Polo Shirt Buying Guide
Or Just Call It A Tennis Shirt
Polos for organizational identity programs are referred to in the industry as sport,
knit or golf shirts and are often classified according to fabric content. Some are made using natural
fibers while others are 100% synthetic or some combination of both. Better quality shirts have side seams,
side vents or gussets providing multi panel construction, delivering a better shape retention than basic
tubular construction (i.e., t-shirts). A high percentage of quality shirts come in coordinated men and
women sizes, offering a well-dressed and consistent organizational appearance.
100% Cotton
Since the fabric comes from a naturally occurring fiber, one can expect they are soft,
comfortable to wear and provide ease of care. Combed cotton is the most basic, unrefined and least
costly cotton. Pique polo shirts with combed cotton tend to be heavier presenting a disadvantage in
warmer weather, while also losing their inherent softness after multiple launderings.
There are three different species of cotton . The most common type is Upland cotton, comprising nearly 90% of all cotton produced around the world. The remaining 10% is made of two higher-quality cottons — Egyptian cotton and pima cotton.
Egyptian and pima cotton are classified as “extra-long staple cottons”, a term that refers to the length of the individual cotton fibers. These longer, silkier fibers produce a luxuriously soft fabric that is also incredibly strong. It’s resistant to fraying, tearing, pilling, wrinkling, and fading. But while Egyptian and pima cotton share similar premium characteristics — and even have the same scientific name (gossypium barbadense) — their differences lie in where they come from.
Pima or Supima cotton is primarily grown in America, is a finer more refined cotton fiber and tends to have fewer imperfections and impediments, delivering a softer and more enduring quality fabrication. Over the years, Pima cotton shirt weight offerings has lowered from 7 to 5 ounces, making the shirt more comfortable in warmer temperatures.
Egyptian cotton thrives in the hot, dry climate of the Nile River Valley. Both Egyptian cotton and pima cotton offer exceptional quality — that is, if their origins can be verified. Unfortunately, many cotton products labeled “Egyptian” are in fact, made of an inferior cotton blend. A recent test revealed 89% of cottons sold as Egyptian aren’t pure at all. And Egyptian cotton is especially troublesome, because all cotton grown in Egypt can technically be labeled “Egyptian cotton” — even if it’s not the high-quality extra-long staple cotton of the same name.
Polyester
Performance polo's are all about comfort and style under extreme conditions. They are popular with golfers, athletes and employees that want to maintain a business casual appearance, when active in warm weather. They also tend to release stains better than cotton. Polyester polos can be referred to as moisture management and moisture wicking, because of their ability to disperse moisture away from the body during hot, humid and perspiring conditions. As is the case with most shirts, higher prices generally yield better fabrics. The more refined polyesters offer a small spandex blend, yielding the softest material member of the family.
A polyester material shortcoming is its tendency to retain odor after multiple washings. Now, many polyester fabrics are manufactured with an anti-microbial treatment to address this potential issue. To be sure, ideally a shirt description will state whether this treatment exists within the fabric content. After time though, this built in safeguard may breakdown. Should odor find its way into the fabric, adding baking soda and regular table salt to the wash can release the odor from the material.
Cotton / Poly Blends
Cotton polyester blended polos tend to be at a lower price point. The polyester component provides an inherent moisture wicking feature and tends to deliver a softer hand when measured against comparable 100% cotton shirts. Curious though, in an earlier era they would simply be described as 50/50 or 60/40 shirt. Now, these same shirts are marketed under multiple pseudonyms, elevating this inherent moisture management capability.
Check out our entire polo collection under the Apparel section of PROMO PLUS. The section offers price search capability to narrow down the enormous collection to selection that will fit your budget.
If you need assistance, please feel free to contact
McGRAPHIX Advertising Products. We are always happy to help.
