Behind every wicked hearted man is a CrossFit pass. Or at least that's the case in the world of The Gray Man: the high-octane Netflix romp that sees Ryan Gosling revolt against crooked CIA pen pushers and an alarmingly stacked Chris Evans. Who, in turn, is arguably the biggest and the wickedest of them all in this flammable world. For Evans' antagonist in Harvard-educated, Hell-raised Lloyd Hansen tortures and thumps his way through the swamp of cortisol that is The Gray Man's two-hour runtime – and he does it all in a knitted polo shirt.
A sleight of hand by the costume department via British label King & Tuckfield, and one that puts Evans' real POS in the real world. Because in recent times, the knitted polo has quickly moved from Mr Ripley throwback to a polished replacement for the muscle fit. On every screen, on every teeth whitening #ad, on every promotional poster for a Love Island personal appearance, is a knitted polo. It's ubiquitous. It's also great if you're massive.
King & Tuckfield Textured Pattern Polo
For years, the muscle fit was the preferred choice. On a reality TV circuit that grew more frenzied and more popular with each passing year, clothes got tighter as muscles got bigger. A himbo chest became standard issue. So too did the straining white T-shirt that was purpose-built to choke it. But for all the Herculean workouts, and for all the gains gains gains, the muscle fit was never particularly flattering. To flaunt doesn't mean to asphyxiate. To see every ripple of flesh in lycra-laced denim is not particularly sexy. In fact, there's something uniquely and horrifically satyric about it.
We all make mistakes. As The Culture's understanding of menswear evolved and developed, universal taste has improved in recent years. A blessing! You can still get muscle fit stuff. And if that's what you're into, then play on, player. But big strapping boys of today have gone for the more classic gear of the big strapping boys of yore. Trousers, loafers, and, yes, knitted polo shirts.
It makes sense. With a close cut that skims arms and pecs, it gives the outline of hard-won muscles but doesn't totally shatter the power and romance of imagination. It fits just right. And while a hardcore gym regime should be more about MIND AND SOUL than it is BODY AND THIRST, you're well within your rights to be proud of the gruelling results. But just know that where the muscle fit is a show off, the knitted polo is a showman.
Just like all the men who made it famous in the first place. Think of Dickie Greenleaf, the playboy on a perma-holiday with a trunk full of knitted polos. There's Tom Buchanan, the old money villain of The Great Gatsby. Sean Connery during his tenure for Her Majesty's Secret Service. And, of course, a psychotic Evans in The Gray Man. All of them sit on a scale between 'brooding' and 'absolute menace', and all are annoyingly in-shape. Which makes you think: perhaps the knitted polo was the original muscle fit all along.
