By Antonio Montano
Pairing a polo shirt with dress pants is a very good option for a day at the office, as well as for an event or meeting that requires formality, since both garments provide poise and sophistication.
While the polo shirt is a kind of mix between a dress shirt and a t-shirt, and for that reason it has the best elements for a man to look confident and attractive, the dress pants are a type of men's pants to look elegant; That is why it is one of the perfect garments to achieve a pristine look. The mixture of both pieces achieves an incredible result. However, when we are inclined to wear these two garments at the same time, we must know that there are certain style rules that we must follow to prevent the result from being catastrophic. How to obtain an impact and worthy outfit to attract attention? Following these rules to combine your polo shirt and your dress pants successfully.
Remember: tight, not tight. A golden rule for the use of the polo shirt and also for your dress pants. Unlike other garments, these two pieces can look really bad if worn in the wrong cut. While an ultra-tight polo shirt can give your arms and torso a weird look—as it can show too much of your body shape and that can sometimes backfire—a very skinny dress pants is only going to make you uncomfortable and make you look disproportionate. Tip: if you can fit two fingers up your sleeve, you have a perfect polo shirt.
When you buy a polo shirt, consider that the easiest colors to achieve good outfits are dark shades. Light colors tend to be more daring and it will be difficult for them to look appropriate. However, if you decide on this combo, we recommend that the dress pants be in colors such as black, dark grey, Oxford grey, brown or navy blue; with pastel or cream polo shirts. It will create an interesting mix.
Wrinkles in clothes can cause your outfit, even if it is made up of formal clothes, to end up looking sloppy. If you have already worked hard to create an interesting combination made up of a polo shirt and dress pants, now take care to iron both pieces so that your look is truly impeccable.
We reiterate: both pieces are formal, so your footwear also deserves to be. Some sneakers would completely break the vibe of the outfit, so it is advisable to lean towards different types of men's dress shoes such as Derby, Oxford, Brogue and, for summer, loafers. You should also pay attention to the color of the shoes. So that there is no margin for error, opt for black or brown.
Remember that—horrid—trend of polo shirt collars turning up? We want you to know this once and for all: it is no longer appropriate. The garment itself is sophisticated and loses that touch when we give it that unnecessary fold. The same goes for dress pants. If they are too long, it is better that you take them to the tailor so that they can be adjusted so as not to end up making express hems that will only make you look bad.
