July
21
2011
By
The Staff
of Valet.
3 Questions for

Kent Wang

Austin-based designer Kent Wang has quickly made a name for himself with his collection of quality, timeless menswear at reasonable prices. This summer, the blogosphere's been raving about his slim fit spread collar polo shirts. He just released more colors of the popular shirt so we caught up with him to talk shop.

How'd your polo's design come about?

I live in a hot and humid city and my summer go-to is a polo shirt and seersucker shorts. It's so difficult to find good polos, so when I set about to make my own, the first thing I thought about was the collar. It puzzled me why the collar would be made with a different kind of fabric, ribbed and of course, it just doesn't stand up well. I thought, why not make it like a woven shirt—with two layers of fabric and a collar-band? There are no pockets, contrast trim or other gimmicks. Mother of pearl buttons are a must. Have you ever stuck your hand into a box of 500 mother of pearl buttons? It's a phenomenal feeling, cool to the touch.

FYI

This fall, Wang will introduce long sleeve versions in rugby styles.

And they're pretty affordable too.

Honestly, I think they're the best on the market. I've been told I could sell them for more, but it just seems dishonest to do that.

Polos under a jacket or sweater:
Pro or con?

Because the collar stands up like a woven shirt, it looks much better than a typical polo. I personally don't, as I have plenty of woven shirts to wear, but it could work, so 'pro.'

$65 (with free shipping) at Kent Wang

 

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