Buying guide · Polo shirts
The polo is the workhorse of team uniform — smart enough for customers, tough enough for the van. The difference between an order that looks sharp in month six and one that bags, fades and pills is five decisions made before you buy.
The decisions
Weight: workwear polos live around 180–220 gsm. Lighter feels flimsy and goes translucent in pale colours; heavier drinks money and dries slowly on the airer. Blend: poly-cotton (the classic 65/35) survives industrial washing and holds colour; cotton-rich feels nicer against skin but fades and shrinks faster; polyester-heavy wicks best for active roles at the cost of a synthetic hand-feel.
Knit: piqué — the textured waffle knit — is the uniform default: it holds its shape, hides minor wear, and takes embroidery beautifully. Smooth jersey reads more casual and shows embroidery pucker sooner. For teams, piqué wins on longevity almost every time.
Spec sheet
| Decision | Team default | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 180–220 gsm | Under 170 goes see-through in white |
| Blend | Poly-cotton 65/35 | Cotton-rich if comfort outranks wash life |
| Knit | Piqué | Jersey for a softer, casual read |
| Colour | Dark or mid tones | Pale colours show every mark by 10am |
| Details | Taped neck, spare-button, side vents | Cheap collars curl — the giveaway of a budget polo |
The order
Embroider, don't print, for chest logos on kit that's washed weekly — the comparison explains why — and keep the logo left-chest, 8–10 cm wide, clear of the placket. Sizing spread: order against real people, not a guess at averages, and buy one spare set per size band — teams change faster than uniform budgets renew. And check the maker offers a consistent colour across sizes and reorders; a subtly different navy on the new starter's polo undoes the uniform effect the order paid for.
Long-sleeve variants, ladies' cuts and hi-vis-adjacent colours all exist across the polo range — spec them at order time, not as an afterthought.
Questions
180–220 gsm is the workwear window — substantial enough to keep shape and stay opaque, light enough to wear year-round and dry overnight. Below about 170 gsm, pale colours go translucent and the polo reads as promotional rather than uniform.
Piqué is the textured knit — it holds structure, hides wear and takes embroidery cleanly, which makes it the uniform default. Jersey is smooth and softer but shows pucker around stitching and reads more casual.
Three to five each depending on wash frequency — enough that a mid-week disaster doesn't put a stained polo in front of a customer. Order a spare set per size band; new starters never arrive in convenient sizes.
Everything in these guides is stocked, embroiderable and priced for teams.