Polos - For work

[TheIronSheik 6,598]

So like most of us, my office is a business casual setting, which means 98% of the time I'm wearing a Polo shirt.  Summer it's short sleeved, winter it's long sleeved.  But I am always having issues finding Polos that don't shrink 3 sizes after the first wash.  At first I thought it was because I was buying cheap ones.  So I bit the bullet and bought some high end ones.  And they shrank too.  For the most part, it seems like about 80% of the Polos I buy are given to charities after wearing them once.  

But because they are for work and I don't care about style too much, I'm looking for cheap Polos.  Every so often, I find some good ones at Kohl's that are like $20 and haven't shrunk in 5 years.  But I'm wondering if anyone else has found a reliable, cheap Polo shirt.  Any recommendations?  Really don't want to pay too much for them since I need a lot.  

Show me what you got!!!

[Buckychudd 857]

Are they shrinking or are you growing?

[AAABatteries 18,342]

Buy one size too big - wash before wearing - WALA

[ChiefD 13,308]

2 minutes ago, TheIronSheik said:

So like most of us, my office is a business casual setting, which means 98% of the time I'm wearing a Polo shirt.  Summer it's short sleeved, winter it's long sleeved.  But I am always having issues finding Polos that don't shrink 3 sizes after the first wash.  At first I thought it was because I was buying cheap ones.  So I bit the bullet and bought some high end ones.  And they shrank too.  For the most part, it seems like about 80% of the Polos I buy are given to charities after wearing them once.  

But because they are for work and I don't care about style too much, I'm looking for cheap Polos.  Every so often, I find some good ones at Kohl's that are like $20 and haven't shrunk in 5 years.  But I'm wondering if anyone else has found a reliable, cheap Polo shirt.  Any recommendations?  Really don't want to pay too much for them since I need a lot.  

Show me what you got!!!

Buy shirts that aren't 100% cotton.

You need a polyester blend. And this ain't your dad's polyester. Better fabrics - less wrinkles. Easy to maintain. 

[TheIronSheik 6,598]

3 minutes ago, Buckychudd said:

Are they shrinking or are you growing?

While some have definitely stayed the same while I changed over the years, I have some that look like they'd fit my 1 year old niece sveltely. 

[TheIronSheik 6,598]

3 minutes ago, AAABatteries said:

Buy one size too big - wash before wearing - WALA

Tried this.  I have several Polos that are too big in my closet that I wash once a week hoping they'll shrink.  But they don't. 

[mr. furley 11,085]

similar'ish situation to me. we switched to casual-within-reason but i still wear khakis and polo's a couple days per week.

also sick of shrinking polo shirts so i have cycled through a number of brands trying to find something that doesn't stiffen, shrink and fade after a couple washes (always hang dry).  right now my go-to for cheap polo shirts is Target's Goodfellow brand.

typically anywhere between $14 - $22. you can get plain colors. they seem to be holding up pretty well, not fading, not shrinking. 

 

[TheIronSheik 6,598]

3 minutes ago, ChiefD said:

Buy shirts that aren't 100% cotton.

You need a polyester blend. And this ain't your dad's polyester. Better fabrics - less wrinkles. Easy to maintain. 

Some of the blended one's shrink too.

[Buckychudd 857]

For cheap polo shirts I like Haggar.  They seem to hold up pretty well and don't shrink a ton.

[TheIronSheik 6,598]

7 minutes ago, mr. furley said:

similar'ish situation to me. we switched to casual-within-reason but i still wear khakis and polo's a couple days per week.

also sick of shrinking polo shirts so i have cycled through a number of brands trying to find something that doesn't stiffen, shrink and fade after a couple washes (always hang dry).  right now my go-to for cheap polo shirts is Target's Goodfellow brand.

typically anywhere between $14 - $22. you can get plain colors. they seem to be holding up pretty well, not fading, not shrinking. 

 

Just went online and saw they were on sale for like $9 clearance.  So I bought 5 of them to test out. 

They only had short sleeved.  I need to find some long sleeved ones for the winter.

[mr. furley 11,085]

2 minutes ago, TheIronSheik said:

Just went online and saw they were on sale for like $9 clearance.  So I bought 5 of them to test out. 

They only had short sleeved.  I need to find some long sleeved ones for the winter.

i also own a couple of the Target C9 shirts for summer. mostly i buy the running crew neck shirts but i've got a couple of their polo's.  nice and breezy in the summer. great for wearing on a hot day

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22 3,505]

I wore them for the majority of my 30s and 40s. I loath them now and I’ll only wear one when I’m working on outside or something in the house.

[TheIronSheik 6,598]

3 minutes ago, STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:

I wore them for the majority of my 30s and 40s. I loath them now and I’ll only wear one when I’m working on outside or something in the house.

There's not much alternative to them for work.  

[STEADYMOBBIN 22 3,505]

Just now, TheIronSheik said:

There's not much alternative to them for work.  

Agreed. That’s why I wore em so much. I just hate the generic look of them. It’s like owning a Honda. Everyone else has them. 

[parasaurolophus 4,469]

Banana republic outlet store. 

[Quint 1,882]

Hang dry down? 

But seriously, I wear polos 95% of the time for work too. Try looking for “golf” shirts with all that fancy microfiber instead of the standard cotton/poly blend. 

Nike, Adidas, UA, and Travis Mathew are mostly what I’ve got. And yeah these are $50 plus each, but they hold hp really well. Found another brand recently at Dick’s - Walter Hagen - that are pretty nice. Seems like I get an email a day from that store offering 20% off or better, so that’s a bonus. 

 

[Doug B 2,680]

24 minutes ago, mr. furley said:

Also sick of shrinking polo shirts so i have cycled through a number of brands trying to find something that doesn't stiffen, shrink and fade after a couple washes (always hang dry).

I feel like the hang-dry advice may have been overlooked.

If you bring home new T-shirts and polos and don't want them to shrink, you should hang-dry them the first three or four times you wash them. If you feel like the fabric comes out too stiff after hang-drying, you can throw them into the dryer for a few minutes -- 3-5 minutes is plenty enough to soften the fabric back up.

After those initial three or four washes, the size of the garment should largely be set and much less prone to shrinking (cotton-poly blends shouldn't shrink at all at this point). However, though your shirts can be safely dried at this point, you still want to avoid using the max heat setting in the dryer (save that for towels and sheets). "Low and slow" drying helps the fabric last longer and mitigates shrinkage.

[Doug B 2,680]

2 minutes ago, Quint said:

Hang dry down? 

There we go ... thanks for the backup.

[parasaurolophus 4,469]

1 minute ago, Doug B said:

I feel like the hang-dry advice may have been overlooked.

If you bring home new T-shirts and polos and don't want them to shrink, you should hang-dry them the first three or four times you wash them. If you feel like the fabric comes out too stiff after hang-drying, you can throw them into the dryer for a few minutes -- 3-5 minutes is plenty enough to soften the fabric back up.

After those initial three or four washes, the size of the garment should largely be set and much less prone to shrinking (cotton-poly blends shouldn't shrink at all at this point). However, though your shirts can be safely dried at this point, you still want to avoid using the max heat setting in the dryer (save that for towels and sheets). "Low and slow" drying helps the fabric last longer and mitigates shrinkage.

Way too much work. Buy a size larger. Shrink it. Move on to more important endeavors.

[eoMMan 4,782]

Your issues with shrinkage....is it more because they are becoming too short?

Several brands are adding a tall version now mixed in with their regular sizes (XLT, LT, etc.)

[cap'n grunge 6,307]

I buy the cheap polos from Kohl's pretty often, especially when they are on sale. I usually wear a 2X shirt but for the polos I go with XLT to get the length because that's where they seem to shrink.

[coyote5 1,110]

You're a FBG, shoot the lock off your wallet and buy some non-cotton golf polos from Nike or Under Armour etc.  They do not shrink.

[Captain Cranks 3,883]

35 minutes ago, TheIronSheik said:

Just went online and saw they were on sale for like $9 clearance.  So I bought 5 of them to test out. 

They only had short sleeved.  I need to find some long sleeved ones for the winter.

I like these

They don't shrink or fade and I've never had an issue with them being 100% polyester.  

[msommer 7,552]

3 minutes ago, Captain Cranks said:

I like these

They don't shrink or fade and I've never had an issue with them being 100% polyester.  

Apart from having to stay far away from naked flames?

[Doug B 2,680]

11 minutes ago, parasaurolophus said:

Way too much work. Buy a size larger. Shrink it. Move on to more important endeavors.

The explanation was long, but the concept is simple. You can return back to the ol' college-kid laundry methods after the first few washes.

I will add that even after tumble drying, polos look and wear a lot better if you hang them on hangers rather than ball them up in a pile on the couch  

[Captain Cranks 3,883]

1 minute ago, msommer said:

Apart from having to stay far away from naked flames?

I'm a gambling man.  So far, so good.

[[scooter] 11,629]

I used to be a bit of a polo shirt addict. At one point I owned about 100 shirts, but now the collection is down to around 50. I've separated them into 3 different categories: "work only" (either because they are high-end or because they have a corporate logo on them), "golf only" (too sporty for work, too nice to get dirty), and "everything else".

I usually stick with golf brands (Callaway and Nike are my favorites), but I'll shop Kohls or Wal-Mart if they have a sale. But my rule of thumb with the store brands is that I'll never pay more than $9 per shirt.

I haven't had much experience with shrinkage, though. But I always wash my shirts in cold water and then hang dry.

[STEADYMOBBIN 22 3,505]

Yeah, you can’t throw anything nice into the dryer. That murders your clothes. 
 

The blended/micro shorts are nice and last much longer as long as you don’t have a job that has any physical activity as the fabric snag and tear fairly easy. You end up with a bunch of holes and odd thread lines. 

[mr. furley 11,085]

49 minutes ago, STEADYMOBBIN 22 said:

Agreed. That’s why I wore em so much. I just hate the generic look of them. It’s like owning a Honda. Everyone else has them. 

it's kind of true of men's clothing in general, though.

polo or button down

sweater

khakis or slacks

tough to variate much in a business casual environment

[TheIronSheik 6,598]

41 minutes ago, Quint said:

Hang dry down? 

But seriously, I wear polos 95% of the time for work too. Try looking for “golf” shirts with all that fancy microfiber instead of the standard cotton/poly blend. 

Nike, Adidas, UA, and Travis Mathew are mostly what I’ve got. And yeah these are $50 plus each, but they hold hp really well. Found another brand recently at Dick’s - Walter Hagen - that are pretty nice. Seems like I get an email a day from that store offering 20% off or better, so that’s a bonus. 

 

Yeah, I have a bunch of nice golf shirts that don't usually shrink.  But they are expensive.  And I've ruined a bunch of them with stains by spilling something on them from work or getting them dirty from ink or something stupid.  That's why I'd prefer the cheap ones.  So when I screw them up, they are disposable.  Just not single use disposable.

[TheIronSheik 6,598]

37 minutes ago, eoMMan said:

Your issues with shrinkage....is it more because they are becoming too short?

Several brands are adding a tall version now mixed in with their regular sizes (XLT, LT, etc.)

Yes.  This is 90% of the problem.  I've even gone to Big and Tall stores and bought some long ones and after a couple of washes, they still get short.  There are some that get tight on me, but mostly the issue is they don't stay tucked in any more.

[TheIronSheik 6,598]

9 minutes ago, mr. furley said:

it's kind of true of men's clothing in general, though.

polo or button down

sweater

khakis or slacks

tough to variate much in a business casual environment

Yup.  And Friday is casual day, which just means jeans and an untucked polo.  Woohoo!  So casual. 

[Doug B 2,680]

5 minutes ago, TheIronSheik said:

Yes.  This is 90% of the problem.  I've even gone to Big and Tall stores and bought some long ones and after a couple of washes, they still get short. 

I am curious about the specifics of your laundry process. How much of it do you actively control (wash & rinse temperatures, heavy duty-vs-gentle, dryer temperature, etc.) vs. going on auto-pilot and just throwing stuff in the washer/dryer without setting anything?

[gump 1,637]

1 hour ago, TheIronSheik said:

They only had short sleeved.  I need to find some long sleeved ones for the winter.

Get 3-4 nicer branded 1/4 zips. You can layer over polos, take on or off, and don’t need to wash very often. 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22 3,505]

The last few posts about the shirts being too small reminded me that when I was younger and wore crappy polos I would have to stand on them and pull them up to stretch them out to make em longer.

[parasaurolophus 4,469]

40 minutes ago, Doug B said:

The explanation was long, but the concept is simple. You can return back to the ol' college-kid laundry methods after the first few washes.

I will add that even after tumble drying, polos look and wear a lot better if you hang them on hangers rather than ball them up in a pile on the couch  

Do you use those big padded things that go on the hangers too? Otherwise shoulder niples suck. 

[5-ish Finkle 3,199]

Who the hell decided that a polo was "business" anything, anyway?  Polo shirts are what you wear when you work at Subway (or, you know, play polo).

Get a new job, IMO.

Edited November 7 by 5-ish Finkle

[TheIronSheik 6,598]

11 minutes ago, Doug B said:

I am curious about the specifics of your laundry process. How much of it do you actively control (wash & rinse temperatures, heavy duty-vs-gentle, dryer temperature, etc.) vs. going on auto-pilot and just throwing stuff in the washer/dryer without setting anything?

I'm a man.  My wife does the laundry.

[TheIronSheik 6,598]

2 minutes ago, 5-ish Finkle said:

Who the hell decided that a polo was "business" anything, anyway?  Polo shirts are what you wear when you work at Subway (or, you know, play polo).

Get a new job, IMO.

Right.  

[Ron Swanson 1,710]

What finks said. Are there that many of you here wearing those abominations? And DDT o they really make them in long sleeve? Just buy some nice dress shirts and maybe some nice camps or guyabaras for casual.

[Foosball God 2,508]

1 hour ago, TheIronSheik said:

Tried this.  I have several Polos that are too big in my closet that I wash once a week hoping they'll shrink.  But they don't. 

See what brand they are, buy them in the right size.  WA-LA!

[Doug B 2,680]

22 minutes ago, parasaurolophus said:

Do you use those big padded things that go on the hangers too? Otherwise shoulder nipples suck. 

Like Joan Crawford said ... "NO WIRE HANGERS!!!!!" 

Seriously, regular plastic hangers generally work fine. We've also got some wide felt-covered hangers that are made for hanging ladies gowns and such -- those wide felt hangers definitely guarantee to keep your polo shirt shoulders in shape. 

Edited November 7 by Doug B
added link

[Doug B 2,680]

13 minutes ago, TheIronSheik said:

I'm a man.  My wife does the laundry.

If you want it done right ... you know the rest.

[TheIronSheik 6,598]

5 minutes ago, Foosball God said:

See what brand they are, buy them in the right size.  WA-LA!

But here's the thing:  I've actually bought two of the same brand and had one shrink and the other not shrink.  It's odd.  It's like a crapshoot with these damn things.

[TheIronSheik 6,598]

Just now, Doug B said:

If you want it done right ... you know the rest.

Sure.  But I love my wife and I don't think I should find a new one just because my polos are shrinking in the wash. 

[Parrothead 3,244]

Just now, TheIronSheik said:

Sure.  But I love my wife and I don't think I should find a new one just because my polos are shrinking in the wash. 

maybe just have an affair with someone who can properly launder your polos?

[Doug B 2,680]

Just now, TheIronSheik said:

Sure.  But I love my wife and I don't think I should find a new one just because my polos are shrinking in the wash. 

All I'm saying is that the polo shrinkage is preventable. It requires attention, and a small amount of effort, but it is preventable. It's up to you whether or not you truly desire to solve the problem.

[Cjw_55106 3,795]

https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-cm-galaxy-by-harvic-men-s-tagless-dry-fit-moisture-wicking-polo-4-pack-s-2xl

 

 

[WDIK2 492]

I didn't know this was such a problem.    Maybe it's because I buy large but am more M/L size and don't notice or just happen to buy the right synthetic.    I always wash them in cold water.

[Doug B 2,680]

1 minute ago, WDIK2 said:

I always wash them in cold water.

This helps a lot.