Polo shirt style/cut

[hwedin]

Hi

I've recently lost and are continuing to lose weight (doctor's orders)and none of my clothes now fit me, so I'm having to slowly replace my wardrobe. But what I've found is that cuts of polo shirt that used to suit me no longer do - even in a smaller size. The only polo shirt that fits is Abercrombie and Fitch and although I'm young (22) I don't really like wearing the same clothes as a teenager because quite soon I'll look like I'm having a quarter life crisis

I find slim fit Ralph Lauren/Gant/Hackett/Paul&Shark/Brooks Brothers/Lyle&Scott/Lacoste too 'generous' and getting smaller size means that it's too short in length.

I can get cheap 'high street' polos that fit but they lose their shape, fade or shrink after a couple of washes etc

I have a large chest (41 inches - this will reduce with 'moob' loss), long back and wide shoulders but slim round my hips, hence why A&F fit well

My questions:
Are there any other polo shirt brands that have a similar cut to A&F?
Are there any slim fit 'big and tall' brands so I can get the right body length?
Do I buy custom shirts instead?

Any help would be good.
Thanks

 

[jones2289]

I have a similar problem - recently lost about 80 pounds and am sitting at 6'4" 185 lbs. It's definitely difficult, but shirts can be found.

I would give J. Crew a shot, or even a J. Crew factory store for a cheaper option if there's one near you. If you have a TJ Maxx / Marshalls or a Nordstrom Rack, look for Penguin brand. I typically go a size up in any of the Penguin stuff, for both length and width. Most of their shirts fit well in an XL, although I usually wear a large, or sometimes medium, in most brands.

 

[GarrettReid]

Try Burberry. Their polos are long yet slim.

 

[cruznjust]

Big names does offer good quality. You should also consider bespoke tailoring , you'll find them quite useful than those off-the-rack.

 

[Doc4]

I'd try Ben Sherman, or Penguin.

 

[guerreit2]

My favorite polos are Fred Perry & Lacoste. I like mine a little bit looser than you. Lacoste I find 'just right' and Fred Perry slim fits can be a little too slim for me, so maybe thats up your alley.

 

[Kotton]

Try TJ MAXX and bachrach. American Eagle is also similar to A&F. Or go to Academy and try some golf shirts.

 

[MrMurphy]

He's in England......none of those are likely to be found there.

 

[jovan]

+1 on Burberry. I have several of them for 'dress' wear. For just working around the house and odds and ends I purchase from sports teams their polo shirts. Here in the states baseball teams have many of the at big discounts, so I picked one up the other month for like $25. Nice polo that will last for awhile and the price is right.

 

[kehern]

You may want to look a bit deeper in to Lacoste, they have 3 different fits, a slimmer fit may work for you

 

[hwedin]

I wrote this months ago!

Thanks guys. I'm still having a little trouble (Still having to order from A&F/Hollister - not happy!).
Hilfiger slim fit works well - only issue is that the colours are a bit limited.
Ralph Lauren (can't remember the cut) is decent now that I've lost more weight and my chest size is less of an issue.
Will retry Lacoste, when I'm next have a chance.

A couple of you mentioned Burberry but in the UK it is a bit taboo to wear anything that is obviously Burberry. Their clothes were popular with football hooligans etc. You'll find that the Burberry available here will be different in design compared to what you can get in the rest of the world. There are still many pubs/bars/clubs/restaurants that won't let you in if you are wearing it.

I do like the look of American Eagle's clothes and UK delivery is cheap but they don't have an EU distribution centre, so I'll get hammered for import duties - I've been bitten once before with other companies.

 

[NRK]

I wrote this months ago!

Thanks guys. I'm still having a little trouble (Still having to order from A&F/Hollister - not happy!).
Hilfiger slim fit works well - only issue is that the colours are a bit limited.
Ralph Lauren (can't remember the cut) is decent now that I've lost more weight and my chest size is less of an issue.
Will retry Lacoste, when I'm next have a chance.

A couple of you mentioned Burberry but in the UK it is a bit taboo to wear anything that is obviously Burberry. Their clothes were popular with football hooligans etc. You'll find that the Burberry available here will be different in design compared to what you can get in the rest of the world. There are still many pubs/bars/clubs/restaurants that won't let you in if you are wearing it.

I do like the look of American Eagle's clothes and UK delivery is cheap but they don't have an EU distribution centre, so I'll get hammered for import duties - I've been bitten once before with other companies.

I agree that you don't want to go around looking like the king of the chavs however there are more subtle items in Burberry's catalog.

I have several of these:

http://ae.burberry.com/check-placket-polo-shirt-p38455241

And although they have a bit of check detailing it's not the beige novacheck that may land you in trouble. It's subtle, and color matched to the shirt. The fit is great for guys who are tall and slim.

 

[Kotton]

My other suggestion still stands. Go to a golf store or golf pro shop and try those. Golf shirts from all brands are usually longer so they can be tucked in.

 

[Doc4]

A couple of you mentioned Burberry but in the UK it is a bit taboo to wear anything that is obviously Burberry. Their clothes were popular with football hooligans etc. You'll find that the Burberry available here will be different in design compared to what you can get in the rest of the world. There are still many pubs/bars/clubs/restaurants that won't let you in if you are wearing it.

 

[jovan]

Thanks for the info on the Burberry in UK. Here in the states never had that issue. Golf shirts are great also.

 

[An Traein Dubh]

What do you call a chav in a file cabinet?
Sorted.

Our versions of chavs in Atlanta are wearing a lot of tshirts with obscenities printed on them. I usually don't see anyone but Asian women wearing the obvious Burberry clothes.

Polo shirts never fit me right. I wear them around the house but not in public much anymore. I feel your pain.

 

[adriang]

Fred Perry are my preferred. For me they fit well, and if washed and dried correctly, will last for years. As previously mentioned, the slim fit are a slim fit. I've got a large frame, and a bit of a belly. I buy slim fit dress shirts, but I can't get away with a tighter polo.

I do have a couple of Ben Sherman polo's, they are a touch cheaper, but also don't seem to last as long.

I also like the history around Fred Perry.

Nike polos are also good quality if you're ok with wearing a sports brand.

Today (casual Friday!) I'm actually wearing a Puma/Ducati one which I picked up at Century 21 in New York for about US$15.00. That has worn well and is subtly different which I also like.

 

[Edcculus]

I have a few Polo Ralph Lauren "polo" shirts that fit quite nice (being a skinny guy). Not sure what cut they are, but they are definitely smalls. I'm finding smalls in most clothes are even beginning to become too large for my taste as most of the population continues to widen. You might try J Crew as well. They tend to still have a "slim" line.

 

[Illadelphia]

Ralph Lauren. You want to look for custom fit instead of classic fit

 

[LarryDarrell]

It's funny how the associations of brands change. In the UK in the 70's Ben Sherman was synonymous with 'Skinhead' hooligans along with Doc Martens boots.