The new Lightweight Friday Polo

Wednesday, July 3rd 2019
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This is the lovely - and reader-driven - new version of the Lightweight Friday Polo

The version we did last summer, in white piqué, was popular and sold out, but several readers commented that it was a little too transparent for them. 

So this year we’ve done it in a navy version of the same material. This has the benefits of being very breathable, but indicating nothing of the body or chest hair beneath. 

Other than the cloth, it is exactly the same as the classic Friday Polo

Proper shirt collar to stand up under a tailored jacket; long body to wear tucked in; reinforced placket (as per last year’s upgrade). 

It also has all the handwork of the Friday Polo, which is one of the key things that separates it from the vast majority of polo shirts. Hand-attached collar, hand-attached sleeve, and then hand-sewn buttonholes and buttons. 

A piece of Neapolitan craftsmanship, made specifically to wear under light elegant tailoring - such as my hopsack jacket here. 

I find navy is particularly good with dark-coloured jackets, such as navy, charcoal and brown, but also works very well on its own. 

It's the most useful colour of polo I wear on holiday, for example, because it goes with every colour of trouser or short. White is second. 

In the pictures it is worn with a smart combination of jacket, light-grey Crispaire trousers and Sagan loafers. 

The handkerchief in the jacket is cream silk, and the Sagans black - though dark brown would work equally well. 

Personally, my favourite way to wear it is shown below, without the jacket and with only invisible socks under the Sagans. It feels very relaxed, yet still elegant. 

One of the things I don’t say enough, by the way, is how thankful I am to those that support Permanent Style by shopping on the site.

While advertising is the bedrock of our income, it is the little design projects like the Friday Polo that make PS what it is today. It is this funding that enables continuous publishing of in-depth editorial, for free. 

Konrad Olsson, founder of Scandinavian Man magazine, recently wrote a great editorial in it about media and fashion. One of things he said was that he believed in the future, retail would fund editorial. 

I agree. The PS Shop will never be big - indeed, the current size is just fine - but it is probably the most reliable way of funding a site like this in the long term. And it enables me to plug little gaps in menswear, which is enjoyable. 

So thank you. And I hope you can forgive the occasional interruption to our scheduled broadcasting. 

The Lightweight Friday Polo is available to buy on the PS Shop site here. All details on fit, materials and care are also there. 

If you have any questions you can't see the answer to, please do add a comment below and I’ll add the information to the shop page as well. 

The Lightweight Polo is slightly more expensive than the regular version, reflecting an increase in cost of materials. I like to be transparent on pricing points like this as much as possible, rather than sneaking them in.

Thank you, once more. Here’s hoping you find plenty of opportunities to wear the new polo during a long and warm summer. 

Simon

The PS Shop page for the polo is here

Photography: James Holborow

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Neil Tang

Hi Simon,

I’m always excited about your collaboration projects and just about always get in on them (XS size needed for shorts) whenever possible. They do fill in certain gaps in menswear as you mentioned, and you do a wonderful job in closing that gap.

Also, I appreciate the communication and transparency on your pricing, which help both your reader and customer on the PS Shop understand better what they are paying for or the need for price increases from a previous edition or batch.

I look forward to your upcoming projects and reading your latest sartorial guide.

Cheers!

Qaindi

Hi Simon, looks great and certainly fills a gap in my wardrobe.

However, is there a short sleeve version in the works? Any update on this?

Neil Tang

Hi Simon,

I received this polo today and it’s great! The cloth wears cooler (much better for a tropical weather country) and the deep navy cloth has a beautiful, soft and luxurious handle to it.

The polo is well-made, elegant and comfortable to wear. I have tried other long-sleeve by other makers where the cloth is a more rigid and as such does not feel as comfortable.

I own other Friday Polos from previous editions and have to say this is by far the best and most satisfying iteration of its kind.

I wonder if you might consider doing a short-sleeve with a shorter length (tuck-in/tuck-out) in navy and white (if there’s a way to make it less translucent).

Great job, Simon!

Sam

I don’t think the retail-funding-journalism idea should become the norm. I think for you it works, since you develop your own products. But The Rake sells products from existing brands, the same brands they write their always-glowing articles about. I don’t doubt their sincere appreciation of those quality products, but if the majority of the magazine consists of articles praising these products, should this really be called journalism? At the risk of being unfair, much of it strikes me as self-initiated copywriting.

As a reader, I’d be happy to pay a subscription fee for articles that warrant rereading, i.e. articles that really go into art/philosophy/sociology/history rather than just celebrate products.

Anonymous

I read PS 3 times a week, and have done for at least 5 years now. I would not, however, use a paywall… I am not that inelastic a consumer!

Chancellor

Great to see this. One comment I’ll make, in case it helps inform future designs, is that I find the sleeves on the Friday polo shirts a little too short for me. Interestingly the sleeve was better on the Dartmoor polo.

JB

Chancellor, I find a gentle pull on the sleeves straight out of the washer help a great deal with this.

Simon, if I could say one thing maybe increase the cuff size a bit? On the polos bought through your shop in the largest size, I find I can barely get the cuff closed. I usually wear them unbuttoned as a result. Not a huge deal but perhaps something to consider. Might be I’m a minority.

Ben

Simon, all measurements of this light Friday polo looks perfect for me – except that the chest of my other bespoke shirts are measured to be 104cm. Your size S is 102cm while your M is 106 cm. What’s your suggestion?

Ben

Thank you so much Simon. I ordered a S anyway!

DKP

If I were to order, the sleeves would doubtless have to be shortened (it’s a curse). Who would you recommend in London for this?

Michael K

Thanks for this, Simon. I love my Sagans (in the PS bark grey) but have yet to find a pair of invisible socks that doesn’t show. What brand do you use? I’ve tried high street things like Uniqlo, which are great for trainers, and far more expensive variations and none of them work. So I’m wearing my Sagans sparingly but barefoot. Would love to preserve them better…

DKP

I recently asked Guillaume Bo about invisible socks and he suggested Bresciani or Cnyttan, Being unable to find either, I mentioned that Mes chaussettes rouges carried Mazarin which he also approved of saying they were also very good value for money.

JB

I’ve found some from H&M that are cut quite low.
I haven’t tried these from skolyx myself, but they seem low enough https://www.skolyx.se/en/home/241-socks-for-loafers.html

Anonymous

Try these ones from Falke – they are cut very low and do not slip off your feet.
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00NBW1GBQ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_yUIhDb1HWX26B

Jason

Simon,
What an absolutely brilliant outfit.
Shows the benefit of pure classism and unlike many ‘summer ensembles’ looks perfect for Northern European cities.
Who made the hopsack jacket ?
Jason

Jason

You changed the buttons – makes all the difference.
If you were commissioning a single breasted Hopsack now, who would you choose between Ettore de Ceasare and Elia Caliendo ?

JB

This looks very interesting. I’d say my navy one is the one most used too.
Would you agree this will arguably be a bit more dressy too, as the fabric at least from the shots looks a bit finer?

Will this navy one fade in a similar way to the standard?

Oh and one last question, are all the polos in the shop now with the reinforced placket?

JB

Thanks Simon. A less fading option I think is a nice addition regardless of temperature. Also exited to try the new placket.
My friday polos have become my go to when travelling for work as well as for off time. I recently had back to back travels for three weeks and while I had some dress shirts in my bag, I found my polos took me through the plane to the office to dinners quite well.

Chris Finch

Hey Simon,

Looks lovely – how would you say your polo’s including this one compare to Luca Faloni?

Axel

I do own two Faloni Polos and wearing today the new Friday “Summer Polo”, which fits very well, by the way.
To compare both:

The hight and shape of the collars are indistinguishable the same as well as the fitting under a jacket.
Same applies to the body length – the Faloni might be even a bit longer.
I can not judge on the degree of handmade effort on both, however I do see the biggest difference in the cotton used. The new cotton pique especially supports the appearance of the collar in a very positive way, as the “winter cotton” of the Faloni, the collar comes out a little bit more bulky around the neck. Hope I could make me understood!

Anonymous

Small question about design: as you’ve taken the design on from the original (collar etc.) why not go the full hog and turn it into a pique shirt (a la Ralph Lauren). Polo shirts are never quite at home with a blazer as the bottom half looks like a t-shirt (even in quality cloth). The jacket may be buttoned as closed but, ordinarily, as polos are usually worn in warm weather, the jacket is usually left open. As such I never wear a polo with a well cut jacket; a soft unlined cotton one perhaps, a bomber, Harrington or other blouson, definitely. Hence my question which looks to address the best of both worlds.

Alain Chardonnay

Beautiful. What fabric is that ?

G

I note that a lot of photographers seem to have their male models to fiddle around with their sleeves to look elegant. It’s fairly trite, and makes the model seem sort of contrived and fidgety in appearance due to the overuse of the sleeve-adjustment pose.

It’s seen on male models attempting elegance all the time no matter where.

TM

Have you ever done a Friday polo with a button down collar? If so, how was your experience compared with the collar shown here on this model polo?

Axel

I wonder, if there will be in the near future a restocking of the white lightweight polo?

Axel

Maybe in green or grey?
This lightweight pique ist just great!

Karl Maris

I understand that your short-sleeved Friday Polos were made available on your website last year on June 18 (2018). I have been anxiously awaiting the release of these garments for this year. Have you any idea when they will be up for sale?

Chancellor

FWIW, I would buy a short sleeve polo if you ever do another run.

Karl

I reference to the comments made by DKP and CHANCELLOR, I was quite surprised to find that each of the (4) Long Sleeved Friday polo shirts fit me virtually perfectly, without the need to have the sleeves shortened. This was a pleasant surprise, since in approximately 75% of the time I must have the sleeves shortened. From my perspective, PLEASE keep the sleeve length as is.

DKP

Simon – who made the lovely Crispaire trousers you’re wearing here?

Patrick Bateman

Hi Simon,

I’ve bought and stuck with smedley for both cotton and wool polo’s over the last 10 or 15 years. Your offerings are slightly more expensive. Can you please briefly summarise the benefits of your offerings against smedley?

Thanks

Justin

Simon-

Just received one of these. Beautiful shirt and very good fit. One quick question- the shirt is a touch shinier than other lightweight polos. Presuming this is typical of finer pique weaves but I was curious if you found it becomes more matte with washing. Not a problem, just makes the shirt seem a bit more formal, at least prior to wash. Thanks!

Ron Walker

Hi Simon

I recently bought one of the Friday polos and was pleased with what I saw when it arrived and decided to have a fitting with Luca Avitabile when he was in London a few weeks ago, at which I ordered some bespoke shirts in cotton.

Having now worn the polo (with an English tailored jacket) I found the collar a bit too high at the back, which I felt looked a bit ‘showy’.

Do you think this polo is a garment that works better with a Neapolitan style jacket, which as I understand it would typically have a collar that sits higher at the back and therefore show less of the shirt collar?

If so, and I decide to have a sports jacket made by a Neapolitan tailor, who would you recommend?

Many thanks

Ron

Ron Walker

Hi Simon

Thanks for your response and yes, it was a bespoke English tailored jacket I wore the polo with; I’ve been having clothes made in and around Saville Row for a good few years although I do also like the Neapolitan bespoke look and might try that in the future.

Best regards

Ron

Hugh Brown

I love the color scheme blend as well as the loafers style & pose/side bend capture! Look forward to seeing more!

TM

Would you mind commenting on how these trousers from Solito compare to trousers from Cerrato, any particular pros or cons?

Joel

Simon,

Do you plan on releasing more Larges in the coming weeks?

Rupesh

Hi Simon,

Please could you advise who made the light grey trousers and the fabric details in the images with the Friday polo?

Thanks

Rupesh

Rupesh

I don’t suppose you could advise which fabric code and colour description this is from in the Crispaire selection by Holland and Sherry. As they have two light grey shades;

https://apparel.hollandandsherry.com/en/fabric/use/suits/337053-crispaire-light-grey-solid

https://apparel.hollandandsherry.com/en/fabric/use/suits/337054-crispaire-silver-grey-solid

Anonymous

Hello Simon. Very interested to hear your take on Colhay’s new cahsmere silk short sleeve polos (https://colhays.com/collections/ss21-collection-vintage-british-sportswear/products/cashmere-silk-tennis-polo-in-cream?variant=39823516303520), even if only from what’s available online in case you havent seen them.

How do these compare to the fine merino ones you plan to release? Usually I prefer your designs but would be good to know. Thanks.

Anonymous

Got it, thanks. I’ll definitely wait for yours. By the way, any idea as to when will you release them?

Anonymous

Sorry to be such a nuisance, but, roughly, will it be the first or second half of May?

John

Hi Simon,

Congrats on the 15 years! Any thoughts to offering these again in spring/summer 2023? I’m headed to Rome and Florence in June for a family vacation and am trying to pull together the right clothes for the trip. This would would probably fit in perfectly with what I’m looking for. I have a tailored pair of oatmeal linen trousers, the PS polo in navy, and am looking to add a pair of the anthology drawstring trousers. Your articles on vacation and Italy have been perfectly timed and very helpful. Appreciate any additional advice on what to get/bring and/or any suggested stops!