This Shirt Won’t Die & I Love it

Every once and a while you stumble upon a piece of clothing that defies all logic and lasts forever. Not only does it refuse to die, but you end up loving it. You also end up wishing that you had bought more, but you could have never known that. No one could have. I have a handful of items that fit the bill. This post is about one of them.

This polo shirt is not supposed to still be here. It was supposed to have been donated or cut into rags at this point, but it has no plans on giving up the ghost anytime soon. It’s not even especially well made. I mean, I grabbed it from Target (Merona brand) on a whim 10 plus years ago. It’s at least 8 years old because I have included a pic of me wearing it in 2016 (first pic below). It was a nice color of navy. Not too dark (I see this all too often) and not too bright. Not only did it have a Goldilocks color it had a Goldilocks fit too. Just the perfect amount to baggy. I don’t recall the price, but I know it was cheap.

I love this polo. I wear it all of the time. I wear it out to lunch, to the pool/beach, for golf, and even on the occasional bike ride which is what I was doing in the yellow baggies pic below. In short, I abuse it. It doesn’t care. It is starting to show a little wear, but it still has some life left in it. There is no moral to this story. It’s just about getting lucky, how some clothing items beat the odds, and appreciating that when it happens. You ever had this happen? I’d love to hear about it.

oxford cloth button down
Jerrod Swanton is a simple man interested in simple, classic, and traditional style.

18 Comments on "This Shirt Won’t Die & I Love it"

  1. Aaron says:

    Have a few things from the early aughts, the Munsingeear camp shirts that were reissued in 2004-05, and a Banana Republic polo from 2007. They’re all seasonal, so hard worn but not constant. The polo will make 20 years, no problem. It’s nice to have things that are locked in, and consistent!

    • oxford cloth button down says:

      That’s a nice little collection you have going. I am going to have to do a post about some of my others soon. I’ve also never been a camp shirt guy but I feel like I’m about to be converted soon.

  2. Polo Fan says:

    I have a couple of LL Bean polos like that. Ancient, faded, frayed, wear them all the time and love them.

    You and I wear them in a similar way: like it’s a t-shirt. Best way to be.

    • oxford cloth button down says:

      It’s definitely the best way to wear them! I might be giving those Bean ones a go soon. I tried one on the other day and liked it.

  3. offthehill says:

    Love the beat-in look. Polos, OCBDs, most everything trad looks better worn out. This is also why I don’t fret much about the too-dark navy. I know I’m going to sun bleach it to hell

    • oxford cloth button down says:

      Thanks! I agree about the beat up part. New stuff never looks good. This is also a great approach to navy that is too dark that I had never considered. I am making a mental note of that.

  4. Michael Powell says:

    I’ve got three navy polos. One light blue, and one mid blue. Between the five of them, that accounts for most of my polo wear during the summer. I haven’t worn my pink yet. I don’t remember the last time I wore the yellow. I’ve got a white polo which I don’t wear. I don’t look good in white shirts.

    • oxford cloth button down says:

      What I find I interesting is that I don’t like the way I look in a white OCBD but I do like wearing white polos. Not sure what it is but I think it’s that polos are less white due to the short sleeves and have more texture.

  5. Russell says:

    LL Bean polos are the best ones in my opinion. I’ve tried a variety, from Polo, Nautica, Land’s End , Brooks Brothers and Southern Tide, I’ve had the best results with the ones from Bean. Plus the price can’t be beat.

    • oxford cloth button down says:

      That’s good to hear. The LE ones can be had for $20 or under when you catch a sale, but it sounds like the Bean ones have a good return on investment.

  6. James says:

    I have a pair of flat-front khaki shorts from Walmart, the brand is “George.” Like your Merona shirt, these shorts were an impulse purchase. They have lasted longer and look better than I would ever expect of a garment from Walmart.

  7. Tie Clip and chain says:

    Hi Ox, for me it’s some old PRL reversible madras bucket hats. Bought them about 5 years ago I’ve recently gone back to them. Timeless pieces. Uncle Ralph really knew what he was doing!

  8. Sean says:

    I’m lucky to have a few pieces of clothing that fall into this category. However, the one I return to the most is my trusty thrifted green OCBD. It has made back the <$10 investment a hundred times over, and then some. It's been in the rotation for over a decade now! I've never been a "polo guy", but this post has got my wheels turning.

    • oxford cloth button down says:

      Great find on that shirt! I get it, I used to be anti-polo too. I actually prefer wearing them in completely casual way more than in a business casual way if that makes sense.

      • Sean says:

        That’s exactly it! I’ve always thought of them in the business-casual context, which has never looked right to my eye. Your “wear it like a t-shirt” philosophy is warming me up to trying them in a truly casual context.

  9. Pete says:

    I have merona blue, white and red polos. Both must be close to 20 years old, now. I’ve had a handful of others from cheap to expensive, yet these buggers WON’T die. I’ve parted ways with Target years ago, but can’t knock these polos. Incredible ROI!

I would like to hear from you