CALIFORNIA POLO SHIRTS

Patagonia: With Ventura-based Patagonia, you get what you pay for.  What you pay is a lot.  What you get is exactly what you want.  Patagonia’s gear and clothing looks great, it works perfectly, and it is manufactured as ethically and sustainably as reasonably possible.  I do not yet own a Patagonia polo.  But I do own a broad cross-section Patagonia clothing and gear, all of which may very well last me forever.  

 

Olivers Apparel: Los Angeles-based Olivers makes shorts, shirts, and sweat clothes for runners and gym-goers.  Their polos also would work well as streetwear.

Mountain Hardwear: Richmond-based Mountain Hardware has been my go-to supplier for camping-and-backpacking clothing and gear for more than a decade.  They also make polo shirts, which probably are of high quality, and which look nice, in a a-backpacking-company-made-this sort of way.

North Face: Alameda-based North Face makes pretty much everything an outdoors-enthusiast could want.  They also make outdoors/urban-hybrid polos which – judging by everything I’ve bought from them so far – likely are of high quality, if a bit over-logoed for my taste. 

American Giant: San Francisco-based American Giant claims to make The Perfect Hoodie.  I bought one.  It is.  They also make polos.  

Volcom: Orange County-based Volcom is a one-stop shop for skater/surfer/snowboarder fashion, from polo shirts to board shorts to two-piece suits.  Because they target skaters – who shred clothes quickly, no matter how high quality – I did not expect Volcom to put much effort into the second-thing-to-go elements of clothing construction.  After all, why double-stitch a garment that’s going to be rags within weeks regardless?  But I was pleasantly surprised.  A few years back, I bought a Volcom button-up. It was a good purchase.  The shirt had a clean silhouette, but with slightly skewed seams that bent people’s eyes just enough to prevent them from looking past me.  And – because I do not lead a tear-through-fabric lifestyle – it lasted for years.

Chubbies: San Francisco-based Chubbies makes pool/beach clothes with anti-fashion prints for the Weekend At Bernie’s crowd, including some polos.  Personally, I’ve never seen a Chubbies shirt that I can imagine myself wearing.  But their Weekend Love exuberance keeps me returning to their site.

DSTLD: Los Angeles-based DSTLD is an online-only, direct-to-consumer clothing designer and seller.  Their wares include slim-cut polos.  

AG Jeans: Los Angeles-based AG made its name designing flattering and socially conscious jeans, which my wife has worn happily for years.  They also make polos.