Polo Shirts are a kind of a pullover sport shirt of knitted material. Also known as a tennis shirt or a golf shirt, the polo shirt is a T-shaped shirt with a collar, two or three buttons down a slit below the collar, two small slits on the bottom of either side of the shirt, and an optional pocket. Polo shirts have become today one of the standard categories of men's clothing. These shirts are designed for both formal and casual occasions. Notably, polo shirts are worn by professionals in settings where T-shirts are not acceptable but formal business attire is not required. In fact, in contemporary Western fashion, polo shirts are considered more casual than woven button-down shirts while at the same time being slightly dressy. Since 1990s, the polo shirt has become the standard informal business attire for the high tech industry. Polo shirts are also part of a compulsory uniform for both boys and girls in many schools.

Materials used to make knitted polo shirts
One of the unique characteristic of polo shirt is that a polo shirt is usually made of knitted cloth rather than woven cloth. Some common materials can be:

• Cotton
• Silk
• Merino wool
• Synthetic fibers

But the most common and popular material is cotton.

Styles of Polo Shirts
One can find polo shirts in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Wide horizontal stripes are common. The polo shirts are often made of "natural" colors ranging from light pastel shades to dark shade suitable for all age groups and for any kind of occasions.

Buying Guide for quality knitted polo shirts
When buying polo shirts, quality is always the main factor for consideration. Naturally, buyers want to be sure that the products they are purchasing meet or exceed their as well as the their customers' expectations. Buying poor quality clothing only damage reputations, sometimes jeopardising the very existence of the businesses involved. But how can buyers who do not have any knowledge with the elements that constitute a good quality polo shirt be confident in their quality assessment of the product they are about to purchase? Moreover, how can wholesale buyers in this situation find out the difference in quality between a good quality polo shirt and a bad quality polo shirt to their customers?

Yarn Type
The yarn type is a major determinant of quality. The quality of the fabric is dependent on the length of the fibres used in the yarn. The longer the fibres, the higher the quality of the fabric. Combing removes shorter fibres and this helps in producing a stronger, more uniform yarn from which the knitted fabric is produced.

Fabric Weight
The heavier the fabric means that more raw materials have been used in producing the shirt and in turn leads to higher cost of the polo-shirts. For example, a polo-shirt with a fabric weight of 220 grams per square meter will definitely cost more to produce than another polo-shirt with a fabric weight of 180 grams per square meter, inspite of having same style and size.

Fabric Dyeing
To ensure a knitted polo-shirt is color-fast and at the same time retains its color wash after wash, the method of dyeing is very critical. This also depends on the type of knitted fabric used. With 100% cotton polo shirts, reactive dyeing will definitely give better performance than direct dyeing. With polyester/cotton blends the fabric needs to be double dyed to ensure that the dyestuff is applied to both the cotton and polyester fibres.

Manufacture

• Shoulders & Arms: A sure sign of quality is double top stitching along the shoulder seam of a polo shirt. More than just a basic stitched shoulder seam, a double top stitch ensures strength and durability as well as neatness of the upper polo shirt area. Double top stitching along the sleeve seam where it connects with the main body of the polo shirt also offers neatness, strength and durability around the sleeve and underarm area of the shirt. Polo shirts with ribbed cuffs prevent the sleeve from stretching and sagging and keeps the polo shirt looking smart and new around the arms, even after considerable wear.
  
  
• Polo Shirt Front: The polo shirt should have good quality buttons. They need to be hard-wearing. They should add to the stylish appeal of the polo shirt. A popular type of button that satisfies both criteria is the horn style button. Additionally, the highest quality polo shirts are designed with an interlined fused placket at the base of the button row, which provides the buttoned neck area with added robustness.
  
  
• Collar: A good quality polo shirt will always have a 3-ply flat knit collar which is superior to 2-ply and gives the collar strength and durability. This helps to prevent it from 'folding up' when worn or after washing. Herringbone taping in the collar is also considered a good quality sign, as the taping helps the collar to maintain its shape.
  
  
• Hem: A good quality polo shirt comes with a double top stitching around the hem.
  
  
• Label: Finally, a removable label on the neck of the polo shirts are popular amongst buyers instead of a permanent tag, a removable tag removes the problems of neck irritation that a permanent tag can cause.