Have you ever wondered about the history behind the classic polo shirt? The polo shirt, also known as a tennis shirt or golf shirt, has a rich history that dates back to the early 20th century.
Origins in India
The polo shirt goes back to the sport of polo, which originated in India in the 19th century. British soldiers in India, during the colonial period, were introduced to the game of polo by the locals. The soldiers adopted the sport and its attire, including the comfortable and breathable polo shirt and brought the polo shirt back home.
Rise to Popularity
As the sport of polo gained popularity in England and other parts of the world, so did the polo shirt. Famous French tennis player René Lacoste popularized the polo shirt in the 1920s. Lacoste, known for his style and innovative approach to sportswear, created a short-sleeved, piqué cotton shirt with a buttoned placket and a soft collar. This design was a departure from the traditional long-sleeved, button-up shirts worn by tennis players at the time.
Since then, the polo shirt has become a versatile and essential piece of clothing for men and women outside of the sporting world. Its timeless design, comfortable fit, and sporty aesthetic make it a go-to option for casual and semi-formal occasions. Whether you're hitting the golf course, heading to a casual Friday at the office, or simply running errands on the weekend, the polo shirt is a classic choice that never goes out of style.
What you need to make your own Polo Shirt
The characteristics of a Polo shirt come down to just a few things. Fit, a short front placket, collar, and specific fabrics. We've got the fit and constructions details for you with the Sombrio pattern, but here is some information on the other items you'll need!
Cotton Pique
Pique is a style of weaving fabric with a subtle texture. The construction of the weave can resemble different patterns, such as waffle, honeycomb, birds-eye, and bullseye. The texture and pattern can best be seen up close.
This is the most classic style of fabric to use for a casual Polo shirt. Pique can be made out of cotton or synthetic fabrics, woven or knit. For my Dad's Polo I used a stretch Pique cotton fabric from Mood Fabrics.
French Terry
Our Sombrio pattern has a short sleeve and long sleeve option. For our long sleeve version you can use a French terry, or similar sweater knit, for a classic rugby style Polo shirt. The collar can be made out of self fabric, but if that creates too much bulk, use a rib knit in a similar or contrasting color. We suggest using a rib knit for the long sleeve cuffs as self fabric may not stretch enough. Here are some examples from
Blackbird Fabrics, they have an excellent selection of coordinating or matching knits and ribbing fabrics.
Athletic Knits
For a sporty style golf, or tennis shirt use a synthetic athletic wear specific knit, such as this Performance Spandex with moisture wicking and antimicrobial properties from
Mood Fabrics.
Collar
A knit shirt without a collar is not a Polo! A collar is what defines the traditional Polo shirt and is the area on the shirt that can be most playful. Most ready to wear companies have the ability to knit their own collars to match the exact color of the shirt fabric. They can also knit their own contrast collars, or create collars with stripes as shown below. Nowadays it is a little harder to purchase premade collars in the correct size and color of fabric you are using to sew your own Polo. I was able to find some businesses on
Etsy that sell premade knit collars, but they are a bit pricey and can take a while to ship. The colors are also limited. For the home sewist, the easiest way to create a Polo collar is with rib knit fabrics. If you are using a lighter weight knit fabric, you could use the self fabric for the collar.
Notions
To get a professional look on the front placket, I suggest using knit interfacing to help reinforce the fabric. If you are using a more stable knit fabric you might not need to use knit interfacing. Knit interfacing is very lightweight and stretches easily to match the stretch of your knit fabric. It can be helpful for the front placket to keep the edges and corners nice and straight.
Twill tape is used to reinforce the collar seam and hide the seam allowance.
Buttons can be another fun way to add a pop of detail to your Polo. Use contrast color buttons that stand out, or use clear, or similar colored buttons to your fabric for a more subtle look.
Now let's get to sewing!
