Styling Guide: How to Style a Men’s Knitted Shirt
What is a knit polo shirt?
Ah, the 87th most googled question of 2025 (after ‘Why is my goldfish turning green’).
A knit polo shirt looks like a polo shirt, sounds like a polo shirt, moves like a polo shirt – but is made from a knitted fabric – so it’s warm, yet still breathable. Giving you the cosiness of a warm log fire, whilst keeping you cool in summer. And without the toxic fumes.
What is the Difference Between a Knit Polo and a Regular Polo?
Knitted polos aren’t sewn, they’re knitted. That means they’re more textured than a regular polo, a bit more interesting, and a bit more breathable. Regular polos are great, but you can have a bit more fun with a knitted polo, hence their popularity.
Are Knit Polos Fashionable?
Is the Pope Chicagoan? Knitted Polos are the shirt for men in the year 2025 anno domini. Hollywood’s star players are all over a knitted polo at the moment. In fact, they’re not just over any random knitted polo, they’re all over a Percival knitted polo. Reynolds, Garfield, The Rock Johnson etc… Google it.
How to style a long sleeve knitted polo shirt
Long Sleeve Knitted Polo Shirts are pretty easy to style. They look great buttoned up as a base layer, or over a White T-shirt or vest as a sort of faux jacket. In terms of trousers, they’ll look superb with Jeans or Linen Trousers.
Are knit shirts good for summer?
Like proclaiming a ‘Near Miss!’ or ‘Celebrity News!’ – ‘Summer Knits’ may seem something of an oxymoron. In fact, they are the exact opposite. The knit is breathable, the sleeves are short, they look great with a pair of linen shorts and espadrilles.
You could say they are ‘Awfully Good’ for summer. Snarf.
Is knit cool in the summer?
Cool as in ‘are my nips showing’? Yes.
Cool as in whatever word Gen Z are using for it at the moment? Also, yes.
What do you wear with a knitted polo shirt?
The question should be what do you NOT wear with a knitted polo shirt. And the answer is another knitted polo shirt.
You can wear it with linen shorts, linen trousers, a linen suits, a moleskine notebook, a jaunty telescope, water wings, a pipe, and a small, talking vole.
We have just been informed that you may also wear it in all of the above, but in other fabrics too (we’re just really pushing our linens at the moment.)
TO THE BEACH
As the late, great Nicki Minaj once wrote, ‘Let’s go to the beach, beach, let’s go to the beach.’
Forget the soggy, knitted speedos of the 1800s, knits can work perfectly on the beach – in the form of a polo shirt, teamed with some casual linen shorts and a pair of boat shoes .
Think The Talented Mr Ripley or the tall one from The Durrells, tilting down your shades to look disapprovingly at the pale waterbeast standing before you.
FOR DATE NIGHT
It’s 1992, Cilla is waiting behind the wall. It slides back, the crowd cheers. Thank god you didn’t pick the ‘funny one’.
It’s 2005. Tinder is something that you lay on an open fire. And you’ve got a reply on Guardian Soumates!
It’s 2024, you swipe left. And well, you know the rest.
Wherever or whenever your date is, a knitted shirt gives you that timeless, classic, yet always-on trend look. It’s the unicorn of shirts.
Pair with linen or seersucker trousers, a linen blazer and loafers and you can guarantee at least an 8/10, ‘Would probably see each other again.’
Now tell them where they’re gonna go, our Graham!
TO A SUMMER WEDDING
Females have it easy don’t they. Midi dresses, maxi dresses, jumpsuits, normal suits, dungarees, antlers – they can wear whatever they want to a wedding. AND they can vote.
If you want to try something different and you’re not quite Harry Styles yet, then knitted shirts are your friend. Wear under a cool linen suit and enjoy your Mint Julep as everyone else slowly steams themselves to perfection.
CITY WEAR
Feeling Hot in the City? Getting Hot in Heeerrre? Other songs that imply feeling hot in urban areas?
If you want to look like a city slicker but without the slick. And by slick I mean slick of sweat. And by sweat I mean sweat. Then a polo knit shirt is your friend. It’s cool in both senses of the word and looks great with some cotton twill trousers, a classic overshirt and a pair of Converse. That’s right, we mentioned another brand. We’re that confident.
How should a knit polo shirt fit?
Unless you want to be commemorated in bronze outside an All Bar One (old reference it stays ok?) your knitted polo shirt should be ever so slightly loose. But definitely not baggy. Never baggy. In fact, there is an ancient rule that says you should be able to pinch 1-2 inches of fabric on either side of your torso. It was found written in a GeoCache in Hackney Fields.
Just never baggy.
Should You Tuck in Knitted Shirts & Polos?
You can tuck a polo or a knitted shirt if you fancy it, but a knitted shirt, especially, will look just as stylish untucked, or even unbuttoned. It’s one of the many beauties of a knitted shirt.
Should you size up or down for polo shirts?
Neither. Don’t be silly. Just pick your normal size. And unless you want to look like you’re here to fix the boiler, never ever size up.
Do Knit Polos Shrink?
They can do if you’re not careful. Make sure not to wash or dry your knitted polo at a high temperature. Let them dry naturally and if you’re going to machine wash them, ensure you do it at a tepid temperature.
