The other day, we were sitting at a marketing staff meeting, talking about the wretched heat that mother nature has bestowed upon Wilmington, NC lately. Fred was wearing a waffle-weave polo that we had on closeout eons ago, and Corey (our sales manager), was, quite coincidentally, wearing the same shirt on the same day. They both cited the same reason for wearing that particular shirt “It’s HOT outside today!”
Test-Driving some Polos
That made me think back to visiting Western North Carolina a few weeks ago (Apparently, I really loved that trip, because I keep blogging about it!), and how HOT it was out there in the MOUNTAINS. We were looking forward to a break from the heat, but that was not to be. During our meeting I noted that I felt much cooler when wearing the pique knit shirt than I did on the day I wore the jersey knit shirt. Rarely do I have such a “controlled” (read CONSISTENTLY HOT) environment in which to do direct testing myself. (If it’s over 85 degrees and I’m not riding my bike or at the beach, I am inside. And, from inside, all of our shirts are equally comfortable.) The difference was amazing!
The “Can’t Wait to Recreate” Polo
When you’re outside-teeing up for golf, showing houses, playing tennis, manning a booth at a festival, pressing the flesh while campaigning, etc. a pique (pronounced pee-kay) knit is the knit for you. It will help you stay cool by wicking the moisture away from your skin and evaporating quickly to help you avoid sweat stains. The pique knit has larger spaces between the yarn, allowing for the air movement. Our Two-Ply Pima Pique Polo, style 1400 is modeled after the original Lacoste polo, and is the “shirt that started it all” here at Queensboro.
The “Office Space” Polo
I love the movie Office Space. I’m also very attached to my stapler. While I was going on and on about how much I loved my pique-knit polo, Fred reminded me that I need not forget the merits of our jersey-knit polos, namely that they are perfect for office environments. I definitely agree. The piques are lovely, too, but the smooth knit of the jersey fabric really makes your logo POP off the shirt. That’s just good for business. Additionally, the jersey knits, notably our new 1440, the Two-Ply Pima Jersey Polo (the new version of our customer favorite style 1430), are affordable, soft, and comfy for a day spent in the air conditioning–or the up and down temperatures of every office I’ve ever worked in!
The “I’m a Messy Cook (or Barbequer) Polo”
The Stain Repel and Release Sportshirt, style 1209, is perfect for our new friends at the KCBS. We’ve recently made friends with lots of BBQ teams, and this shirt would be great for them-look great while cooking up a storm. The cotton/polyester blend helps with wrinkle resistant. It does let go of pesky barbeque stains more easily than our other offerings. This polo is good for anyone who wants to look fresh while working in a tomatoey/greasy/messy/dirty situation, without needing to replace all of their shirts every couple of weeks.
The “Chillaxin” Polo
There are few shirts more comfortable than our Fine Pima Jersey Polo, style 1490. This is the perfect polo shirt for relaxing at home, a day antiquing in a quaint seaside or riverside town, watching your local baseball team clobber their unfortunate visitors, etc. This polo is made from some of the softest cotton, and is great for a day of casual/upscale fun. You know-those days when a t-shirt would be too relaxed, but a buttondown or polo too formal? This is the perfect in-between shirt. It says “I’m stylish but not uptight,” “I can pick out my own clothes,” you get the drift.
The Four Polos of the Well-Appointed Closet
So, if you went on the show “What Not to Wear” they would probably tell you that you don’t need four different types of polo shirts. They would be so wrong. People who work hard, play hard, and lead active, busy lives can never have too many polo shirts. Yes, you’re going to want some other clothes for your closet. I’ll give you that. But, in almost every situation, you can’t go wrong with a polo shirt.
