I am wearing a white polo shirt. I have never felt so frumpy in my life.

[allhailtheaubergine]

I am sure I have seen women look nice in polo shirts of all colours. Okay, not stunningly glam, but perfectly fine for a normal day.

I look fucking horrendous.

Are there polo shirt do's and don'ts?

Is there any way to rescue the situation, or shall I shove it to the back of the wardrobe and Never Speak Of It Again?

I can see women wearing them from my window most days. In their defence, they are playing golf.

White polo shirt = school sports top
Black/dark green polo shirt = bloody useful cheap alternative to highly expensive therapists tabard for doing massage therapy.

I find they look slightly better if the collar is up, not down. Bit Sloaney but it does remove the mannish aspect, IMO.

As leisure wear? Not unless you're actually doing some kind of sport or are very horsey. Or a man. Or pretending to be a man. Possibly for gardening. But not generally in public, sorry.

Oh heck, I just bought one in the uniqlo sale.
Are they awful? Is that why I don't own any others? I'll have to go try it on again later this morning.

I have one in yellow and brown caramel stripes and I love it. It's really comfy and I wear it all the time. Tbh though I live in t-shirts and every time I try to buy a different kind of top I just can't find anything I like.
Seriously, those of you who hate t-shirts, what do you wear?

Every time DH and I watch Countryfile we compete to see who can shout 'Logo!' first. It is invariably on the polo shirt, the sweatshirt and the padded nylon gilet of the interviewee. The uniform is frequently dark green.

Polos can never work on an adult woman.

I even lament the fact that both the DSs go to schools with the polo'n'sweatshirt combo uniform.

Horrible.

ensure please take it back for a refund and NEVER DO THAT AGAIN.
thumbwitch you cannot polish a turd. Having the collar up just emphasises the fact you are wearing a polo shit (deliberate typo) by making it look bigger
chulita yellow and brown stripes. Are you really SURE about this. And you don't resemble a banoffee pie at all? I don't wear teeshirts and manage NOT to go to work just in my Doreen most days

waves hi to norksaremessy< We met on another thread - hope you're well nam

Do you know, I never gave this a thought before today, and realise I must look terrible in one, too, being quite a big tall girl, 38D bust, and not in the first flush of youth.

Must go upstairs and do a wardrobe sweep....

STG if you have any sort of waist at all a polo shit will remove it.
The button placket (correct word) removes the lovely cleavage that you probably have.
The fabric is 'practical'...ick

you can do it...chuck them all out of the window!

I find the secret is a banded sleeve (if short sleeve). Otherwise the upper arm can look a bit like a big ham knocking around. I found a Ralph Lauren polo that is a little fitted & has slightly puffed sleeves- very feminine. The only polo shirt that doesn't make me look like total sad sack!

I bought a pink candy stripe one a couple of years ago at a golf shop, I thought it made me look sporty and outdoorsy...now I'm cringing! Off upstairs to drop it in the charity shop bag.

also >waves hi to erebus

It sounds horrible but it looks really nice, does it help if I tell you it has different coloured buttons in bright pink, blue and green? ...maybe not...

Oh god I hate polo shirts, I would throw it away if I was you and buy something nicer

I'm on the 'love Seasalt Cornwall' camp...yet can't bear the overfrilled polyester nastiness of PerUna. I find that Seasalt jeans and trousers are well made, 100% cotton and really fit me properly. They also have lots of stuff in nautical stripes which I have a complete weakness for.I am particularly addicted to their sailor t-shirts:

www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk/acatalog/sailorshirt-squidecrustripe.php

And yes, their fleece jumpers are perfect for the balmy Cornish weather...Their floral monstrosities in store are best avoided though.

Crikey, this thread prompted me to visit the Seasalt website for the first time ever, and I've gone and bought three items. But they are for DS. Allowable?

Children we can forgive.

My dh was pointing and bringing me over items and being very loud and saying things like "but darling this is just your colour and you would suit this so much, do try it on". The more I was trying to get him to be quiet, the worse he became. The dc were mortified. You really had to be there. We left sniggering.

Poor seasalt.

Vile, just vile. Unless you are a lady golfer. In which case they're still vile.

I agree polo shirts are horrible, but also, collars just don't work on some people. I like t-shirts but I only suit a deep v neck or scoop neck - in a polo shirt or in fact any shirt, I look like a man.

Rofl at seasalt. It is like Boden without the erm, sophistication :o. I once ordered a sweatshirt top thing for beach and walking type activities, but omg it was hideous wheit arrived. No shape and inside of the hood was striped in a selection of the worst colours imaginable.

Well I like my polo shirts. . I think I look ok in them. In fact have just bought another 2 from Joules [runs away to hide emoticon]. I didn't realise I was being so totally unfashionable and naff . I'm standing up for all the polo-shirt wearers that must be out there - surely I'm not on my own (or else Joules etc would have gone out of business by now)

Disclaimer - I don't own any plain white/navy school sports day type poloshirts

Kimberlina, are they stretchy aertexy ones? Or are they just a short sleeved shirt?

No not aertexy ones - more this sort of thing
www.joules.com/en-GB/Womens-Polo/Green/K_CORINIUM/ProductDetail.raction

Well, I'd look pigshite godawful in that, but that's because I have no waist and the shoulders of a hod carrier.

I think you've sneaked in at the more acceptable end of the polo shirt spectrum, and clearly must be more fragrantly feminine than me.

A rare visit to S&B for me but women look nice in polo shirts if they are specifically made for a woman. A woman dressed in a man's jacket, even if the correct size looks wrong because the jaket is made for a man's square shape and women are a different shape.

My advice, is go to the Ralph Lauren Sale online and get the Blue Label Polo Slim Fit (£50.00) or Blue Label Julie Stretch Polo (65.00).

The slim fit and stretch looks nice on DW and the colours are really nice for summer. Match with jeans or chinos and some nice loafers and a good belt. Looks great.

Avoid the full priced main site as it is overpriced but the sale site still does have the full range of prices and sizes and are not specials bought in or 'outlet only' styles.

yeh, doestnt work for me, I have a short neck so anything with collars makes me look decidedly frumpy. I also have big boobs so that is a no no in a polo shirt too.

Lady golfers - that sounds like a euphemism!

No-one's yet mentioned the wonderful polo shirts that ladies of a certain age are very fond of - the ones that barely contain any natural fibres and are frequently worn in shades of virulent coral pink?