Why Polo and Fashion are One and the Same

Polo is the paradox of rough play and elegance.  In the East, it was once called the Game of Kings.

Long ago, it was a sport that defined borders, boundaries and a community's significance.  Polo players, considered kings by their townsfolk, would mount their steeds, grasp their mallets and fight for local victory.

Depicted in paintings and statues in Persia and other parts of Asia, polo features men and women dressed in high sporting fashion riding horses clad in expensive cloths.  Part of the reason polo became so popular in the early ages was because of its entertainment value and distinct appeal. 

This appeal was a product of the horses' shiny coats and the players' exquisite sense of fashion.  When the players rode out on their steeds, lifting up their mallets and agitating cheers, the clothes they wore gave them power.  Power and confidence.  And the people watching wanted the power and confidence displayed by their local kings.

From that point forward, polo became more than a sport.  It became a defined fashion.  It's what carried the sport through the ages and what makes it one of the most popular niche sports today.

Polo Fashion Back Then

Persia is where polo fashion originated that shapes polo fashion today. During the 15^th and 16^th century, Persian polo players dressed in lengthy shirts and loose pants made of fine cloth.  Before then, the fashion was limited mostly to robes.  Although these robes had a savory style, they weren't especially practical for day-to-day wear among common folk.

Persian polo fashion in the 15^th and 16^th centuries became popular because it was practical for the everyday man and woman.  Although the same quality of cloth wasn't affordable for common folk, the same style was.  They could buy polo-styled pants and shirts made from less expensive material.  And, unlike the robes worn in earlier days, the style was practical for daily wear when community workers had to tend their fields and farms. 

The colors of the clothing back then were dulled in color in a vintage, classy way.  Blues, greens and oranges were especially popular, on horse and human.

Polo Fashion Today

Today, if you browse popular polo fashion like la martina polos, you'll see that the same vintage quality and colors found in old Persian sport still exist. 

Even though polo fashion has modernized with the times, unlike other sports fashion, it stays as close as it can to its roots.  This unique aspect is the main reason polo fashion is the most popular sports-based fashion today.