The stripe polo is a warmer weather staple that gets underestimated constantly, and we think that’s mostly because the bad ones are so easy to find. Thin pique, colors that look fine on a screen and odd in sunlight, stripes that sit slightly too wide or too narrow and tip the whole thing toward the wrong decade. When the fabric weight is right and the collar holds its shape without a stay, a stripe polo earns its place on a level with pieces that cost considerably more.

We’ve been looking specifically at options where the stripe width and color combination feel considered rather than accidental, and where the fit works tucked into chinos or left out over shorts without looking like it was designed for one and tolerates the other. These aren’t conversation pieces. They’re the shirts you reach for on a warm Saturday and still feel well dressed. That’s the standard we hold them to.