Early in my entrepreneurial career, an investor with a background in the tech world was trying to fit in with the whole “smart relaxed tech look” by pairing a traditional polo shirt (elastic collar, a size too big) with a hard-shouldered pinstripe suit jacket and a pair of medium-wash jeans. The look was way off (not that I said anything). The formality mismatch of each piece made the whole look wildly inconsistent, and it seemed like he figured each piece on its own could create a passable outfit to fit in with the look of his peers. Wearing a polo with a blazer takes some finesse, however. You can’t just throw a bunch of disparate pieces together and think the look will work.
If you can execute it properly, this combo creates a relaxed yet sharp vibe, perfect for a variety of casual situations. This vibe can put others at ease while making you more relaxed and confident.
Polo shirts are not just for the golf course or 80s inspired preppy looks. In reality, this garment offers great versatility. You can use them to dress down, or dress up, many different outfits. They hit a perfect middle ground of a little dressy but still relaxed and casual.
Blazers and sport coats (distinction here), can easily elevate and add structure and masculinity to a given look.
Combining the two seems like a no-brainer. It only works, however, if you pair the right pieces properly. A cheap floppy collared polo shirt with a suit jacket, like I mentioned before, is a formality mismatch that won’t impress anyone.
Benefits of a blazer/sport coat
For the purposes of this article, we’ll use the term blazer and sport coat interchangeably. Although they are different, you can pair a polo shirt with each of them depending on the look.
Utilizing a polo shirt with a blazer or sport coat opens up the situations where you can include these jackets, as it relaxes the look compared to wearing a button down. Sometimes a button down and a blazer will be too stuffy for a given scenario. Check out this article from Dappered on the benefits of wearing a blazer or sport coat.
TL;DR – since the lines of a sport coat all go from the middle of your midsection out to your shoulders, this jacket shape accentuates your upper body’s masculine v-shape, while slimming your frame. Basically, tailored jackets make you look taller, leaner, and broader shouldered – benefits I’m sure we would all take.
By pairing a polo with your jackets, you have suddenly opened up a way to include more tailored attire in casual situations, without looking or feeling overdressed.
This combination also works especially well in the spring and summer, as the shorter sleeves of the polo shirt will keep you cooler than a traditional long sleeve button down for your more dressed up looks. This vibe also matches the more casual feel of summer style, where comfort starts to take precedence over formality. You can easily go from coffee at a café, to a casual lunch, to running a few errands, and then off to drinks and dinner, all while staying cool and without looking over or under dressed.
Let’s go over how to execute this look with style.
Choose the right polo shirt
When it comes to wearing a polo shirt with a blazer or sport coat, you must first choose the right polo shirt. As with any polo shirt (here are our 5 favorites), look for one that fits well and is made from a high-quality material. The collar is the biggest key for this look. It should be structured and able to stand up on its own under a jacket. If the collar wilts away or gets too crumpled underneath the jacket, it ends up looking sloppy and ruins the clean lines of this combo. You’ll lose the appeal, polish, and charm of the look.
| Category | Brand | Best Features |
| Best Overall | Kent Wang | Perfect collar shape and structure High quality cotton pique fabric Great fit |
| Best Budget | Spier and Mackay | Amazing price Good collar structure – built in collar stays Lightweight pique cotton fabric |
| Best Dressy | Charles Tyrwhitt | Sleek knit fabric Hidden button-down collar Business casual appropriate |
| Best Performance | Rhone | Top-class performance fabric Balances sporty and casual look Hidden button-down collar |
The easy test – find a polo with a collar similar to that of a dress shirt. The pictures below show you what the polos should ideally look like under a blazer. Kent Wang polos are perfect for this look (the left and middle ones are from this brand).
Even though we love the classic Lacoste polo, traditional polo shirts like these use elastic collars that usually don’t have the structure to stand up under a sport coat. You should generally stay away from these types of classic polo shirts for this combo. You should also avoid very casual polos with softer collars, as they will lose shape and get lost under a jacket, ruining the clean lines that this look should provide.
One exception – the knit sweater polo. These can look good under a blazer without a strong collar, because these collars lay against your body. Just make sure the collar stays clean under the jacket. This may require buttoning the top button.
Long sleeve polos work well too with this look, especially for an outfit that is a tad dressier or when the weather drops but you still want to keep the appeal of this combination.
Obviously the other style standards must fall in line. The shirt should fit well – nothing too baggy or too tight. Avoid shirts with overly large logos or graphics as they can be distracting and take away from the polished look you’re trying to achieve.
Pair it with the right blazer
The key to pulling off this look is pairing the right jacket with the polo shirt. You can utilize any of the four best sport coat colors – finding polo shirts to match these colors is easy.
| Category | Brand | Best Features |
| Best Overall | Bonobos Unconstructed Blazer | Perfect balance of casual and dressy Great fit and fabric quality Lightweight yet substantial structure |
| Best Budget | J. Crew Cotton-Linen Blend Jacket | Affordable (often on sale) Great for relaxed looks Versatile |
| Best Casual | Spier and Mackay Cotton Unstructured Sport Coat | Perfect for stepped-up casual looks Well-constructed Great 3-season weight |
| Best Splurge | Proper Cloth Italian Wool and Linen Jacket | Top-quality fabric Perfect fit and structure Blend of classic and modern style |
Since polo shirts are still considered casual attire, it’s best not to pair them with a sport coat that is too dressy. You’re better off keeping the look consistent with a more casual jacket.
Stay away from jackets with too much shoulder padding, heavy lining, or very smooth formal fabrics that look more like a suit jacket. You should also avoid wearing polos with actual suit jackets. Instead, stick to more casual sport coats. Those with very little or no shoulder padding, little to no lining, and more casual fabrics (cotton, linen, textured wool, subtle patterns, etc…) will match a polo shirt well. See the examples below.
Dressier blazers definitely have their place in a man’s wardrobe, but usually they will match better with dress shirts and slacks.
Choose the right pants
When it comes to pants, you have a few options to create a dressier or more relaxed look, especially when you consider chinos or slacks. You can create a dressed up outfit with some wool slacks, a knit sweater polo, and a slightly dressier jacket (linen-wool blend or hopsack wool). This can work in a business casual environment or for a nice dinner out.
Casual chinos matched with a cotton or linen blazer will create a versatile smart casual look. You can sport this outfit for a casual lunch, a relaxed office environment, drinks with friends, a casual date night, or any number of situations. And if you find yourself overdressed, remove your jacket and you’re good to go.
You can even throw some jeans in the mix. Dark denim, a polo, and a brown, grey, or blue (make sure the blue has at least some contrast to the jeans, in the picture below the pattern in the sport coat works beautifully to tie this look together) casual sport coat can nail that relaxed yet polished vibe.
Corduroy pants can work well with a long sleeve polo and a tweed sport coat, for a warm layered fall look that keeps the relaxed appeal of this combination.
Choose the right shoes
The right shoes can make or break this look. Make sure your shoes are in the same dressiness ballpark as the rest of your outfit. This keeps the look consistent. You don’t want to wear dress oxfords with jeans and an unstructured cotton sport coat, for instance.
With a dressier look (more refined blazer, dress pants), you should go with dress loafers or a pair of wingtips, brogued oxfords, or bluchers. For more casual polo and blazer outfits (jeans/chinos and unstructured sport coats), stick with chukka boots, casual loafers, or even plain leather sneakers. Boat shoes can work too, if that is your thing.
Matching colors
Since the polo and blazer outfit combines three distinct pieces (a jacket, pants, and a shirt), you need to make sure the colors coordinate. One key to remember, utilize at least two neutral colors for these three items. Navy, grey, beige/khaki, white, and brown fall into the neutral color category. Check out the example combinations below.
- Classic combo – navy jacket, white polo, khaki or grey chinos
- Slightly unexpected neutrals combo – navy jacket, grey polo, olive chinos
- Slight twist on a classic – grey jacket, navy polo, khaki trousers
- Bold but grounded – maroon/burgundy/patterned jacket, white polo, grey trousers
- Laid back summer style – tan jacket, white polo, light grey linen blend pants
- Fall color combo – brown jacket, forest green polo, dark denim jeans
An underrated part of wearing a polo with a blazer or sport coat – a polo can add a dash of bold color to your outfit in a way that standard button-downs cannot. And wearing bold colors can benefit you in many ways.
Accessories and grooming
Since you probably want to give off a relaxed yet polished vibe with this look, you can go in a lot of different directions with accessories. Use a pocket square to add a touch of flair. If your color combination is fairly simple, you can use this accessory to inject a little bit of color and boldness to the look. If the rest of your outfit leans more colorful, a simple white pocket square can ground the look a bit.
A watch complements this look well too (check out this article for some great starter watches). If your outfit leans dressier, you can easily go with your favorite dress watch. For more casual combinations, you can swap in a nylon or canvas nato strap watch to add a little color and to keep the look more relaxed.
Make sure you’re well-groomed when sporting this look. This means making sure your hair is neat and tidy and your nails are trimmed. A clean-shaven face or well-groomed beard can also add to the polished appeal of the look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is ok to wear a polo with a blazer or sport coat. But only if you match the right pieces together. A jacket that is too formal, such as a suit jacket or a more structured blazer, paired with a very casual polo shirt will look mismatched. Instead, your polo shirt should lean dressier, with a more structured collar, and the jacket should be more casual, with less formal fabrics, as well as minimal lining and padding.
A polo and blazer can be business casual, but it depends on your workplace. Typically, if you match the right pieces together, a polo and blazer can create a great business casual look. Make sure your polo shirt consists of smoother knit fabric and that the collar can stand up solidly underneath your jacket. Polo shirts with button down collars, especially if the buttons are hidden, work great for this environment. Check out Charles Tyrwhitt for the perfect business casual polo.
Yes, you can wear a short sleeve polo with a jacket! The look will be more relaxed and cooler, both of which are perfect for bringing a bit of sharpness to a warmer weather outfit.
You do not have to tuck in a polo shirt when you wear it with a blazer. This is completely optional – go with whatever is more comfortable for you. I tend to go untucked to keep the look more relaxed. One exception – if the shirt extends close to the end of your pant crotch, then you should tuck it in.
You should wear a polo with a blazer because this outfit combination gives off the perfect relaxed dress casual vibe. You look sharp but slightly dressed down, which can put you at ease and make you appear more relaxed and confident. Not many men can pull this look off well, so if you follow the rules and inject a bit of your own style into the look, you’ll easily stand out in a positive way.
You can wear a polo with a suit, but it’s tough to pull off. Typically a suit is too formal to match with a polo, as this combination would create too much of a mismatch which leads to an inconsistent look. You definitely should not try this combo with most of the suits and polos people normally wear. I have, however, seen suits with more casual details (coarser fabrics, subtle patterns, less structure) work with dressier polos (usually knit polos or those made with silkier, smoother fabrics).
Conclusion
Wearing a polo shirt with a blazer can look stylish and sophisticated when properly executed. Remember to choose a well-tailored polo shirt and jacket, pair it with the right pants and shoes, match colors appropriately, and don’t forget about grooming. By following these tips, you’ll be able to pull off this look with confidence and ease.
