daytime and next to the pool table later that night. The loose fit lets you sweat it out in style, while the pattern is interesting but not overly chaotic—kind of like your “signature” stroke.
More Knit Polos We Love
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