What's the difference between a Polo Shirt and a T-Shirt?

28 July 2020  |  Admin

Believe it or not, this is one of our most common queries and the one thing that always causes us a lot of confusion!

A 'Polo Shirt' and a 'T-Shirt' (sometimes called a 'Tee') are two completely different things. So imagine our confusion when a customer orders a 'Polo T-Shirt', or a 'Tee Polo'.

So, without meaning to sound patronising, below is our definition of each garment which we hope will avoid a lot of confusion.

There are two main differences between the Polo Shirt and the T-Shirt; material and style.

The Polo Shirt
Usually made from a higher weight of Lacoste knitted cotton fabric, which is generally harder to the touch, the Polo Shirt features a collar, with a two or three button placket, short sleeves and often features side vents (slits). The most common style is short sleeved, but other styles include sleeveless and long sleeved. This style of shirt was originally worn by Polo players of the 1920's, hence the name.

The T-Shirt
T-Shirts, again, are usually made predominantly from cotton although, as with the Polo Shirt, fabric blends such as Polyester and Cotton (PolyCotton) are quite common too. Generally manufactured using the Jersey Braiding method of knitting, T-Shirts typically feature a collarless round (crew) neck, or a collarless 'V' neck. They are lighter to the touch and stretch more easily than the Polo Shirt, meaning they are also more susceptible to deformation. The name comes from the 'T' shape of the garment when laid out flat and common styles include sleeveless and long sleeved, although by far the most common style is the standard short sleeve.

So, now you know! Hope this helps.