This Is Not a Polo Shirt
The anti-polo turned a preppy staple into a wink: athletic stripe, fine jersey and deliberately awkward name.
Story & heritage
Wikipedia records that Band of Outsiders introduced a polo line under the name This is not a Polo Shirt. in 2009, using the phrase as a play on Magritte.
GQ later singled out the polo in its Band of Outsiders all-time list, framing it as a reaction against generic popped-collar prep and a way to make the polo feel sharp again.
Materials & craft
GQ's product write-up points to fine jersey fabrics and bold athletic chest stripes; the official old store category system also separated the line as its own brand tag, supporting it as more than a generic polo category.
How to choose & style
Choose it like a graphic shirt rather than a golf polo: the stripe should be visible under a lightweight jacket or worn alone with shorts.
Keep the rest of the outfit dry and collegiate, because the joke in the name works best when the styling is disciplined.
