ConstructionWhat separates a good polo shirt from the rest

Start with the fabric. A polo worth keeping begins with long-staple cotton spun into a fine, even yarn; it feels smooth rather than fuzzy, and it resists the pilling and bobbling that cheaper yarns show within weeks. Then look at the collar, because the collar is where most polos fail. A properly constructed collar sits flat against the neck and recovers its shape after washing, while a flimsy one curls at the points and never lies down again. Check the small things last: neat side vents, an even hem, buttons sewn with a shank so they fasten cleanly, and seams that lie flat against the body. None of this is visible in a product photo, which is exactly why so many polo t shirts in Sri Lanka disappoint. These details are the first things sacrificed when a shirt is built down to a price rather than up to a standard.

Knit vs PiquéKnit and piqué: two different garments

Most polos sold here are piqué. Piqué is the classic sports-shirt cloth, recognisable by its fine waffle texture; it breathes well, holds a little structure, and looks at ease anywhere from the office to the golf course. Done properly, in a good cotton with a well-set collar, it remains one of the most useful garments a man can own.

A knitted polo is something else entirely. Rather than being cut and sewn from cloth, it is made the way fine knitwear is made, with the collar and trims formed as part of the garment itself. The result drapes like a lightweight sweater, follows the body without clinging, and carries a quiet polish that a standard polo t shirt cannot match. A knit polo worn with tailored trousers passes in rooms where a piqué polo reads as casual; in Colombo's climate, a fine-gauge knit is also far more wearable than most people expect. If you have only ever owned cut-and-sewn polos, the difference is immediate the first time you put one on.

Our HouseBritish design, Sri Lankan craftsmanship, since 1997

Legacy London (formerly LCY London) has been making premium menswear at the meeting point of these two traditions since 1997: designed with a British sensibility for proportion and restraint, and made in Sri Lanka by the craftspeople who have spent decades producing knitwear for the world's most demanding labels. Knitwear is our specialism, which is why the polo, in both its forms, sits at the centre of what we do.

The men's polo collection covers the classic register: clean lines, considered colours, and the construction details described above, treated as non-negotiable rather than optional. For the knitted version, the Riviera knitted polo is the shirt we would point a first-time buyer toward: a fine knit collar, a drape that flatters rather than clings, and the kind of finishing you notice most in its absence. Because these are made in Sri Lanka, buying one here means buying at the source, not paying a boutique in another country to ship the island's own craftsmanship back to it.

Beyond BasicsBeyond the classic short sleeve

The polo does not end at the short-sleeved original. A long sleeve polo, particularly in a fine knit, is one of the most versatile pieces in a warm-climate wardrobe: dressier than a t-shirt, cooler than a shirt and jacket, and right at home in air-conditioned offices and evening dinners alike. The wider menswear collection builds around these foundations with knitwear and essentials cut to the same standard, and the womenswear collection carries the polo's clean lines into women's silhouettes, a category that remains rare in Sri Lanka at this level of make.