What Is a T-Shirt?
A T-shirt is a short sleeved casual top, originally worn as undergarments in the 20th century; however, over time has become one of the most worn clothing items in fashion history. Traditionally, T-shirts are made from cotton and have short sleeves and a round neckline without a collar.
What Is a Polo Shirt?
Polo shirts originated in the 19th century when they were initially designed for polo players – hence the name! They are characterised by their soft collar, buttoned placket and short sleeves, and are usually made from more structured, textured materials.
How Do Polo Shirts and T-Shirts Differ?
Fit
Fit is one of the key differences that sets apart T-shirts and polo shirts. T-shirts often have a relaxed, loose fit that allows for easy movement – hence why they are so popular to wear as loungewear or for casual activities.
Polo shirts, on the other hand, have a far more structured and tailored fit, with many designs featuring a slight taper at the waist and fitted sleeves. This fit is what gives polo shirts their more formal and professional look.
Fabric
While both polo shirts and T-shirts are often made from cotton, polo shirts tend to be made from a thicker knitted cotton or ‘pique’ fabric, whereas T-shirts are often made from lightweight, smooth cotton.
This thicker cotton knit is what gives polo shirts their textured appearance and durability.
Formality
Although neither T-shirts nor polo shirts are formal enough to wear to a black-tie event, both are versatile and can be dressed up for smart-casual dress codes if necessary. Polo shirts are definitely preferred in terms of formality and can be paired with smart trousers, shoes and jackets and worn for business meetings, lunches and other more formal occasions.
T-shirts, however, have to be dressed up considerably in order to fit into a smart-casual dress code, with plain T-shirts made from thicker, more structured materials being far more suited to formal occasions than a classic graphic tee!
