Why are Polo Shirts the first choice of business owners for their employees? Aren't Polo Shirts ugly and often filthy?

They are really ugly. I guess they want the formality of a collared shirt, but I can’t see how a polo shirt is any more professional than a t-shirt. You certainly couldn’t wear a polo to most offices. The only thing I can think of is that they must be a lot cheaper than button-down collared shirts, and that most employers think a collar is a requirement for a presentable uniform. (And they always make you wear Khakis. WTF, why pair the world’s ugliest shirt with the world’s ugliest pants.) Every other uniform out there has turned into some sort of fetish, but khakis and polos are just too damn ugly. I think eating poo is more popular than this.

They wash well, and don’t have to be ironed. The fabric on regular T-shirts don’t hold up to the abuse as well, if only from the weight of the fabric alone. A T-shirt is essentially a man’s undershirt with graphics on it.

Many corporations encourage associates to wear corporate branded polos with khakis on business casual Fridays, so yes, they do show up in office environment settings. T-shirts are a no-no.

What about a thick t-shirt made with similar fabric? Why is the actual shape of the T-shirt considered a problem, when the Polo, by far, looks way more awkward and goofy?

I like the Apple Store T shirts. They are probably pretty cheap but they always look professional.

Awkward and goofy is perhaps subjective. T-shirts are only attractive on young, fit bodies. Not everyone who works at places where polos are part of the uniform fit that criteria. A t-shirt tucked in to pants with a belt is a dorkier look than a polo tucked in with a belt, and a t-shirt hanging out is extremely sloppy.

@Judi I haven’t seen those… that would require me setting foot in a shopping mall, and I don’t do that very often.

I like them and frankly I think they are comfortable. On top of that good boobs look spectacular in them. that said, heavier waisted people and bad boobs (men or women) can look atrocious in them

They are a cheap way of dressing their staff but not very complimentary to the staff & only look halfway good on a person with a slim and althletic physique.

I like polo shirts. If you get something cheap then yeah it will be pretty crappy, but you can get some pretty nice ones if you goto the top end of the scale!

I like them, they’re smarter than t-shirts, and they’re my shirt of choice to wear for work. They’re only filthy if you don’t wash them.

They are not ugly. They are however neat looking—probably why slobs don’t like them. As to the filthy comment—I don’t even get that.

Ugly?
Waitaminit… filthy?

Je ne comprendez.

…Okay, put that down as one against…

Polo shirts blow!

I think they look rather good! Maybe not on particular figures, but those are usually the same figures that don’t look that great in t-shirts. I feel the collar really does spruce things up a bit – Much less sloppy looking than a t-shirt, at any rate.

Dress shirts… now those look good. i have a thing for business attire

It’s all about the collar. Polo shirts are supposed to give the appearance of both ease and structure, business acceptable kinda-sorta. Too bad most people end up wearing Polo shirts so large and boxy that the whole idea is wasted. A 100lb woman wear a polo shirt that hangs to her knees and has armholes so big you can see ¼ of her torso through them? Blech. Icky polos.

I dislike polos because they are made of that weird fabric…some sort of cotton that’s woven pretty densely. I’m just glad that my work says ”any collared shirt”, whether a button-down or polo. I prefer the button-downs, and can often find them at thrift stores for not very much.

Does anyone else think that a nicely tailored button-down, in black, looks great with dark blue jeans?

It’s considered business casual because in the olden days it was what the boss wore on Friday when he took off early to play golf. Most private country clubs require a collar. (I was joking about the olden days.I hope!

@StephK I love wearing business attire. I’ve just started recently because I work temp jobs sometimes. It’s not that comfortable, but I love the structured feel of the clothes. Usually I wear kind of artsy casual clothes, and I think people treat me a little differently when I wear business clothes. I also wait tables. The uniform is a black polo with black pants, but I have tons of black button down shirts, and I really wish I could wear those instead. It would look a lot more professional.

Because polos look better in a business setting than a t-shirt.

I love polo shirts. They are way better than the white blouses we used to have to wear. In my experience, the company provides the shirts free of charge, and let us keep them when the new season comes in (changes color).

Dirty? The only time they would be dirty would be if the manager was too cheap to provide a change of clothes. I worked in Day Care, so we had numerous changes, as necessary, and our own washing machine.

I buy my own polo shirts whenever I buy anything, and they are only 50 cents at the charity thrift store.

Just like any other clothing, they are only dirty if they’re not washed after a day’s wear, and only look ugly if they are cheap and/or ill-fitting. I love polo shirts, and wear them pretty much all the time when I’m not at work. At work I wear a ‘dress shirt’ with a tie, although very occasionally I’ll wear a polo on a Friday. I agree that on some folk polos can look bad, usually because they’re ill-fitting. I buy good quality polos such as Fred Perry, Hugo Boss, Gap, Lyle & Scott, Pierre Cardin, Uniqlo, Cotton Traders, Crew Clothing, Savile Row Co (yes, I own a LOT of polos!). I’m in the UK, so some of these labels may not be known in the US.