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The Best Polo Shirts for Men to Wear This Summer, Tested by an Editor

Refresh your summer fits with a wide variety of the versatile menswear essential.

By Adam Mansuroglu Plus Icon

Adam Mansuroglu

Former Director of Commerce for Footwear News and WWD

Top Men’s Polo Shirts 2025

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The polo shirt has become one of the most versatile wardrobe essentials for men — but not all polos are made equal. The best men’s polo shirts vary in fabrications, fits, and purpose of wear, because the relaxed-collared shirt with origins in the sport of tennis — thanks to René Lacoste — evolved into a semi-casual, everyday shirt that can be equally fitting for wedding attire, business attire, or just another lazy weekend with the guys.

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The classic cotton piqué polo shirt by Lacoste and Ralph Lauren’s signature cotton mesh styles are widely known and have been menswear favorites since their initial releases. Some time between the Lacoste’s 1920s creation and the 1972 launch of Ralph Lauren’s iconic polos, the knit polo shirt was embraced by old Hollywood style heavyweights from Steve McQueen to James Dean, which provided a relaxed feel that complimented the cool-guy attitude of these popular movie stars. The polo was paired with casual chinos, pleated trousers, and worn under suiting blazers and even lightweight sweaters.

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images; James Drake/Getty Images

The shirting alternative to a starchy button-down continued to play a crucial part in menswear wardrobes, especially as fabric developments with blends of polyester, elastane and the development of anti-bacterial silver ion technology continued to make the short-sleeved style essential fit the modern man’s lifestyle.

In 2019, there was a renaissance of the men’s knit polo shirt in Hollywood once again. As celebrity stylist Ilaria Urbinati explained to me back then for Men’s Health Magazine, the knit polo shirt is ideal for men to show off their sculpted biceps, pectorals, and shoulders — especially for her muscular A-list clients at the time, such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — while the fabric skims the midsection to flatter your form, providing great comfort, all while forgiving any less-than-toned abdomens. Following the casual codes of the pandemic, the knit polo shirt continued to grow in mainstream popularity outside of La-La Land.

Today, the leading men of Hollywood continue to push dressing codes with just about anything than the classic suit-and-tie combination, from tank tops under blazers to fresh silhouettes of men’s shirting sans jacket.

As for the designer runway collections, the top menswear shows of the spring 2026 season showcased the best polo shirts in oversized silhouettes at Giorgio Armani and Ami, to more classic iterations at Brioni and Bally.

As a veteran style editor that’s always greatly appreciated polos of all types, I’ve highlighted the best polo shirts I’ve worn, tested and coveted in the summer and year-round.

Sunspel Riviera Polo Shirt

$155

Buy Now at sunspel

Price upon publish date of this article: $155

Awearness by Kenneth Cole Slim Fit Jacquard Stripe Short Sleeve Polo Sweater

$29.99 $59.99 50% off

Buy Now at men’s wearhouse

Price upon publish date of this article: $29.99

Joseph Abboud Modern Fit Luxe Cotton Polo

$29.99 $39.99 25% off

Buy Now at men’s wearhouse

Price upon publish date of this article: $29.99

MR P. Organic Cotton Polo Shirt

Buy Now at mr porter $325

Todd Snyder Cotton-Linen Pique Montauk Polo

$198

Buy Now at todd snyder

Price upon publish date of this article: $198

Buck Mason Avalon Knit Polo

$128

Buy Now at buck mason

Price upon publish date of this article: $128

J.Crew Short-Sleeve Polo Cardigan Sweater

$98

Buy Now at j.crew

Price upon publish date of this article: $98

Ralph Lauren The Custom Polo

$168

Buy Now at ralph lauren

Price upon publish date of this article: $168

Bleusalt The Point Polo Lite

$150

Buy Now at bleusalt

Price upon publish date of this article: $150

John Varvatos Grana Polo

$348

Buy Now at john varvatos

Price upon publish date of this article: $348

Abercrombie & Fitch Classic Stitch Johnny Collar Sweater Polo

$48 $60 20% off

Buy Now at abercrombie & fitch

Price upon publish date of this article: $48

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Meet the Author

Adam Mansuroglu is the editorial director of commerce for WWD and Footwear News, overseeing shopping content and strategy for both brands, along with writing and editing shopping guides, product reviews, and trend stories across fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle product categories for men and women. Prior to his current role, Mansuroglu was a fashion editor and stylist at Cosmopolitan Magazine, style editor at BestProducts.com, and senior style and gear editor at Men’s Health Magazine. Mansuroglu has been tapped as a shopping expert for editorial websites such as Wirecutter, and his writing has also appeared in Out Magazine, Esquire and other publications.

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The Best Polo Shirts for Men to Wear This Summer, Tested by an Editor

Recent Articles by Adam Mansuroglu

Top Men’s Polo Shirts 2025

Sunspel Riviera Polo Shirt

Awearness by Kenneth Cole Slim Fit Jacquard Stripe Short Sleeve Polo Sweater

Joseph Abboud Modern Fit Luxe Cotton Polo

MR P. Organic Cotton Polo Shirt

Todd Snyder Cotton-Linen Pique Montauk Polo

Buck Mason Avalon Knit Polo

J.Crew Short-Sleeve Polo Cardigan Sweater

Ralph Lauren The Custom Polo

Bleusalt The Point Polo Lite

John Varvatos Grana Polo

Abercrombie & Fitch Classic Stitch Johnny Collar Sweater Polo

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Sunspel Riviera Polo Shirt

Awearness by Kenneth Cole Slim Fit Jacquard Stripe Short Sleeve Polo Sweater

Joseph Abboud Modern Fit Luxe Cotton Polo

MR P. Organic Cotton Polo Shirt

Todd Snyder Cotton-Linen Pique Montauk Polo

Buck Mason Avalon Knit Polo

J.Crew Short-Sleeve Polo Cardigan Sweater

Ralph Lauren The Custom Polo

Bleusalt The Point Polo Lite

John Varvatos Grana Polo

Abercrombie & Fitch Classic Stitch Johnny Collar Sweater Polo

Why Trust WWD

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