The classic polo is getting fashion play again. About time. The original sport shirt had been retired for a while -- suffering from overexposure. At the beginning of the 20th century the collared, placket-front pullover was designed for wear at the tony pony clubs. It met with such success that it was taken up by the tennis set in the '20s and the golf crowd in the '50s.
By the '80s it had became the official wear at country clubs and on preppy campuses. It was a field of Alligators vs. Ponies for while. There wasn't a weekend get-together where the entire male contingent couldn't be counted on to sport a critter or some other type of logo on the left chest. With many second-string pretenders cluttering the grounds, the polo shirt played itself out, to be substituted by the ubiquitous T.
With the introduction of casual days in corporate America, the polo shirt is enjoying a revival in the '90s. With more polish than a T-shirt and less structure than a dress shirt, the polo again is being seen to best advantage.
SHOPPING GUIDE
POLO, ANYONE?
Page 22 -- Polo, $75, by Hugo Boss at Hyatt & Co. Shirt, $95, by Wilke Rodriguez; jeans, $95; sweater, $158, by Mondo, all at J. S. Edwards Ltd.
Page 23 -- Polo, $40; pants, $49, by Axis at Eclectic. Trench, $175, by Newport Harbor; belt, $88, both at J. S. Edwards Ltd.
Page 24 -- Polo, $140, by Barry Bricken at George Howard. Suit, $550, Assets by Andrew Fezza at Firma. Fob chain at Heirloom Jewels. Belt, $45, at Hecht's.
Page 25 -- Polo, $75; vest, $125, by Wilke-Rodriguez at J. S. Edwards Ltd. Shorts, $70, by Axis at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Styling by Suzin Boddiford. Grooming by Janice Kinigopoulos. Modeled by Gene Liechty/3 West.