The Tommy Polo

An Icon of American Style

The polo shirt is the number one staple of prep and an essential element of Classic American Cool. Sporty in spirit, the polo's function has evolved over the years and is worn today across cultures, subcultures and generations at home, at work, and at play. Since the foundation of his brand in 1985, Tommy Hilfiger has made the polo an essential component of the prep uniform. Today, Tommy continues his relentless pursuit of writing new rules for American fashion and culture. Pushing the boundaries of style, the American designer has played with the prep aesthetic, breaking conventions and defying traditions to give it endless new function and cultural meaning.

Classics Made Modern

The polo is an American classic reinvented for today. Nothing beats the versatility of a polo: it can be dressed up or down and it's easy to style. It's available in the brand's iconic red, white and blue, as well as more Ivy League-inspired colors.

Tommy's Inspiration

Tommy grew up in Elmira, a small town in New York state, with a fondness for classic American style. “I’ve always loved the classic prep-school aesthetic, the traditional Ivy League, and the clothes worn by sailors and athletes. I wanted to take these familiar, timeless elements and give them a more laid-back attitude, to make them modern and cool.” In the vibrant summer of '68, in the midst of the hippie movement, he bought 20 pairs of bell-bottom jeans and started selling them out of the trunk of his Volkswagen Beetle. He would later open his own shop, People's Place, where he would sell clothing, incense and records - a testament to his evolving tastes and the influences of music and cultural currents on his style. When Tommy Hilfiger launched his brand, he returned to his prep heritage using classic silhouettes like the polo, chino and shirt as his canvas. Influenced by a broad spectrum of cultural references, including his love for rock artists like The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix and the free-spiritedness of the hippie movement, Tommy's creative vision extended beyond boundaries. Since its inception, Hilfiger's brand has been a showcase of his ability to constantly reinvent classic silhouettes with fresh perspectives.