How to care for your Signature Polo Shirt

A sartorial icon that can elevate every outfit, the Ben Sherman polo is a tried and true wardrobe hero. Capturing the heritage and versatility of the classic pique polo, Ben Sherman's polo shirts are designed with signature branding details and Mod-inspired design. Expertly crafted and honed through the decades, your polo is a menswear essential with heirloom quality – so check out our essential guide to properly wearing, laundering and storing your polo shirts.

Wear

While the Romford has origins in retro sports styling, the modern Ben Sherman polo you know and love is built for sharp style over high-intensity performance. Keep your polo off the football pitch, and when exercise is on the cards go for a Ben Sherman style built for performance, like the cutting edge performance tee or the 360 Motion Polo. Bring out the Romford or Signature polo for laid back casual wear (the perfect layer under a Harrington jacket), or even give a nod to Mod heritage in your next formal look by pairing your polo with a blazer and smart trousers. The polo is an undeniable weekend essential, so it's likely to cross paths with spills, stains, sweat marks, and suncream. Do the fabric a favour and treat stains as soon as possible, even just a spot-clean with water and mild soap will help to avoid a long-lasting stain on that iconic pique fabric, and throw your polo in the washing machine as soon as possible. Speaking of laundry…

Laundry

Don't just throw everything in the wash and hope for the best! When it comes to your classic Ben Sherman polos, harsh washing conditions can damage fabrics and misshape silhouettes, especially with cotton pique being prone to shrinkage. Play it safe and wash on a cool cycle at 30°C, with a delicate setting that has a low number of spins. Before washing, be sure to button the polo all the way up, then turn it inside out, and flip the collar up to help to prevent it from curling. Choose a gentle bleach-free detergent, too, and don’t add fabric softener – it can add a waxy coating to your clothes and ruin fabrics over time. Reshaping your polos while they're damp will help them to retain their smart silhouette; lay flat on a towel and gently pull the polo back into it's signature shape, being sure to keep the collar up until it's totally dry to help stop the corners from curling. For the sharpest finish, run a low-temperature iron over your polo, gently pressing down on the collar.

Store

Once laundered and ironed, fold your polo using the 'department store' technique: lay front side down, fold each arm inwards so the cuffs meet at the centre back, fold the hem upwards so it covers the arms and lines up with the back of the collar, then flip the polo front side up and neaten up the collar points. It might sound complicated, but get the hang of it and it takes a few seconds to keep your polos crease-free in storage. Keep your whole polo collection neatly stacked together, storing them away from other items that might transfer colour or shed – knitwear can easily transfer onto other clothes! If fibres get stuck to your polos, just grab a lint roller and give them the once-over.