Polo and Fashion - second chukka

I noticed that I had a few visitors on my previous post called ‘Polo and Fashion’, particularly from North and South America, so I am going to write some more about fashion in the polo world!

Of course, the most obvious item of clothing that springs to mind when thinking about polo fashion, is the polo shirt. A long-sleeved polo shirt was originally worn by polo players in England, after the game arrived from India in 1834. Tennis player Rene Lacoste invented the short-sleeve polo shirt, with a longer tail, soft collar and loose knit in 1926, and it has since been adopted by polo players and golfers, as well as becoming leisurewear for us all.

Ralph Lauren introduced his version of the polo shirt in 1972, and it is now probably the most recognisable polo shirt brand in the world.

A more recent addition to the polo field are white jeans. This trend was started by the Argentinian polo players originally, and seems to have been adopted around the world. I’m unsure exactly when it became de rigueur in the UK, but looking back at old photos, it seems that some players had started wearing white jeans by 1970, although HRH Prince Charles was still wearing jodhpurs by 1988.

But what do you wear if you are going to watch a game of polo in the UK? It really depends on the type of event you are going to. If you are attending one of the famous polo games, such as Cartier or Veuve Cliquot, then you probably want to dress up.

Dressing up is easier for gents than ladies, as a pair of chino’s, smart shirt and blazer is the normal dress code for them.

For ladies it is a touch trickier to get right. Remember ladies, that polo matches normally take place in a field and you may have to walk from the car park, so avoid stilettos and long dresses. Hats are not mandatory, but by all means wear one if, like me, you burn easily on a summer’s day, as you may be sitting or standing outside for several hours.

If it is a damp summer’s day, I have worn a brightly coloured raincoat over my summer dress to Cartier, but at the Veuve Cliquot Gold Cup last year, I confess that I abandoned all thoughts of fashion, and went for comfort:

Aerosoles Shoes, Ride Line Boots

Low heel boots,

Twiggy for M&S Woman Denim Jeggings

skinny jeans

Barbour International Quilt Jacket

and a trusty Barbour (with hood) are a girl’s best friend when standing behind the boards watching a polo match in showery rain! The same attire is also suitable for arena polo played outside in the British winter, but you may also want to add a warm gilet under your waterproofs.

If, however, you are a lady attending a less formal match, then jeans or a casual dress are all perfectly acceptable, for example when attending Polo in the Park at the Hurlingham Club or Gaucho Polo (indoor arena polo) at the O2. I have worn denim jeggings, black boots and a biker-style red Barbour to the Gaucho Polo.

Barbour Womens Beige International Polar Quilt Jacket

Floral silk Dress

LK Bennett nude

Gaucho International Polo 2012

England 16 Argentina 15

Another fast and furious match between England and Argentina at the O2. Nacho Figueras is a favourite of mine (see blog Polo and Fashion), so I never know who to cheer for when he is playing against England! I did cheer for Argentina, but was glad England won!

I videoed some of the game, as well as taking photos :

Oscar Mancini

Polo and Fashion

The title sounds like I am about to write a piece about the influence of polo on the fashion world.

But actually, thus far, my interest in polo and fashion are passing like ships in the night.

As a volunteer for the Compassion Fashion Project, I accepted the invitation from the directors to plan a charity fundraiser event this year. I am in the process of researching venues and sponsors, and planning the event.

It’s odd how planning is an integral part of every day life, and how knowing how to plan, helps even small projects to be successful. Thinking about the tasks you’ll need to do before you even start, often identifies tasks that you had not even thought of, and that may be critical to your project. Putting the tasks into a logical order steers you away from starting tasks you are more comfortable with, and leaving other less interesting tasks to last. As a planner and project controller, I have of course put my plan into Ms Project! The benefit of having it in this format is that you can share it with others on your project, and they can see at a glance how the project is progressing. A plan reminds you of not only what needs to be done, but at which point a decision (otherwise known as a Gateway) is required in order to move forward.

For example, after I had drawn up my initial plan, and included the elapsed time between tasks, it was clear that if the fundraiser was to take place this Summer, we had to start work in January. That was a bit of a surprise even to me, but the plan made it clear that we had to start then or end up in a panic in the Spring! Already I am finding that venues are getting booked up for the Autumn, so starting early suddenly seems a smart move!

Thinking about it, I do have a link to polo fashion after all. Two friends from FHM Polo, Sam and Antonia Morris-Warburton, started Stickhedz Polo apparel a couple of years ago. You can find their website here www.stickhedz.com.

The arena polo season starts soon, and for me it kicks off with Gaucho Polo at the O2. Last year was the very first Gaucho Polo event in London, and  I won a competition to meet Nacho Figueras, polo player and the face of Polo Ralph Lauren. Yes girls, he was even more gorgeous in person!