The Best Sweater Polos for Men
Embrace Retro Style with a Hybrid Option Don Draper Would Wear
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The very best menswear essentials never go out of style, but men’s fashion has a way of cycling subtly back around by the decades.
That might be why there are now so many great examples of a stylish layering move that’s almost two things at once: Neither quite a traditional sweater nor your summer-ready polo shirt, the best sweater polos embrace hybrid style, retro appeal and refined good looks. It looks like something Don Draper and co. might have worn, and in fact, did.
Knit from materials like merino wool or cotton blends with comfortable stretch, the best sweater polos take on the sheen and style of a warm, ultra-comfortable sweater. Yet, add in details like a button-front or a polo shirt-style collar, plus some eye-catching stripes, and you’ve got yourself a sweater polo.
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The best men’s sweater polos look like something your grandfather might have worn around the fire telling tales of holidays gone by — it’s almost a cardigan, it’s the perfect house sweater, and it dresses up wonderfully with a navy blazer or charcoal suiting. Get yourself a glass of eggnog and embrace a throwback look with today’s best sweater polos for men, just like Pops would have wanted.
Marine Layer Sweater Button Down Polo
Marine Layer draws from coastal and surf-ready styles for its ultra-soft buttondowns, chinos and T-shirts, but this sweater polo classes things up just a touch. The textured knit should prove similarly soft, of course, but it’s the flattering vertical stripes and two-tone color combo — plus the cardigan-style front button design — that make this a fine example of a retro classic made modern.
The Tie Bar Birdseye Sweater Polo
Shopping for a sweater polo might feel like a bit of a stretch, but the best examples of the style always remind one of familiar favorites. That’s why this affordable option from The Tie Bar uses short sleeves, like a polo, then ramps things up with a “Johnny collar” (with no buttons), for a touch of devil-may-care edge. For elegant nights where standing out quietly is the goal, nothing beats the sweater polo.
Ben Sherman Tipped Merino Knit Sweater Polo
Merino wool is often trumpeted as one of the more versatile fabrics on the market, cooling you when hot and regulating your temperature when chilly. It all comes to a head in this knit polo, which boasts a 70s-esque color and retro knit tipping on the collar — think sporty, but also fit for lounging after a round then taking to the links.
Charles Tyrwhitt Merino Sweater Polo
Refinement is the name of the game with Charles Tyrwhitt and its classic English tailoring (at affordable prices, mind you). This merino sweater polo — with its cross of functionality and a stylish finish — should prove ultra-comfortable, and as at ease underneath a blazer as on its own with stretch chinos — all that’s needed now is a roaring fire and a dram of whiskey, perhaps.
$149.25 at CharlesTyrwhitt.com
Flint and Tinder Bolinas Johnny Collar Sweater Polo
Put aside your rugged Flint and Tinder waxed trucker jacket briefly and embrace the easygoing elegance of this Johnny collar sweater polo. With tasteful vertical knit ribbing, it harkens back to the 1960s and looks every bit as in fashion today, especially when paired with straight-leg chinos and leather loafers this holiday season (and beyond).
Sailwind Knit Polo Sweater
Embracing one of the best sweater polos for men is all about embracing texture and laid back elegance — these options should pair as seamlessly now with burgundy corduroy pants as with linen trousers in the summer. With its distinctive knit ribbing, this breezy option is perfect as a base layer beneath a navy suit, too.
Amazon Essentials Knit Polo Sweater
If you’re interested in trying out a fashionable sweater polo but want to give the style a whirl on a budget, Amazon Essentials has you covered. With a stretchy knit fabrication and an on-trend relaxed design, this sweater polo is a surefire keeper available in a range of versatile colors.
Lands’ End Supima Cotton Polo Shirt
The prospect of opting for a more heavyweight design than a traditional polo might feel daunting to some, which is why Lands’ End strikes a nice middle ground with its preppy, classically cool supima cotton version. This time, it’s designed with long sleeves for more coverage and comfort as a cold-weather base layer. Cozy up to the fire in navy corduroy trousers to nail retro winter style.
Kallspin Cotton Knit Polo Sweater
The navy knit polo began its long climb back to style relevance, one might say, when worn by Daniel Craig as James Bond in 2006 classic Casino Royale. Yet, you don’t have to have the budget of 007 to make the navy sweater polo your own, especially not with this reliable option that features all the classic touches of both a polo — and a sweater, naturally.
COOFANDY Long-Sleeve Polo Sweater
The best sweater polos for men seem of a certain time and place — or rather, they look neither too classic nor too on trend, just as with the Oxford shirt or the blue jean (the list goes on). And it’s hard to beat such an affordable, stretchy yet thermal-inspired design, like this one from COOFANDY — the toughest part is finding the color you prefer best.
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