Succession dressing: how the polo neck came back in style

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Polo necks are smarter than different jumpers. In some senses. Smarter, due to the fact that a sleek, precocious cervix has a polish that the common-or-garden unit cervix falls abbreviated of, and a poise that the cardigan tin ne'er anticipation for. But smarter, too, due to the fact that a polo cervix is cleverer than different jumpers. Steve Jobs. Phoebe Philo. People who deterioration polo necks tally the world. In the knitwear yearbook, the polo cervix would beryllium the Most Likely To Succeed.

Most powerfulness dressing isn’t comfy. High heels and crisp tailoring are awesome, but not what you privation to deterioration to curl up connected the sofa. But the cosy polo cervix is different. This is the Christmas jumper of autumn, a sensory seasonal treat, similar the scent of cinnamon oregon the crunch of leaves underfoot, oregon the affluent velvet of Craig Revel Horwood’s Saturday nighttime drawl.

Around this clip each twelvemonth I resistance a seat crossed the country and ascent up to get the dense artillery of my knitwear postulation from the apical of the wardrobe, wherever it sits retired summer. The plush, charcoal grey one, other agelong to support retired draughts from each angles; the navy 1 with the outsize funnel cervix and cropped hem (more fashion, that one); a reddish fisherman’s knit rib 1 that is axenic Meg Ryan successful When Harry Met Sally. And hanging these up successful my wardrobe is to October what getting the baubles down and dressing the histrion is to December.

It wasn’t ever similar this. Polo necks utilized to beryllium boringly sensible. If they were chunky, they were the “big jumpers” your mum wanted you to deterioration if you wore thing you could drawback your decease in. If they were tight, they were cheesy (see Ron Burgundy successful Anchorman). Then, 1 October time successful 2011, determination came that Céline show. There were 35 outfits successful the amusement but the 1 everyone remembers was the 36th. At the extremity of the amusement Phoebe Philo herself emerged and took her bow successful a heavy camel polo-neck sweater with her agelong hairsbreadth tucked into it astatine the back. The adjacent day, everyone astatine the Paris shows had their hairsbreadth tucked into the backmost of a polo neck. I cognize you deliberation I’m exaggerating for comic effect, but I’m not; I’m talking astir manner week, which does the exaggerating for comic effect for you.

Sarah Snook arsenic  Shiv Roy successful  Succession.
Sarah Snook arsenic Shiv Roy successful Succession. Photograph: HBO/Rex

The polo cervix has been the past connection successful chic authorization ever since. Samuel L Jackson (always cool) matched his to his achromatic oculus spot successful the Avengers films. Emmanuel Macron (not astir arsenic chill arsenic helium thinks helium is, but astatine slightest French) likes to deterioration 1 nether a blazer. The now-disgraced Elizabeth Holmes made them her uniform backmost erstwhile she inactive was a Silicon Valley pinup. Now the tv costume designers – the Phoebe Philos of our day, thought-leaders of the benignant universe, much influential than immoderate sanction you spot up successful lights astatine manner week – person embraced a precocious cervix arsenic a cardinal look for the maverick alpha woman. Suranne Jones successful Vigil held her ain against the epauletted pomp of naval uniforms successful her thick, achromatic high-neck.

But the queen of the small-screen polo is, of course, Shiv Roy from Succession, that steadfast chin lifted Nefertiti-high supra covetable stealth-wealth knitwear. (A polo neck, by the way, requires bully hair. Try Audrey Hepburn’s sleek pony successful Sabrina, Philo’s half-tuck, oregon a sleek bob, arsenic seen successful Vigil and Succession.)

I’ll enactment it similar this. A pistillate who wears a cardigan looks friendly, adjuvant – the benignant of pistillate you mightiness inquire to bash you a favour. A pistillate who wears a polo cervix looks similar she would archer you what to do, and you would bash it. Ask yourself: what would Shiv do?