If there is one area of apparel that seems more competitive than cycling gear (and wouldn’t the people who brought you Road Holland know!), it’s the “lifestyle prep corner of the casual clothes market.” What is the lifestyle prep corner of the casual clothes market? It’s not easy to explain so let’s start with a brief history lesson.
Things likely got going in the late 1970s with Ralph Lauren, the first non-sporting company to place a logo on the traditional “polo” or tennis shirt. Up until that time, polos were decidedly racquet-centric (think Lacoste and Fred Perry and one of our favorites, Boast). However, Ralph Lauren gave the polo a whole new meaning. His brand represented a lifestyle ideal of which the polo shirt was just one part of the wardrobe, albeit the most ubiquitous one.
Another casualty of the 80s, the polo shirt degenerated into an immensely popular corporate promotional item. We see the remnants of such madness today every time we walk into a big box store. But polos in fine fabrics, interesting colors, good cuts, and steep price tags have remained and flourished as core parts of the prep wardrobe. Lacoste came back from the abyss with a vengeance and is now an international powerhouse with retail stores. Ralph Lauren keeps climbing the rungs of the luxury ladder but polo shirts remain its footings with brash new collections each year.
Although it started with ties, Vineyard Vines offers a good deal of polos with its signature whale and can now outfit you head to toe. The brand kicked off the trend of talking about geographic roots first (in its case Martha’s Vineyard) and product second. A host of other brands have followed including Southern Tide – popular among the Southeast college set – and Coast Apparel. The models in their pictures look like they actually dress this way – and they do. I grew up with these kids and they’re the real deal.
Collared Greens is a similar brand but with a twist. While it definitely plays upon its heritage with a clever spelling of the classic Southern dish, the company is wearing its green aspirations on its sleeves as well. It makes its products in the USA from sustainably sourced fabrics. Even its packaging is Earth friendly. A portion of all profits goes back to conservation causes. Ties are the only products that seem to be available at the moment but a video on its site announces the coming of polo shirts.
One more brand has caught my eye – The Frat Collection. I’m not wild about the signature “patch” approach but I like the originality and quest to develop the ultimate “party shirt.”
As the young’uns now say, “It’s all good.”
- Jonathan
