Margaret Howell MHL Placket Polo

The placket is the part of a polo that fails first. It is a short opening in a knitted garment, which means a rigid strip of doubled cloth set into something that stretches, and if it is not built properly it curls, gapes, or twists within a season. Everything else about a polo is easy by comparison. Naming the garment for its placket is a way of saying that is where the work went, and MHL by Margaret Howell names garments for their construction more often than for their look. On this one the placket is also offset, set to one side of center rather than down the middle, so the only vertical line on the front does not sit on the body's own. The cotton is textured rather than smooth, which matters more than it sounds: a surface with a grain in it holds the collar's shape better and shows creasing less than a flat jersey does.

Fit, styling, and care

Regular through the body. Lettered sizing. Ink is the one to wear under a jacket, White is the one to wear alone, and either goes with the MHL Painters Trouser. Wash cool and dry flat; a knitted collar distorts on a hanger while it is wet. Our general care guidance covers the rest.

Polos are bought casually and judged harshly. This one is built at the two places a polo goes wrong, the placket and the collar.

One hundred percent textured cotton, made in Portugal. Ribbed collar, and a buttoned placket set off center. Colors: Ink and White.

The MHL S/S Flat Pocket Shirt is a plain white cotton with a pocket set flat against the front, and the MHL Open Neck T-Shirt is cotton with the neck opened out and the sleeve cut oversized. MHL by Margaret Howell is a line of its own rather than a part of the main Margaret Howell collection, and there is more on the house on the Margaret Howell designer page.