The Vine: August 28, 2009
Hi Sarah,
I’m in a wardrobe rut and hope your readers can help. I have been trying more layered looks lately and really like the effect, but I’m trying to be thrifty and make the most of what is already in my closet.
Which includes a whole stack of well-made, well-fitting, but really dull polo shirts (all purchased a couple of years ago in a yet-to-be-fully-understood polo-shirt frenzy).
I have tried layering them with each other, but while this look is adorable on my 20-year-old niece, it just makes me look bulky and homeless. The one look I like is long-sleeve button-down shirt, with sleeves rolled up, under one of the looser short-sleeved striped polos, but I don’t think it looks good with the solids.
I’m looking for other ideas for a 40-something, non-petite but fashionable Northwesterner. Doesn’t have to be a layering option; I’m open to minor sewing or embellishing as well.
Now if someone could just help me figure out why my cats repeatedly excavate my summer bike clothes (and only my summer bike clothes) from the closet shelf, life would be golden.
JL
Dear JL,
I myself can’t help you; after buying a couple of polo shirts, realizing I never wore them because they made me look droopy, giving them to Goodwill, and making the same mistake again the next spring for like ten years in a row, I deputized Wing to fell me with a blow dart if I ever tried to buy another one.Cute look; doesn’t work on me at all.
But surely some of the less collared-shirt-averse readers can help with suggestions.Readers?
(NB: The pic just made me laugh; I’m not trying to bag on everyone who wears polo shirts. Juuuuuust…That Guy.)
Tags: Ask The Readers Congratulations: You're That Guy retail
Um, so this may be somewhat dependent on if JL presents as male or female.
Things to wear under the polo:
– camisoles/tank tops with lace at the top, and unbuttoning the polo further down than you’d normally go so it shows. (If cami/lace aren’t your thing, a complimentary solid color tank/t-shirt)
– fitted/thin t-shirt type long-sleeved shirts
– whether a tank/t/cami/whatever: try some that are a couple of inches longer than the polo, as well
Things to wear over the polo:
– fitted button-front cardigan with a scoop neck; not for everyone, but damned adorable on those it suits.
– somewhat casual jacket (i.e. not the one from your interview suit)
– pull-over sweater (v-neck)
Accessorizing/embellishing:
– Somewhat chunky necklaces (depending on your jewelry preferences and how close fitting the shirt is at the neck)
– changing the collar – contrasting stripes along the edge, swirly/floral embroidery on the main part of the collar, etc.
– different buttons for added interest
– take in the sides of the polo for a more figure-hugging fit (assuming you, uh, want to emphasize your midsection)
I’m of no help at all, but that picture alone makes this post worth it. Hee.
Polo shirts make me look like a cow, so I gave up on them in eighth grade. In my opinion (if you’re female) it all depends on how built you are in the chesticological region. If you’re a wisp of a thing, go for it, but if you’re over a B cup, it might be time to trade them in for something else at Value Village.
I’m gonna assume that JL is a female but just in case I’ll include an * for looks that are also flattering for men.
For autumn/winter:
*A V-necked sweater with either VERY short sleeves or, ideally, no sleeves. Super cute look.
A cami/tank underneath. Longer in length than the polo. And you want to keep the top unbuttoned a bit. (I think for a guy this would look douchebaggy.)
It might seem preppy, it is a polo after all, but sometimes I take a polo with a short collor, flip it up and pair it with a blazer, like here: http://tinyurl.com/l4cz2z
*Or pair one with a fitted jacket — like a military jacket — and keep the sleeves pushed up.
I found that with the right belt, you can pair a fitted polo with a nice knee-length skirt (like a pencil skirt). It can also create the illusion of a polo dress. Ridiculously flattering if the polo fits right throughout the shoulders.
When it comes to pairing them with pants, I think it’s best if the jeans are fitted but slacks are wide-leg, drapey. I prefer the later, usually pair that with a cute pair of pumps. Don’t ever pair it with khaki. Never ever. Ever.
AVOID HATS. You will always look like a caddy.
@Embees – wow, look at you go! Great list!
@Jen S, speaking for the chesticologically challenged, those polo shirts look pretty crappy on me too. Maybe you have to be SKINNY and flat-chested!
I love Jon Cryer, even in a pink polo with the collar up (and maybe a hint of nipple erection.) I blame the “Ducky” role, the “Try a Little Tenderness” scene.
Sadly, I have no advice. @Jen, chesticological? Best word of the day. Also, I like “chesticular”.
I would vote for layering with a non-polo shirt. You can get some light or “tissue thin” t-shirts (which I find annoying sometimes when I’m looking for a t-shirt that I can wear on its own) and maybe get them in some bolder colors or patterns. Unbotton the polo for maximum t-shirt showing. Obviously go with a high neck t-shirt. You might have to a hit a “younger” store for these shirt–although Old Navy should have layering type Ts for cheap too. You can pick and choose whether you want the sleeve to show–I’m never sure whether that’s a fashion yes or no, myself.
For alterations…maybe retrim the sleeve for an alternate look? Or maybe that’s why I don’t like polo shirts. I find some of the sleeves too binding. I also find some of them too long and I don’t like to tuck to them in–but maybe I’ve been stuck with group “unisex” polos too often instead of more woman-shaped ones.
Well, I can’t offer any advice of my own, but I did find an article on “Ways to Dress Up Women’s Polo Shirts” (http://tinyurl.com/ktec8o). You might try browsing around the blog there, considering that the domain name is polo-shirts.co.uk; they might offer some more good advice!
Ooh, that tinyurl got a bit screwed up, sorry. There’s no closed-parentheses at the end of the url, it should be just: http://tinyurl.com/ktec8o
I don’t have a great “do” suggestion, but if I may, I’d like to include one “don’t”: No matter what you do, do NOT pop the collar on the aforementioned polos. DO NOT! It will make you look like a Midwestern, faux-rebellious teenage mall rat, regardless of your actual age and location.
Wow – polos. That takes me back. I would have killed to have real Izods or Polos instead of the Penney’s Fox or Hunter’s Run ones I got, thereby dooming me to middle-school untouchability.
Turtlenecks with sleeves pushed up are a good classic (and warm) look underneath polos, as are other long-sleeved knit shirts – I think they would be much sleeker than button-down shirts underneath. Wearing a button-down shirt open, or only partially buttoned, over the polo is another good unisex option.
Another classic preppy look for the ladies is a loose scoopneck, drop-waisted jumper in denim or khaki or some other neutral color, although that’s less a fashion choice than a lifestyle/personality choice. I mean, do you spend a lot of time in the garden wearing straw hats, or wandering around the Vineyard in espadrilles?
Depending on how much the early 90’s influenced you, you could also go with kicky casual vests with solids, or solid casual vests with stripes.
However, if you want to go all the way and revisit middle school and the Preppy Handbook look circa 1982 (go class of ’87!), there’s always the argyle v-neck vest option, or for more of a sophomore year, new-wave-is-cool-but-Mom-still-buys-my-clothes-and-I’m-freaked-out-by-my-own-cleavage-anyway vibe, there’s the deep-V shaker sweater option.
No disrespect meant – it’s just, well, polos lend themselves to this.
Yeah, I wondered about including a popped collar. But it’s actually supposed to be popped! Lacoste himself said so! Heh. It keeps your neck from burning.
Polos are sort of unforgiving. Either you can rock ’em or you can’t.
Is that guy on the right Jon Cryer’s son or something? Because damn, it’s like Ducky went to Douche School.
I saw a great tutorial on craftzine.com for doing sewing machine embroidery on polos to add a little detailing to spice them up. Never considered myself skilled and/or stylish enough to pull it off, but maybe JL will! http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2008/03/threadheads_freehand_machine_e.html
“Ducky went to Douche School” –
I think this is Judd Apatow’s next movie.
@Margaret in CO – hee, thanks. Can you tell I’ve got a drawer full of the damned things that I’ve had to figure out how to work into regular rotation? (My own polo-purchasing spree was funded by my husband as a bribe to learn golf. The golf stuck; my enthusiasm for polos… not so much. See also: above discussion on chesticological issues)
Hey all – JL here – I am female. I realized after Sarah posted my letter that it’s not obvious from what I wrote. Thanks!
I have a c-cup and I look pretty hot in polos, so obvious it isn’t just a breast-size issue. Of course, I could be delusional and look like an idiot when I wear them. Hmmm. I tend to layer them over lightweight knit camis or tshirts, or top them with short-sleeved crew-neck sweaters, so the banded edge of the polo just peeks out from the end of the sweater sleeve.
“Ducky went to Douche School” –
I think this is Judd Apatow’s next movie.
It sounds like his overarching theme, actually. Or his mantra. He probably repeats it to himself when falling asleep “Douche school, douche school, douche school…”
Is it wrong that embee’s list kind of makes me want to go get some polos so I can try some of those looks?? Great list, lady. :-)
I wear a polo and a knee-length skirt almost every day in summer, and I like them with crew-neck undershirts underneath them. American Apparel makes them in colors, which is okay if you can stomach the complete and almost superhuman douchebaggery of AA’s founder, but if not H&M has them randomly, too, and for cheap.
I think they look good with a colored camisole underneath although I’m not much of one for lace. A little cardigan is cute, too. Avoid jeans jackets (and, as noted above, khakis).
For me the key thing is that they hit “high hip” and I go nuts trying to find ones that do, WITHOUT A LOGO (I’m giving you the death stare, Target) or other stupid embroidery on the front. My faves are the Land’s End in petite sizes, although if you weigh less than a buck-fifty even the XS are going to swim on you, honestly.
Love the picture. I think polos by themselves can look nice, if preppy. I don’t have much advice to offer other then that I don’t really like polos layered with other things…but that’s not actually helpful. I’m having trouble picturing the button down under the polo look because wouldn’t the double collar then look weird? I think polos look best by themselves. I have a couple that I wear with jeans, one being a little tighter than the other, and the tight one looks ok as a somewhat “nice” casual look, because you can see that I have curves but the big one definitely is super casual laundry day gear.
Oh, I just had a helpful though! If you’re trying to be thrifty do you have thrift stores in your area (such as http://www.buffaloexchange.com) where you can turn in nice used clothes for store credit to get other used clothes, and circumvent the polo shirt issue entirely?
I meant “thought” not “though” sorry.
I don’t have any advice about polo shirts, but if you’re up for a little sewing try: http://www.nikkishell.typepad.com/wardroberefashion. Wardrobe Refashion has a host of ideas and examples of the changes people have made to their old clothes, and generally the changes are relatively inexpensive.
A lot of this also has to do with the fit of the polo, and the weight of it. Are we talking something that ACTUALLY fits you through the shoulders, and is a little bit fitted through the body? Or is it a little big, hanging off your shoulders, a little heavy weight material, and then loose through the body? Nothing is going to rescue that, I’m afraid. CAN you unbutton it enough to show off a cami, or is it the two buttons that don’t go down far enough to show anything remotely cleaveage-y? As someone mentioned above, where on the hip are these hitting you? Somewhere flattering for your curves? If the answer to any of the above is no…just give up. You can’t rescue them, and it’s not worth trying, and your friends and coworkers are probably scheming to get you on What Not To Wear to get rid of your polos. I’m just saying. (Ahem. Not that my best friend ever was filmed for an early, unaired episode and walked out halfway through because she thought Wayne and Stacy were too mean…)
@Angie – I believe it’s Jon Cryer himself – just an older picture.
(Right, Sars? Right? Because if I’m hallucinating Jon Cryer, I need to put my head down until it passes…)
@Meara – I think Wayne & Stacy really are too mean, Clinton too. BBC’s Trinny & Suzannah are much nicer! Good for your buddy! I wish they’d show THAT footage..”Bite me, Stacy!” Ooh, I’d love to see that!
It’s just some rando; it’s not Cryer. The photo is linked, so the originating site may have info on it.
*puts her spinning head down on her desk for a few moments*
ANY shirt worn by a female with a B+Cup or better (a “full B cup” or above) is going to look boxy on her, unless said wearer (or her minions) take steps to ensure that it doesn’t. Steps can include: tapering the sideseams, so there’s a waist curve where you have one; putting in a pair of bust darts (at least one pair); if you’re REALLY busty, and bought a polo shirt big enough to span that bust, you may need to: 1) put in a pair of shoulder tucks, to raise the armhole seam to your shoulder level*; 2) put in a pair of bust darts; and 3) taper the waistline seam, so it curves in at the waist and out again at the hip.
A polo shirt will often look better if it’s shortened so that it lies about a hand’s-width below your navel; unless you’re very long-torsoed (a la Sars), it’s possible to wind up with a nice baggy polo shirt that extends halfway down your hips and obliterates your figure entirely. For reasons unknown to me, genuine polo sleeves, with those little bands, give me the whimwhams, so I recut the sleeves. ANY knit shirt can be edited to fit more attractively, via bust darts, fitting at the waist, shortening the overall shirtlength, and changing the sleeves and/or neckline. If you’re bored with that polo neck, you’re allowed to change it to a scoop or a V-neck!
Suggestion: practice your sartorial editing skills on T-shirts you no longer love before taking your scissors to your more expensive polo (or other) shirts, if you have little or no experience in taking in your clothes to fit you. Clothes that FIT are the single biggest change you can make to the way you dress; you can practice with pins until you like the way something looks. You don’t even need a sewing machine; having one speeds the stitching along, but isn’t really necessary.
*That faux-dropped shoulder look is the devil; it shrieks “I bought this six sizes too big to get it over my bust!” It can be improved by either one or two tucks (the same number of tucks each side) OR by shirring (gathering) along the shoulder seam and pulling it in until the shoulder seam matches where your arm meets your shoulder.
N.B.: Many of my tips are, in fact, aimed specifically at the kinds of fit problems that Meara, above, says CAN’T be fixed.
Apparently I get much more easily annoyed than Meara does – or I look much bulkier in knits that skate off my bosom than she does! It is generally easier to remove excess fabric from something than it is to figure out how to make something which is too small fit, so take whatever comfort is available from that thought. It’s a problem which some of us will have in almost ANY knit garment – polo tops, T-shirts, sweaters, knit dresses – and the same approach can be used on T-shirts, if you’re sick of having them always look baggy on you.