A New Look At Polo Uniforms
Did you realize that the garment we call a polo shirt, sport shirt, or golf shirt actually originated on the tennis court? In 1929, French tennis champ René Lacoste created a short-sleeved piqué knit collared shirt with a buttoned placket. Soon, he added an embroidered crocodile - a symbol of his tenacity on the court - to the left chest area. The shirt caught on among polo players, and by 1950, "polo shirt" was the garment's accepted name. The embroidery tradition has lived on as well. Since polo shirts are popular on the golf course, in the board room, and around town, many businesses put their website logo on the shirts and give them to employees and clients.
Deciding on a polo shirt for your company logo can be kind of overwhelming, especially for anybody who is not particularly fashion-conscious. Here will be the top 5 features to pay focus on when making your selection.
The original polo shirts were 100% cotton, and that fabric is still quite popular - especially premium cottons like Tangüis and Pima. These are particular varieties of cotton noted for their quality, softness, and durability. Cotton/poly blends will also be popular, because the fabric is wrinkle-resistant and much less likely to shrink. Some go for 100% polyester, due to the sturdiness of the fabric when washed over and over again, and because of moisture-wicking properties which make it great in sweaty situations. Inevitably, you might prefer an exotic or unusual fabric like bamboo or eco-friendly choices like recycled polyester and organic cotton.
Fabric content is just half the equation, however. The texture of the fabric determines its look and feel. Jersey is a casual, low-cost choice. The exact same sort of fabric utilized for T-shirts, it is great for screen printing or embroidery. Just like jersey, interlock fabric is double-knit, making it thicker and smoother. Piqué is the original polo shirt fabric; if you look at it closely, you will see which it has a waffle-weave texture. Interesting tonal effects can be achieved with jacquard fabric, which looks and feels glamorous. Lastly, mesh fabric is popular for athletic settings, since the space between the fibers allows the garment to breathe.
The term "performance fabric" refers to a fabric that has been designed to provide practical benefits to the wearer. They make the knowledge of wearing the garment more pleasant and convenient. Moisture-wicking or moisture-management polo shirts pull sweat away from the human body and promote evaporation. They keep the wearer cool and dry, and also are highly desired by golfers and hard-working employees. Where there's sweat, there can be odor, so anti-microbial features are essential to curb the expansion of smelly bacteria. Stain-resistant fabric is a must should the polo shirt will be worn in a restaurant or hospital. Teflon and Scotchgard are popular fabric treatment methods that produce spills easier to clean. Snag-resistant fabrics help keep the sport shirt looking new for quite a while, and are suggested for any heavy-duty use.
It's possible to put your logo on a polo shirt with a recognizable brand name like Adidas, Champion, Nike, and so on. Individuals you give a brand-name polo to will see the brand and know they have gotten a high-quality garment. There is just one possible downside to a brand-name sport shirt, however: the manufacturer's logo, like the Adidas stripes or Nike swoosh, may appear prominently on the shirt and might take attention away through your logo. Another option is private label polo shirts. These garments are manufactured specifically for embroidery and other logo decoration. You could not know the names from retail stores, though the quality and value may be excellent.
In many instances, polo shirts are one color from top to bottom - in other words, they're solid color sport shirts. Another option, which is favored in athletic settings, will be the color block polo shirt. This garment combines different colors in different areas of the shirt. For example, the front and back of the shirt could be grey, and also the side panels could possibly be black. There can be stylish color panels on the sleeves or chest. Universities love color-block polos given that they can choose a shirt that combines their school colors. Another color consideration is tipping. A tipped polo includes narrow borders on the collar and sleeve hems. Piping is similar, but it highlights the seams of the garment.
Last but certainly not least, look at the decoration method used to apply your logo to the polo shirt. Embroidery on the left-chest area is the traditional option, going all of the way back to Lacoste's original crocodile. The advantages of embroidery include durability and a polished, classy look. For anyone who is going for a less traditional look, other spots for your logo include the upper back or the sleeve. Bear in mind, embroidery is not the only way. You can go for screen printing if the polo's fabric is smooth, like jersey or interlock. New sport shirt decorating trends include laser etching, which essentially "burns" the surface of the fabric to create a tone-on-tone design, and heat seals.
