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The Wimbledon Men's singles final always brings out the big dogs. And one of biggest of them all was Brad Pitt, who took to the stands with the Princess of Wales, Wicked co-stars Ariana Grande, and Jonathan Bailey. Lots of Ralph Lauren. Lots of hushed silences. Lots of very nice and normal suits.
But not for Pitt. The actor, who took a break from filming his upcoming Grand Prix movie, invoked the awesome power of a knitted polo: a 1950s classic that's started doing the rounds again as the new muscle fit that's a lot nicer to look at than actual muscle fit. It was muted in color, but still stood out among the sea of suits and ties. Paired with Aviator shades, it was inherently Pitt: low lift Hollywood style that works everywhere else.
Granted, it's not as experimental as some of Pitt's past fits. But this is Wimbledon: a place where suits are kinda mandatory, and ties are essential for the Royal Box. There's got to be some effort. And a knitted polo does just that, but still has an element of effortlessness to it.
But we've been yelling about the power of a knitted polo shirt for some time. It's one of those timeless pieces of clothing that just work, and it was one of the many talents of Mr Ripley that launched the piece to fame ever since #menswear Instagram accounts chugged through the 1999 hit once more. They're smarter than the sportier style and will suit any function. Wedding. Yep. Office. Sure. Dinner date. Couldn't get much better. And, as Pitt has proved, even the high tower on Centre Court.
If you want to channel Pitt's courtside style with the same polo, this one in particular comes from the French masters of minimalist basics, A.P.C. Stock of the brand's “Fred” knit linen polo is a little scarce at the moment, but there are a few sizes in black, beige, and blue left at A.P.C.'s website (some of which are even 50% off), as well as a few left at Nordstrom, Farfetch, and even some pre-owned options on eBay.
And if you were too slow to catch Brad's actual polo, don't worry—we found a handful of similar options that are still in stock and will give you the same Wimbledon-worthy swagger. Like the APC “Fred” polo, each option below has some great character whether its from a linen fabric, a carefully crafted knit, or a beautiful lived-in wash.
This story was originally published on British GQ with the headline, “A little commotion, please, for Brad Pitt's knitted polo shirt at Wimbledon”.