Today, the best polo shirts are a fallback piece of trusty menswear but the original polo shirt was designed by French tennis pro René Lacoste in the 1920s, as an upgrade on the long-sleeved button-downs that contemporary tastes somehow thought appropriate for charging round a court. Lacoste disagreed, so capped the sleeves and crafted his shirts from knitted piqué cotton, for added breeziness. The makeover won him seven grand slams and envious glances across the net.

Racket hung up, Lacoste debuted his eponymous polo shirt brand, with a crocodile logo inspired by his on-court nickname. It became synonymous with the kind of sports where sweat and smartness are equally valued; the fabric keeps golfers and polo players cool on the turf, but the buttoned placket and collar let them step straight into the clubhouse.

Those characteristics endure, even if you’re now more likely to see polos in the crowd than on the court. But when you’re wearing yours to watch, not play, the best men’s polo shirts are still breathable and cut slim. “It has become one of the most versatile items in a man’s wardrobe,” says Damien Paul, head of menswear at MatchesFashion. “I’ve seen more classic styles worn with a linen suit at a summer wedding, which is suitably formal, and then you have the likes of Givenchy whose graphic approach works well on a much younger guy off-duty.”

There are almost countless ways to wear a polo shirt. Because it sits in the sporty-smart sweet spot, it works to upgrade your weekend looks, or reduce the stuffiness of your formalwear. “Shorts, denim and chinos make for the best companions, but a polo shirt can be smartened up with a blazer or relaxed with a lightweight bomber jacket,” says Phill Tarling, a stylist that counts M&S and Top Gear among previous paychecks. “Just make sure the collar’s folded down, and save your favourite football polo jersey for match days only.”