Maroon and pink polo and rugby shirts
Black polo and rugby shirts
Cutaway rugby shirt, as featured on Departures magazine:
The refined long-sleeve polo, a longtime favorite of the jet set (Gianni Agnelli and his cohort favored them for hopping along the Riviera), gets an updated treatment from Kent Wang, a haberdasher favored by today’s young menswear junkies. His version has a rakish cutaway collar, commonly seen on dress shirts, but still honors the traditional spring nautical stripe.
We Got It For Free: Kent Wang’s Rugby (Redux)
The photo above is of Jacqueline Kennedy and Gianni Agnelli walking together in Ravello, Italy during the summer of 1962. The US First Lady choose to vacation there after it was recommended to her by Gore Vidal, and once she arrived, she met the famous Italian industrialist, Agnelli. The two spent a lot of time together sailing and going around the Amalfi Coast. So much so, in fact, that many speculated whether they had a romantic relationship.
Enough of the historical rumors, however. I thought I’d pull the photo to highlight what Agnelli is wearing - slip on shoes, trousers with no belt (though there are belt loops), and a popover shirt with a spread collar and mitered cuffs. It’s a great, casual ensemble. The popover is sort of in-between an oxford and a polo in terms of casualness, and the collar and cuff styles give it a “tailored” appeal.
The shirt reminded me of Kent Wang’s new batch of rugbys. He sent me one in navy a few months back, but the cuffs were too tight. Well, he’s since had the design adjusted and the new ones are absolutely perfect. They’re slim and flattering, and just the right length to be tucked into the trousers or left out. Like his polos, Kent’s rugbys are made with reinforced collar bands, which make the collars themselves sit up straight like those on well-made dress shirts. The combination of the shirt collar and long-sleeve button cuffs make them smart enough to wear underneath a jacket or just as a stand-alone shirt. The cuffs are also comfortable this time and can be rolled up easily if you want a cooler, more casual feel.
In my first post about Kent’s rugby, I talked about how I wanted a smarter, more “tailored” looking rugby than the ones you typically find on the market. With these new adjustments, I think Kent’s rugbys fit that bill exceptionally well. I plan to wear mine on weekends just as Agnelli is wearing his popover above. It probably won’t charm any First Ladies, however.
New burnt orange rugby $85, burnt orange polo shirt $65.
For fans of University of Texas, and more generally, fans of autumnal colors.
New purple rugby shirt $85, also available as a short-sleeve polo.
Long-sleeve polos, aka rugby shirts, are here. Available in three colors now; more colors will be available in late November.
A hybrid between a casual rugby and a woven shirt, these rugbys feature a spread collar that’s built with a collarband so that it’ll lay open elegantly, and button cuffs—with mother of pearl buttons, of course. Appropriate on its own, layered with a sweater, or even a sportcoat.
Coming soon around September 20: long sleeve polos (aka rugby shirts), $85. This first batch will only be available in white, navy, and white with navy stripes.
Unlike most rugbys, these will have a button cuff—with mother of pearl buttons, of course—which, along with the collar, is another characteristic drawn from woven shirts.
