How to Wear a Knit Polo Without Looking Like a Retiree

The knit polo has a reputation problem. Say the words and most guys picture their uncle at a country club, tucking a patterned knit polo into pleated khakis. But designers from Lemaire to Our Legacy have been championing the knit polo as one of the most sophisticated casual tops in menswear.

Fabric and gauge determine the polo character. A fine-gauge merino or cotton knit polo with a clean finish reads contemporary and elegant. A chunky, cable-knit polo reads heritage and vintage. For avoiding the retiree association, start with fine gauge in a solid color.

Gauge is a number, not a mood. It counts needles per inch on the knitting machine, so a 30-gauge polo is knitted at thirty needles to the inch and comes out closer to a shirt than a jumper. John Smedley, knitting at Lea Mills in Derbyshire since 1784, works at 30-gauge in sea island cotton and 24-gauge in merino, and its polos start at around $250. A 7-gauge polo is a chunky knit and belongs with heavy trousers and boots.

Fibre decides how it ages. Long-staple cotton and good merino pill slowly because the fibres are long enough to stay twisted into the yarn. Cheap cotton-polyester blends pill at the underarm and along the seatbelt line inside a season, and once a synthetic blend pills you cannot fix it. The shaver just raises fresh fuzz. If the composition label reads above 20 percent polyester, put it back.

Fit should be relaxed, not loose. The knit polo should skim your torso with a bit of ease, not cling to every contour. A slightly boxy or dropped-shoulder cut reads as a deliberate style choice.

Collar treatment matters enormously. Button the polo all the way up for a mod-inspired look. Leave it completely open for a casual drape. The middle ground, one button undone, is the most conventional and also the most forgettable.

The hem tells you whether to tuck. A ribbed waistband is engineered to grip your hips and sit untucked; push it into a waistband and it bunches into a ring. A straight flat hem, sometimes with a slight shirttail curve, will tuck and stay put. Look at the bottom of the garment before you decide what to wear it with.

Pair down instead of up. A knit polo with jeans and sneakers reads modern. A knit polo with tailored trousers and loafers reads smart casual. A knit polo tucked into khakis with a belt is where you enter the danger zone.

For knit polos that nail the contemporary balance, check NN07 and John Smedley. NN07 Ryan Knit Polo runs about $140 and fits the modern silhouette perfectly. Browse NN07 at https://www.nn07.com.

Never hang a knit polo. The collar and shoulders stretch under the weight of the body and it grows an inch or two you will not get back. Wash at 30 degrees on a wool cycle or by hand, press the water out instead of wringing, and dry it flat on a towel. Fold it for storage. A cedar block costs about $8 and does more against moths than anything in a spray can.

The knit polo becomes a retiree garment only when it is worn in a retiree context. Change the context and you unlock one of the most versatile warm-weather tops in menswear.