Journal ·
The best sweater polos under $135
Cotton and silk for $124, a cashmere blend for $95.40, and the cheapest merino polo worth wearing under a jacket.
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Buy the Todd Snyder Monte Sweater Polo in Baja Dunes. It's $124, down from $298, knit from cotton and silk, and every size from XS to XXL is in stock. If a sweater makes you sweat by ten in the morning and a T-shirt looks like you gave up, this is the knit you want, and at 58% off it's the best one we can find under $135.
−58%
What a sweater polo does
A sweater polo is a knit with a collar. That's the whole idea, and it solves a real problem. A dress shirt under a jacket can look stiff, a crewneck can look like you're cold, and a pique polo looks like golf. A knit polo sits in the middle: soft enough for a Saturday, with enough collar to wear under a blazer or an overshirt to work.
It's also the best choice for anyone who runs warm. Cotton and silk breathe. Fine merino moves heat and moisture off you. A thick lambswool sweater does neither, which is why you end up holding it by noon.
Why the Monte
The yarn is the reason. Cotton keeps it cool and easy to care for. Silk adds a little sheen and drape, so the knit hangs instead of sitting stiff on your shoulders. The body has variegated stripes in earthy shades, knit with alternating tuck stitches, so the stripe is something you can feel as well as see. The sleeves and trim are solid, which keeps the stripes from getting loud.
The details are right: a three-button half placket, a welt chest pocket, 1x1 ribbed trim at the collar, cuffs and hem. It's a slim fit with short sleeves. Todd Snyder suggests pleated trousers or a higher rise to lean into the retro shape, and they're right; with flat-front chinos and loafers it looks deliberate, not dated.
Two catches. It's final sale, so measure a polo you already like before you order. And it's short sleeved, which means in November it lives under something. Wear it open at the collar under a navy or charcoal overshirt and it carries straight through fall.
The softer one, with cashmere
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GOBI's cotton, silk and cashmere blend polo in dark indigo is $95.40, down from $159. GOBI is a Mongolian cashmere label, and the cashmere here is there for hand, not warmth: it makes the knit softer than a straight cotton polo while the cotton and silk keep it breathable. Dark indigo is the easiest color on this page. It goes under grey, under tan, with white jeans or charcoal trousers. S through XXL are all in stock. At 40% off it's a smaller cut than the Monte, but it's also $28.60 less.
The cheapest one worth buying
−40%
The Taylor Stitch Merino Polo in heather army is $70.80, down from $118. It's 4.5-ounce fabric, 95% mercerized merino wool and 5% lycra. Mercerizing smooths the fiber, which makes it softer and stronger and is why this one is fully machine washable: wash it cold, lay it flat to dry. The neck and shoulder seams are taped, so the collar holds its shape, and the two-button placket has dark horn-colored buttons. It's made in China.
This is the thinnest knit here, and that's the point. Merino handles sweat and odor better than cotton, so it's the one to wear on a travel day or under a blazer in an overheated office. Heather army is a muted olive; wear it with navy, grey or stone, and keep it away from more green. Every size from XS to XXL is left.
The one with sleeves
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The Todd Snyder Beechwood Cable Knit Sweater Polo in stone is $134, down from $278. It's built on Todd Snyder's Montauk polo, with a buttonless Johnny collar and a half placket, knit from a light organic cotton yarn in a thick cable stitch. Pure cotton sweaters usually get heavy and sag; this yarn is spun to stay airy and hold its shape. Long sleeves make it the most useful pick for the next three months.
The catches: XS and S are sold out, so it's medium through XXL. It's a classic fit, and the model on the store page is 6'2" in a medium, so it runs roomy. And don't put it in the machine, even on a hand wash setting. Hand wash cold or dry clean, then lay it flat.
How to wear one
Keep the collar outside whatever goes over it. A knit polo collar tucked under a jacket lapel disappears and leaves you in what looks like a crewneck. Leave the top button open. Tuck it in with trousers, leave it out with jeans. Size it close at the shoulder seam; a knit polo that's too big looks like it's borrowed.
Under a layer, it does the most work. Our fall overshirts under $150 are built for it: the Donegal overshirt open over the indigo GOBI polo is a full work outfit with no tie in it. If you want more warmth than any of these give you, go to the best cashmere sweater under $160.
The call
The Monte at $124 if you want the best knit here and you're comfortable buying final sale. The GOBI at $95.40 if you want the softest hand and a color that goes with everything. The Taylor Stitch at $70.80 if you travel, run hot, or want to throw it in the wash. The Beechwood at $134 if you need sleeves and you're a medium or up. Everything else on markdown is in this week's steals, biggest cuts first.