This $100 Banana Republic Shirt Ended My Knitted Polo Odyssey

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When I say I’m obsessed with menswear, I mean it literally. Every few months or so, I latch onto a specific item and become so obsessed with it that my entire wardrobe is in danger of being forgotten. Last summer, the object of my fascination was a familiar object, at least in these parts: the knit polo shirt. Starting in June, I embarked on a full-blown knit polo bender; dozens of open tabs led to multiple-transfer train trips to track down old magazines, which led to a glut of inspiration that only made my finger twitch faster.

The hunt was a success and I came away with a few end-of-season pieces. I thought I was done with the category and eventually moved on to sweaters (I'm still in the tab stage, thankfully), until, around this time this year, Banana Republic launched an all-linen collection. It was pretty. Like, Really GOOD. So good that I resisted watching it in person for as long as possible for fear it would spark a new obsession. I had a feeling I was going to be in trouble. My God, I really did.

When I finally went to see the assortment IRL, there was a lot to analyze. linen v-necks were great, same thing raw edge crew necksbut knit polos called to me like sirens. At that point, the comparison was not far off: I was Ulysses, always one mythical obstacle away from the end of my journey, and Banana Republic’s Giorgio Polo threatened to harass me indefinitely. Obviously, I had to try it.

In the least surprising development of the times, it fit in perfectly. It was as comfortable as the shirts I usually wear to bed, and much more interesting. The torso pattern is achieved using two contrasting stitches, a herringbone stitch and a 2×1 rib stitch, which create a striped effect without a second color. It's airy enough to move with the wind, but not so much that it's see-through, a testament to the gorgeous linen-cotton fabric, a crazy light blend that's dry but not itchy.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I bought this on the spot and haven't really taken it off since. I'm literally wearing it as I write this, wide open over a tank top, which is how I justified buying it in the first place, the full button placket means it doesn't technically a polo shirt, right? Banana Republic calls it a resort shirt, which makes sense if you're headed for one, but it's also a pretty good shirt, period. Are there any bugs? Probably, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one without doing the wearable version of a software vulnerability test, and I haven't identified a programming problem yet.

On a recent 90-degree day, I walked an inadvisable five miles across a bridge two boroughs carried, and somehow I didn't sweat through the fabric. I wouldn't exactly say I was cool, but I wasn't as uncomfortable as I should have been.

Being an inveterate shopper is part and parcel of knowing when to curb your latest obsession. Am I slightly upset that the Giorgio has forced me to revisit a category I thought I left a year ago? No way. As Ulysses knows well, the road home is paved with twists and turns and countless open tabs, but Banana Republic offers plenty of interesting pit stops at every step of the journey. If the Giorgio isn't your jam, the brand's summer linen collection is as comprehensive as possible, whether you're looking for a different lightweight knit to add to the mix (I'm biased to those) or need an airy buttonhole for this upcoming beach wedding. For now, I'm content to spend the scorching days of July in a shirt that makes me feel like I'm coming home every time I wear it.