Why knit polos?

Are knitted polos good for summer? Yes. A fine-gauge cotton knit polo is breathable in a way a woven shirt is not, dries fast, and still looks right at dinner. It is also the polo that sits under a blazer, which is why the knit polo has moved from sportswear to a fixture of men's smart casual dressing.

This page answers the questions people ask before they buy a first knit polo: what it is, whether it counts as business casual, how it should fit, how to wash it and whether a luxury knit polo is worth the price. Legacy London (formerly LCY London) designs its knit polos in London and knits them in cotton in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Where we name our own pieces, the composition, measurements and current price are on each product page.

What is a knit polo?

A knit polo is a polo shirt made like a fine jumper. The yarn is knitted on fine-gauge machines into the panels of the garment, the collar is knitted as part of the shirt, and the pieces are linked together. A regular polo shirt is cut and sewn from pique cotton, a textured fabric with a raised honeycomb surface, and has a separate collar stitched on, with a rib only at the collar and cuffs.

So are polos knit or woven? Neither kind is woven. Both start as knitted fabric, which is why a polo stretches where a woven shirt, with its fixed weave, does not. Only the knit polo is built as knitwear, and that is where the differences come from. A knit polo drapes and stretches. The collar rolls rather than curls. The surface is smooth enough to carry a pattern knitted into the fabric rather than printed on it. A piqué polo is stiffer and sportier, and it holds a crease at the placket. Our journal compares the two in cotton vs piqué polo, and the complete guide to knitted polo shirts goes deeper on gauge and construction.

Most knit polos have a short sleeve and a two or three-button placket, or an open collar with no buttons at all. Long sleeve and half zip versions exist for cooler months. Our own range includes two zip-neck styles alongside the button plackets.

Are knitted polos good for summer?

Yes, when the knit is cotton and the gauge is fine. The open structure of the knit lets air move through the garment, so breathability is built in. Cotton takes up moisture and dries fast, and a short sleeve knit polo weighs little more than a T-shirt. On a warm evening it is cooler than a woven shirt, with the collar still in place.

Two things make a knit polo hot. The first is fibre: a polyester-heavy blend traps heat and pills. The second is weight: a chunky winter gauge is a jumper with a collar, not a summer garment. Check the composition on the product page and look for the words fine gauge or fine knit.

In our range, the Vertical Pointelle Button Down Knit Polo is the hot-weather pick: 100% cotton, knitted in a pointelle with perforated stripes that let air straight through. The Limoncello Pinstripe Knit Polo Shirt and the Sorrento Chevron Knit Polo are cotton knits with texture in place of a print, and both breathe.

Are knit polos business casual?

Yes. In a smart-casual office a knit polo stands in for a shirt. The collar gives you structure without a tie, the fabric sits flat under a blazer, and nothing bunches at the waist the way a woven shirt does. Pair a plain or fine-patterned knit polo in navy, black or grey with a tailored trouser and loafers, and keep the blazer unstructured so the two layers move together.

A knit polo is not a dress shirt. For formal office attire, a meeting where the clients wear suits, or any room where a tie is expected, wear the shirt. For everything between those rooms and the weekend, the knit polo is the easier garment. Our journal has the combinations in smart casual polo shirts for men.

For the office, take a structured or tailored fit in a darker colour. The 3D Optical Geometric Knit Polo Shirt in Black is cut with a structured fit for that room, and its 3D cube jacquard reads as texture rather than pattern across a table.

Are knit polos in style?

They are. René Lacoste's 1926 tennis shirt was knitted piqué sportswear, the knitted polo was the mid-century shape, and the men's style pages list knit polos again every summer. The reason is practical: offices went casual and men still want a collar. Our history of the piqué polo shirt tells the longer story.

What has changed is the pattern. Plain navy is still the staple, and a jacquard or textured knit, with the design knitted into the cloth, marks this decade. The house dates from 1997, and the knit polo is its garment rather than a season's trend.

How should a knit polo fit?

Closer than a woven polo, because the knit follows you. The shoulder seam should sit on the shoulder bone, not down the arm. Through the body you should be able to pinch about an inch of fabric at the side seam. The hem finishes at the belt line so it works tucked or untucked, and a short sleeve ends at mid-bicep.

Our knits are cut close to the body, closer than UK high street sizing, and sizes run S to XL. If you are between sizes, take the next size up. The fit also changes by style and each product page states it: the 3D Optical and the Capri Wave are structured, the Majolica, Sorrento and Limoncello are tailored, the Interlocking Tile is a regular fit with a rib at the hem and cuffs, and the Moderna is a relaxed resort fit. Compare any size with the garment measurements in how we measure before you order.

What to wear with a knit polo

A tailored trouser and loafers. The combination the knit polo was made for. Navy or charcoal trousers, a plain or fine-textured knit, leather loafers, and a blazer when the evening needs one.

Chinos and trainers. The weekend version. Stone or olive chinos, a patterned jacquard knit, clean white trainers or sneakers. Keep the trouser slim enough that the drape of the knit does the talking.

Tailored shorts. For real heat, a lightweight knit with light cotton shorts and sandals or espadrilles.

Tuck or untuck by the trouser: tuck a knit into tailored trousers with a belt, leave it out over chinos. Our journal has more in what to wear with a knitted polo.

Which knit polo to start with

Every men's knitted polo we have in stock sits in one collection: men's knitted polo shirts, nine styles, all cotton, all in S to XL. If you want one knit polo, start here:

• For most men: the 3D Optical Geometric Knit Polo Shirt, our best seller, in Black, Rust Orange or Mint Green. Structured fit, 100% cotton, a 3D cube jacquard that plays with light and shadow.
• For texture without a pattern: the Sorrento Chevron Knit Polo in Grey, Butter or White, or the Limoncello Pinstripe in Navy Blue or Beige. Both are tailored fits.
• For heat: the Vertical Pointelle Button Down Knit Polo in White, Beige or Powder Blue.
• For a zip instead of buttons: the Capri Wave Textured Zipper Polo in Navy or Pine Green, with a drop-needle wave texture, or the Vertical Colour Block Zipper Polo.
• For a bolder pattern: the Majolica Geometric Jacquard or the Moderna Graphic Statement, both knitted in cotton.

Every one is designed in London and knitted in Colombo, and none carries a logo. Delivery is free and tracked, and you have 30 days to return or exchange, with postage at your cost. The plain and striped knits sit in the Riviera.

How to wash a knit polo, and do knit polos shrink?

A knit polo shrinks when you heat it, and for no other reason. Wash it cold or at 30°C on a gentle cycle, inside out, in a mesh bag, with the buttons closed so the placket keeps its line. Use a mild detergent and no fabric softener. Then dry it flat on a towel, reshape the collar while it is damp, and keep it away from radiators and direct sun.

Can you hang a knit polo? Not wet, and not for storage. A wet knit stretches at the shoulders and neck under its own weight, and a hanger puts peaks in the shoulders over a season. Fold it. Skip the tumble dryer, because even a low setting can shrink a cotton knit. The full routine, including pilling and stains, is in our knitwear care guide.

Are luxury knit polos worth the price?

Judge it by cost per wear. A knit polo you wear every week for several summers costs a fraction per wear of a cheaper polo that pills in its first season. Before you buy, compare four things on the product page: the composition (cotton rather than a polyester-heavy blend), the garment measurements against a piece you own, the care it asks for, and the current price.

What a well-made knit polo gives you for the money: panels knitted to shape rather than cut from cloth, a collar knitted in so it rolls instead of curling, cotton that softens with washing, and a surface that carries the pattern in the knit itself. What it should never cost you is a logo on the chest. Ours carry none, and our fabrics are tested to OEKO-TEX Standard 100, the one certification we hold. If quiet luxury is the phrase you had in mind, our quiet luxury guide sets out what to look for.

Start with the men's knitted polo shirts, or read the complete guide to knitted polo shirts for gauge, construction and the Riviera and Amalfi ranges.

Frequently asked questions

Are knitted polos good for summer?

Yes, in a fine-gauge cotton knit. The open knit lets air through, cotton dries fast, and a short sleeve knit polo weighs little more than a T-shirt. Avoid polyester-heavy blends and chunky winter gauges.

Are knit polos business casual?

Yes. A plain or fine-patterned knit polo with tailored trousers and loafers works in a smart-casual office, and it sits flat under a blazer. It does not replace a dress shirt where a tie is expected.

What is the difference between a knit polo and a regular polo shirt?

A regular polo is cut and sewn from piqué cotton with a separate collar stitched on. A knit polo is built like fine knitwear: the panels are knitted to shape, the collar is knitted as part of the shirt, and the fabric drapes and stretches.

Do knit polos shrink?

Only with heat. Wash cold or at 30°C on a gentle cycle, skip the tumble dryer and dry flat, and a cotton knit polo keeps its size and shape.

Can you hang a knit polo?

Not while wet, and not for storage. Hanging stretches the shoulders and neck. Dry it flat and fold it on a shelf.

Are knit polos in style?

Yes. The polo has been a knitted garment since René Lacoste's 1926 tennis shirt, and the knit polo is now a fixture of smart casual menswear. Plain navy is the staple, and jacquard and textured knits are the current shape.