The one-piece Friday Polo

Wednesday, November 15th 2017
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This is the latest iteration of our popular Friday Polo - in the same cut, cloth and colours, but with a wonderfully nonchalant one-piece collar.

The heavy pique-cotton of the Friday Polo continues to make it wearable year-round in the UK, and particularly nice this time of year.

The long body, shirt cuffs and bespoke details (like a small armhole) also make it particularly good under tailoring. 

But I was keen to explore different options with the collar - something that made it slightly more than a copy of a dress shirt. And the one-piece collar does that. 

Made from a single piece of material that flows from the placket on the front, up into the collar, round the neck and down again, it has a very different feel to a shirt with its separate placket, stand and collar. 

The look is perhaps akin to a shawl collar on a cardigan, or a dinner jacket.

Certainly, the uninterrupted flow of the cloth suggests a similar air of casual relaxation. It is also, perhaps, one more way to subvert the formality of bespoke tailoring. 

The one concern I had with this collar was that it would collapse under a jacket - not rolling nicely in the way a button-down should do (and thus serving to both open up the neck and frame the face). 

So Luca (Avitabile, Neapolitan bespoke shirtmaker, below) and I worked hard on the length and shape of the collar's point.

It turned out that a slightly shorter, higher point would encourage the collar to roll more. But it couldn't be so short that it would pop out from under the jacket. 

After a few iterations we found the perfect balance, and I actually feel the one-piece Friday Polo rolls more pleasingly around a jacket than the original. 

There are of course, lots of one-piece-collar shirts out there.

Loro Piana does them, as does Eidos, as does Luca Faloni and many others. There's nothing new under the sun. (Not even holdall/suit carriers). 

But there are no one-piece polo shirts in our Caccioppoli cloth, or in our handmade Neapolitan construction. This is a natural extension and slightly more degagé version of our standard Friday Polo.  

The photoshoot shows the many different ways the one-piece Friday Polo can be worn. 

Luca and I are wearing them as they were originally intended - me in the green colour under brown tweed, Luca in a grey under navy flannel. 

Worn like this, it is a casual yet well-made and tailored alternative to a dress shirt. 

Readers will recognise my Caliendo tweed jacket. The flannels are A&S, the shoes Dovers from Edward Green and the bag a vintage Filson.

The other two guys are more casual. 

Ed Walsh (above - one half of the team behind Alice Made This) is wearing his polo under a Drake's cashmere shawl-collar sweater.

Below the waist are charcoal chinos, and on the feet a pair of Common Projects brown-suede chukka boots. 

Keita Hiraoka (above, stylist at Monocle and Trunk Clothiers) is even more casual.

He wears his polo with an SEH Kelly corduroy jacket, jeans from OrSlow and black tassel loafers. 

I love it when guys like Keita suggest things I wouldn't normally wear - like black shoes with mid-blue denim. It's the navy polo, I think, that is dark enough to make that work.  

It probably goes without saying, given the shots, that the shoot (by Jamie Ferguson) was great fun. Nice to involve a range of people from around the industry.

The one-piece collar Friday Polo will be available in the four colours shown: navy, white, green and grey. 

These are all colours we have used in the past, so if you have bought a Friday Polo previously, you will be familiar with them. 

The new polo will only be available in our pop-up shop for the first week.

This opens today (see you there!), so they will be available online from next Wednesday, November 22nd.

I hope readers will forgive this blatant attempt to get some lovely people down to the pop-up (37 Savile Row - details here). 

For those not familiar with the Friday Polo, here are some details: 

  • The project was started in 2015 with Neapolitan bespoke shirtmaker Luca Avitabile, who has been making my shirts for a few years.
  • The idea was to use the best materials and as much as possible make them in the same way as Luca’s bespoke shirts.
  • Everything is hand cut, and there are five points of handwork: hand-inserted sleeves, buttonholes, buttons, gussets, and ends of the cuff placket.
  • The style is like a shirt, so shirt cuff, and long in the body and tail, designed to be worn tucked in.
  • Mother of pearl buttons.
  • The shirts will not shrink when washed, but should expand slightly in the waist. Do wash cool and line dry.

Logistics:

  • We sell at below the normal retail price. The one-piece polo costs £165 + VAT. With a standard retail mark-up these would be closer to £280.
  • Four sizes: Small, Medium, Large and Extra-large (see table below for dimensions).
  • Shipping from the UK.
  • Returns and refunds available if the product is in a resellable condition, although we do not cover the cost of return postage.

Sizing:

  • The shirts have a moderately slim fit.
  • In the images we are all wearing mediums except Keita, who is wearing a small.
  • If you are unsure about fit, we recommend comparing the measurements below to a polo shirt you currently own. They are in centimetres.

 

            Chest      Waist         Yoke        Sleeve         Body

S           102            92              40                  61                 75

M          106           96               44                  65                 76

L           116            106             47                  69                 81

XL        124           114              48                  69                 81

 

Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man

We do plan another run of the standard polos next year, but not until the Spring.

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Karsten

Hey Simon,

the new polos look great. My only concern regarding a one piece collar would be that the collar collapses when worn without any jacket. I have a one piece collar shirt that I don’t like to wear without a jacket since the collar tends to lay flat around the neck then. It this something you did consider when designing the collar?

Thanks,
Karsten

Karsten

Thank you very much! All the best for the pop up store and enjoy the party tonight.

Cheers,
Karsten

Anonymous

Great looking shirt, let down by the guy wearing a double strap back pack over his beautiful cashmere cardigan…………….

Ian Arnold

Really!!! I quite liked that it’s obvious he was casually dressed! If he’d had a tailored jacket on I would have objected. I think he just demonstrated the products versatility.

Larry

Interesting but it feels this blog has something for sale every week now. A departure from its past

Sam

Is tha plan for things to calm down soon? In the last 3 months 10 of the 37 articles have been about PS products. I take no issue with your collaborations (the ones I’ve purchased have been good) but it has been a bit OTT of late and feels like the start of a change of tone (I hope I’m wrong!).

Anonymous

Whilst I enjoy each project individually, I do have to admit I agree with Larry…

Martin

I don`t see the point in complaining about the increasing number of collaborations when there has not been even one negative comment about the quality or price of these products. Me, I received the shirtcloth today and could not be more satisfied.

Sam

Hi Simon, How light is the grey? It looks much lighter than be mid grey of the last batch of long sleeved Friday polos.

Anonymous

Looks lovely! Does the new version of the polo also feature collar stays?

roy

Hello Simon,

I’m planning to make it to the pop-up next week and will add a new version to my collection of the excellent Friday polos.

Have to say though , the star attraction in the photos is your Caliendo tweed jacket – so perfect it makes me green with envy.

Don Ferrando

I am always astonished how many pictures you post of people with both hands in their pockets.
In Germany this is an absolutely “no go” and an example of ill mannered persons.
Interesting how manners change from one country to another.

Justin

This time I will be smarter and will purchase a few on the very first day, so I do not miss out. Thanks for this opportunity and the great product, Simon! p.s. It is getting quite cold outside – any news on a collaboration with Lavabre Cadet?

Peter K

It is lovely Simon. You’re on a roll with the trench coat, suit carrier and now the one piece collar polo.

I particularly like the way it looks under Luca’s rather relaxed navy suit.

Best of luck with the pop-up shop.

Iain

I’m also very taken with the navy suit. Do you happen to know who made it?

Thanks, and best of luck with the pop-up.

H

Would you say the one piece collar makes it more suitable to wear under knitwear, or does it only work under jacket-esque pieces like a shawl-collar cardigan etc?

David

Simon,
Honestly, I much prefer the other version.
The classic style of the original makes it much better. As I’ve said before, I’d have prefered to have had the collar a little less ‘cut away’ but that withstanding it is infinitely preferable to the one piece.
Will you producing the two in tandem or will the original be dropped ?
Regards,
David

Kumail Colombowala

Hi Simon,

Would you say this polo is sized similarly to the everyday denim shirt?

Thanks,
Kumail

Fernando

How much collar spread do they have?

David

Hi Simon, how do you feel these days about one-piece collars? Is there any particular reason why they’re not made with a top button? Thanks

David

Thanks, that’s interesting. It seems one-piece collars have been a trend in recent years, so much so that they feel a bit gimmicky, don’t you feel the same way?

Taylor

Great post – this polo is a perfect choice those smart/ casual Fridays work attire! Polos are one of those styles that are both practical and timeless, they suit all ages and look tailored – especially great how you’ve dressed it up with a suit jacket! I’m definitely a fan of timeless and quality pieces like this! Two items I can’t go without is my leather belt and leather boots – they go with absolutely everything!

Arthur

Hi Simon, I noticed no brown colour as you had the first time? Any plans for having one in brown?

Hans

Hi Simon,
I love the brown polo in original version and bought one in small size before. But I found it a little tight for me now. I plan to buy M size next time. Will you produce the brown one in original version in Spring?

Mike

I’m out of the country for the first week of 5he pop up, how can I buy one of these polos?

Max

Hi Simon,
I am planning to visit the pop-up shop on 29th. Will the polos still be available?

Antony Brett

I love the style of these polos especially the collar. However, one thing that always annoys me with polo shirts is that it is so difficult to get them with a chest pocket – something I always insist on in a shirt for practical reasons. The first two polos I ever bought, in Hong Kong, had pockets and I loved them, but regrettably I’ve never been able to replace them in this country.

Gordon Ang

Hello Simon,

Do you have details on the belt that Keita is wearing on his jeans?

Thank you!

Marcus

Hi Simon,

May i know when will orders for the polos be shipping out?

Thank you!

Marcus

Patrick

hi Simon,

What courier is being used for the one piece collar friday polo deliveries?
How long will it take to be shipped to HongKong?

Thanks

FIDELIO

Hi Simon,
Got mine in grey this time and owning an original Friday Polo I must say I agree with you that the collar rolls even better on this version. Wonderful product once again. Will you continue offering this version in the future? I came back to purchase one in navy and they were already sold out.
I also wanted to say that I for one fully support these type of collaborations as they deliver high quality, unique classic style and excellent value. I don’t see at all an excessive focus on them nor any impact on the quality of the blog’s content.

Ian

Is there any difference between the seemingly two types of Polo sold in the shop?

The last two I bought were really excellent value for the quality provided. I was just a little surprised that i wasn’t emailed that my order had been taken or dispatched.

Dan

Hello Simon,

I have a sleeve length question that’s particularly related to the Friday Polos. On account of the stretch and weight of the fabric, I find that despite how snug the cuffs are, they still bunch and flare a bit around the base of my hand, and they tend to show a bit more than usual under jackets. Is this, in your opinion, a case for shortening a bit? None of you in the photos seem to suffer from this.

Here is a photo of the normal tendency of the sleeve (left), and how I expect it should be (right). Do you concur? Thanks for your time.

comment image?dl=0

Greg

Hi Simon, do you know when will the old/new polos be re-stocked?

Thanks.

Stephen Pini

Hi Simon,

Any indication when these (one-piece collar) will be back in stock?

I bought the navy version from your pop-up in November and it is wearing beautifully so wanted to get the green version as well.

Stephen

Ben

What colors of pants would you suggest to pair with the light grey Friday polo?

Bernie Leung

Hi Simon,

Is it possible to tailor these polo shirts like you would for a dress shirt? For my size M Friday denim shirt, the shoulders and chest are too small but the sleeves are too long and the body much too wide and baggy. I was able to alter the body and sleeves so the fit is acceptable, however I am thinking of starting from a size L to get the right fit in the shoulders and chest and then altering the body and sleeves.

Also, if you’re self-conscious of a small stomach gut, would a one piece collar look better than the standard Friday polo if work without a jacket? Maybe the one piece collar is stronger and thus adds more structure to the chest area?

Lastly, when will both the one piece and normal Friday polo be restocked? Will both versions be available again?

Bernie Leung

I see, thanks.

Would you the fit of these polos more closely resemble your finest Knitwear or shirts? I am a solid M in your Knitwear.

Thanks,
Bernie

Bernie Leung

Thanks for the info.

Can’t wait for my PS Bridge Coat to come in December!

Bernie

Bernie Leung

By the way, if I go for a size L in the polo, will the collar/neck size go up as well? If so, is it possible to alter it and make it smaller?

Ian A

Is another pop up imminent?

Max Argent

You “worked hard on the length and shape of the collar point” by stealing the design directly from Antonio Ciongoli when he was at Eidos. Selling his idea is bad enough, at least give him credit.