British GQ - 09.2019

A simple one for you this month: polo

shirts. I usually just buy whatever’s

hanging on the rail in my local

supermarket – as I rarely have an

opportunity to wear one in this country

• but this summer, particularly following
  the heatwave we had last year, I want
  to invest in something that I’ll actually
  take pleasure in putting on. Do you have
  any advice with regards to the best
  styles or brands to go for?
  Tim, Great Tew
  Dear Tim,
  Personally speaking, I’m not really a polo
  shirt fan. I tend to find most variations on
  the shape restrictive in the sleeve area, too
  short in the body and the collar never seems
  able to maintain its shape. Also, being a tall,
  slightly “hippy” man, I tend to feel like a
  telegraph pole topped with a barrel when

I wear one. There are, however, a number

of brands that present highly wearable

exceptions to the aforementioned rules. For

daytime, I would opt for either Ralph Lauren

or Sunspel. There’s a reason the former is

world-renowned as the pre-eminent polo

shirt manufacturer. The pique fabric is great

for warmer climes and the slightly longer

back panel is flattering on, well, “hippier”

frames. That said, the colours tend to fade

quite fast in the sun, meaning they’re

better for informal scenarios. Sunspel’s polo

shirts are devoid of branding and ultra-

lightweight, meaning they’re incredibly

easy-wearing in the heat and they look

extra elegant. For the evening, I would

opt for something knitted, preferably in a

merino wool-silk mix with a slightly larger,

floppier collar. If you’ve got money to burn,

head to Tom Ford and choose one of the

Texan designer’s Sea Island cotton styles

with a natty thick waistband. At the less

expensive end of the fashion pool, you’d

be wise to head to Milanese brand Altea or

British tailoring house Thom Sweeney. At

both you’ll find serviceable yet elegant

polos that will see you through from beach

bar to, well, beach bar.

I’m in the market for some smart yet

low-key loafers to wear with my suit to

all the bloody weddings I’m going to this

summer. Most of them have a casual(ish)

dress code but I absolutely don’t want to

wear trainers. Any suggestions?

Dominic, Cambridge

Dear Dominic,

I hear you loud and clear on the trainer

front – these are life-defining nuptials

you’re attending, not a game of crazy golf.

Personally speaking, I would opt for either

a pair of driving shoes in suede (Tod’s or

Car Shoe, ideally) or, if you want to try

something different, a pair of classic Belgian

loafers by Baudoin & Lange could do the

trick. Entirely unlined and hand-cut from

either suede or nappa leather, they’re not

only stupidly comfortable, they also have a

low-slung profile with an unusually shallow

vamp, meaning they work better worn with

a fine-gauge sock than without. The latter

point is not a negative one, in my opinion,

as a sock of any kind looks smarter than a

big old slab of mankle peeking out from

under the hem of your trouser cuff.

I’m looking to minimise my clothing

expenditure and to buy into brands with

more of a sustainable footprint than

most. Can you tell me where to start?

Shaun, Bruton

Dear Shaun,

Sustainability is a hot topic in fashion

circles, so I’m sure the more astute designers

reading this will be relieved they’re on the

right track. If, like our friend Tim, you’re in

the market for a polo shirt, you could do

worse than invest in one of Ralph Lauren’s

Earth polos, each of which is made from

up to 12 plastic bottles that would have

otherwise ended up in landfill. Likewise,

anything you buy from American outerwear

brand Patagonia (which is super-hot right

now, among the streetwear crowd in

particular) will be made from recycled

materials, while British designer Christopher

Raeburn is leading the homegrown pack

with his Ræmade collection of recycled

clothes, many of which are reconstructed

from old, disused garments. G

Style Shrink

By Teo van den Broeke

Illustration

Joe McKendry

SEND YOUR MENSWEAR-RELATED STYLE QUESTIONS

TO [email protected]

Note: a ‘casual’

wedding does not

mean trainers –

use your loafers

G House Rules

09-19HRStyleShrink.indd 111 12/07/2019 10:21

SEPTEMBER 2019 GQ.CO.UK 111