A luxuriously soft yet durable three buttoned collared polo shirt, made to the world's highest standards in the Scottish Borders, using the world's finest 100% 2-ply cashmere by revered Scottish yarn mill Todd & Duncan. A garment made to last.
The collar is knitted using the milano stitch technique, giving it structure so that it doesn't flatten under a sport coat, but allowing it not to be too stiff either (like a dress shirt), thus making it a more casual piece. The milano stitch technique is much more time consuming than plain stitch and requires a lot more cashmere yarn (in order to give it its firmness), but we believe it is worthwhile to give it some structure as we think it makes the collar sit a lot more beautifully compared to a plain stitch collar.
The collar is fastened with Italian crafted horn buttons - we have opted for small, matt horn buttons as opposed to shiny horn, or white mother of pearl or plastic, as we believe matt horn buttons give the polo a sense of understated elegance - well considered but not showy, and the brown goes better with the more muted colour of the sweater.
The polo shirt itself is no ordinary top - it has remarkable properties - breathable, soft and feels exceptionally light, yet comparable to the warmth of a chunky lambswool sweater. It is this wondrous combination that has earned cashmere its name "the fibre of kings".
A versatile, timeless staple, perfect for wearing as a substitute to a shirt under a sport coat, for that elusively difficult "smart casual" look. It is warmer than merino, so works great also as a mid-layer over a shirt. Despite its warmth, it is not bulky, and so will fit perfectly well underneath tailoring or outerwear.
Our long-sleeved cashmere polo shirt is the cold weather version of our lighter, breezier cashmere silk tennis polo. They share the same roots; the collared shirts originally having been used by polo players in India and Britain for horse-related sporting ventures, then later adopted by the likes of legends such as Fred Perry for tennis.
It is designed with a slight vintage feel, with ribbed cuffs and a ribbed hem, a slightly deeper front placket and three button closure, emulating the polo shirts worn by Hollywood stars in the 50s and 60s who favoured this elegant casual style such as Alain Delon and Sean Connery.
