The Pick: The summer staple missing from your wardrobe
When it comes archetypal British style, it doesn’t get much closer than the classic polo shirt. And when it comes to polo shirts it doesn’t get much more iconic than John Smedley. Family owned since the company’s founding in 1974, John Smedley retains it’s hand crafted finishing techniques from the oldest manufacturing factory in the world, whilst earning its reputation as an innovative leader in the production of fine knitwear.
There was good cause for the brand receiving the Royal Warrant of Appointment from Her Majesty the Queen as ‘Manufacturer of Fine Knitwear’ in 2013; the extra fine merino, which plays such a key role in it’s iconic garments, is as practical as it is tactile and versatile. It creates its own micro-climate around the body and maintains the comfort of the wearer in both warm and cool conditions. In other words: the ideal material for our unreliable summer weather. Not only this, but the fact that John Smedley are offering a product from a renewable resource, manufactured in pollution-free factories, means that this is a shirt that can be as comfortable on your conscience as it is on your skin.
In the absence of any garish logos or prints, the tipped collar of the Lydgate provides a more sophisticated twist to catch the eye, enhancing the definitive three button style. This is a polo designed to provide the wearer with an image of effortless, understated style. As if it needed anything else to commend it, the John Smedley polo has been the choice for several James Bonds over the years, and what gentleman wouldn’t want to convey a little more of the essence of Bond this summer?
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