Sunspel has been making this polo since 1953, originally developed for the warm, active leisure of the Riviera — hence the name. What sets it apart from the field is the collar construction: a flat, two-button placket that sits without that persistent flip you get from most polos, and a collar that stays put without ironing. The cotton is a Sea Island or fine Egyptian long-staple depending on the season, knitted tightly enough that the fabric has a slight lustre but drapes with weight.
The navy works for everything from a Sunday pub lunch to a Friday office without a jacket. The fit is true — neither the generous mid-century cut that reads too boxy now, nor the athletic compression cut that looks wrong everywhere outside a gym. Long enough to tuck, clean enough to wear untucked. There are no logos.
Sunspel makes this in Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire, in a factory that has been producing their knitwear since the company began. At £140, you are paying for that continuity. It’s a fair price for a polo that will still look right in fifteen years.