Not so long ago, we were singing the praises of the quarter-zip sweater as “the MVP of your wardrobe”, thanks to how easy it is to wear and its ability to bridge the gap between smart and casual. Now a not-so-distant relation has entered the chat as its summer counterpart: the polo shirt.

If you’ve stepped outside recently – or simply spent time scrolling through social media or watching live sport – then you’ll have noticed it everywhere, too. It has become one of the defining pieces of the season, appearing on everyone from football pundits and elite athletes to Hollywood actors and politicians.

Of course, the polo has long been a staple in menswear and sportswear, originally designed for the tennis court before appearing at golf courses and country clubs alike. Its recent ubiquity, though, owes much to football.

Throughout this summer’s World Cup, television pundits made the polo shirt something of an unofficial uniform. It was a frequent choice of Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira, Joe Hart and Ange Postecoglou, who all embraced the style on screen. Dubbed the “pundit polo” by the writer and author Lauren Cochrane on her Style of Play Substack, its appeal, she points out, lies in its understatedness. For “men who are wary of stepping outside of any sartorial lines when on live TV… the polo’s unremarkable nature turns it into something more like armour,” Cochrane notes.

The journalist Sam Diss credits the polo’s familiarity and inherent sportiness for its popularity. “For me, it’s pretty simple: punditry is corporate cosplay for men who spent their careers in a jersey with a number on the back and suddenly they now have to look like they belong in a boardroom,” he says. “The polo is a compromise – smart enough for the desk, but still faintly sporty.”

It seems that balance between smart and sporty extends to current players, too. The World Cup-winning Spanish team were kitted out in designs by LOEWE, while England squad travelled to the tournament in navy and beige merino-wool polos by M&S. Away from sports, the polo has also proven a hit in Hollywood – Matt Damon frequently swapped out button-down shirts for knitted polos under his suits during the press tour for The Odyssey. Altogether, it points to an ongoing shift in menswear, away from overtly formal dressing and towards pieces that offer polish without sacrificing ease.

“I think the first thing is the comfort when it comes to wearing a polo,” says Kit Swann, MR PORTER’s Fashion Editor. “It sits between a T-shirt and shirt, but the collar and button packet give the polo structure, making it more elevated than a standard T-shirt, but more relaxed than a shirt.”

Like the best wardrobe staples, the polo’s strength is its versatility. Whether worn with lightweight tailoring, pleated shorts on holiday or tucked into linen trousers for dinner, it offers an effortless shortcut to stylish summer dressing. Here’s how to pick your next one.

A finely knitted polo in navy, black or cream is one of the hardest-working pieces you can own. Understated enough to wear under an unstructured blazer yet relaxed enough to pair with tailored shorts or straight-leg jeans, it’s a style you’ll return to long after summer has ended.

While neutral shades will always have their place in your wardrobe, summer is the perfect time to experiment and break out some colour. Polo Ralph Lauren’s soft sage, Mr P.’s burgundy or Brioni’s light blue styles offer an easy way to inject some personality without overwhelming the rest of your look. Pair colourful polos with crisp white trousers or stone chinos for maximum impact.

British summers are rarely predictable, but even when there’s a heatwave outside, the office air conditioning is often set to arctic levels. Which makes the long-sleeved polo an unexpectedly useful investment. TOM FORD’s cashmere and silk-blend polo is lightweight and breathable, while Slowear’s Zanone style is knitted from IceCotton piqué fabric, which has heat-regulating properties – ideal for navigating changing temperatures.