Polo is played around the world and the throughout the year.  It is followed by Royalty, the jet-set and fashionistas.  But, as with all traditions that date back hundreds of years, the game, the social scene and the appropriate attire have changed with the times.

The modern game of polo is growing in popularity and accessibility.  It is no longer the exclusive pass-time of Royalty and the social elite.  Yet polo maintains an air of class and glamour while being one of the fastest, most dangerous and extreme sports ever invented.

The new image of the sport has made it more difficult than ever to dress appropriately for a ‘day at the polo’.  Appropriate attire depends on where you are in the world and what the event is. You might be surprised to learn there are many Polo Clubs and events on the international circuit where you where it can be better to dress down to look the part.

The modern game takes a great deal of influence from Argentina, the country that has dominated the sport since the early decades of the 20^th Century.  Polo is so synonymous with Argentina that they have their own word for polo players – they call these warriors of the field “polistas”.  Life on the Argentine “pampas” (the flat, grassy agricultural area within a 1000km circumference of Buenos Aires) is laid back, rustic and casual.  The classic Argentine leather belt with hand stitched woven patterns is a wardrobe essential and jeans and a T shirt or hoodie are the norm at most games in Argentina including the panicle of the sport, The Argentine Open in Palermo.

In Europe and most of the rest of the world, a polo occasion still commands more formality but it would be a faux pas to over dress for the occasion.  For example, ties for men are generally not required – unless perhaps you are with Her Majesty the Queen in the Royal Box at Windsor or you are hosting a corporate luncheon and your boss wants to wear one.  And women should not wear stiletto heals – they sink into the grass during the traditional treading in ceremony.  Night club attire shouts nouveau riche and suits are generally too formal in the modern polo scene.

For men, we recommend a pair of lightweight chinos or white polo jeans, an Argentine belt, pink, pale blue or white shirt, open neck and a blazer in traditional navy or something a bit more risqué in an Italian check or linen.  Don’t be afraid to dress it up or down with a panama hat or a contemporary baseball cap on the head and loafers or cowboy boots on the feet.  It’s ok to stand out a bit.

Women, as usual, have a few more options when it comes to expressing themselves, but be wary of the weather.  A day out at the polo can be a long day out and comfortable footwear, sun protection and adverse weather clothing must be taken into consideration.  On a hot day, a summer dress will always look the part but be aware that a polo club can be a dusty place for open toed shoes.  If rain, wind or colder weather are on the horizon, get out your country casuals and you’ll be in with the experienced polo crowed.  Think jeans, gilets, jackets and even fur – and don’t forget a practical had or scarf if the wind gets up.

Wherever and whenever you get the chance to go to the polo, be prepared and don’t try too hard.  Feel comfortable, look natural and enjoy the day!

Last month the Polistas sponsored London Old Boys Polo Club, the new London-based club for former university players from leading UK universities, played in the 19th edition of Tournoi Des Grandes Ecoles at Chantilly, the glamorous polo club just outside Paris.

For tournament preparations and team tactics we started Friday night at ‘Little Red Door’, an eclectic speakeasy bar hidden between two shops in the center of Paris. The two professional cocktail shakers made it impossible for us to remember any off our tactics. Thus, we decided to reschedule to following afternoon with a traditional lunch at La Palette. A couple friends joined us for the occasion which ended in another revelry of delicious French wines and food.

The next morning the sun was shining in Paris and we hit the small country side roads, passing the beautiful castle of Chantilly nearby the idyllic polo club of Chantilly. On arrival we were flabbergasted by the number of deep green fields and horses lined up for the day.

With our friends for support, we landed a beautiful spot next to the field where we unpacked our Polistas gear, the cooled bottles of champagne and boxes of fresh strawberries.

The first three matches were won against the teams of Science Po, ISG and SKEMA. These victories brought us into the finals against ESLSCA, after an introduction about both teams by the tournament organizer, Dan Deville we engaged in a fierce battle which led to a 0-2 defeat for us.

With a mixed feeling of bitterness and content we received our prices. Moments later this feeling turned to sheer joy at the bar of the Chantilly Polo Club, where we evaluated a day of perfect weather, great organization and fantastic new friends.

A new venue for polistas and polo fans opened on Tuesday night with glittering success.

Situated on Archer Street in London’s Soho district, the Chukka Bar oozes the polo lifestyle combining  comfortable sofas and rustic ambiance with sophisticated cocktails and plenty of house champagne by Billecart-Salmon.

Up and coming polo star, 5 goaler George Meyrick, was there and even has his own self-styled snug (you better get lucky there Georgie).

London socialites, celebs and polo enthusiasts danced and sang the night away…a great start to the 2013 polo season and a great place for the polo fraternity to hang out in Soho!

For the second year in a row, the Polistas Polo Team, captained by the Maharaj of Jaipur, won the prestigious Asia Cup Polo International in Mumbai, India.

The glitz and glamour showered a thousand guests including Bollywood stars, India’s social elite and royalty.  All enjoyed a spectacular afternoon of polo and an evening of fashion at the Mumbai Polo Club next to the Four Seasons hotel that sponsored the players.

The Maharaj’s 10 goal team was made up of Polistas founder, Johnny Lynn, and 4 goal professionals LeRoux Hendrix of South Africa and Ahbi Pathak of Indian.  They bettered the local ARC team lead by India’s highest handicapped professional Samir Suhag with local players Mitesh Mehta, Rahul Dearkadas and Dhruv Pal Godra.

The Asia Cup was founded by London based former cricketer and events manager Neil Sen in 2007.  Polistas has been the clothing supplier every year and has watched the International Day grow in popularity and platform from a single annual event in the UK to a global tour which will travel back to the Royal Berkshire Polo Club in June, with Dubai later in the year and Malaysia in 2014.

Earlier this year the Polistas Team played in the first Asia Cup Polo event of the calendar at the Maharaj’s home club in Jaipur, the heart of Rajastan.

Neil Sen described the Asia Cup as “a perfect match between the glamour of polo and the luxury brands who host their prestigious clientele to a unique and friendly occasion that money alone cannot buy.”

Johnny Lynn was delighted with the Polistas Team’s winning form and added “it has been a great honour to be involved with the Asia Cup since its inception.  Neil and his team have been building this event for 6 years and it is unique in the global polo calendar. Asia is having its renaissance and this tournament and the events surrounding it make it a truly first class polo phenomenon.”

BMW’s take on the British classic Mini featured as one of the sponsors for the Mumbai event and the polo players put the car through its paces around the race track, polo grounds and the greatest driving test of all…the Mumbai traffic.

Lufthansa, who flies to Mumbai and Delhi from Europe twice  per day sponsored the players’ flight and the title sponsor Gitanjali, the luxury jewelers, provided prizes for the players and hosted the entertainment and a glamorous fashion show for the evening.

The British Asia Cup Polo event will be held on 22nd June at the The Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club.  To purchase tickets  contact: renu@celebrasian.co.uk 

Johnny @ Turn 1 with Alonso’s Ferrari in the background (just before he crashed in the same spot)

Fast, dangerous, glamorous and jet-set.  Adjectives that are as applicable to the ancient sport of polo as they are to the modern sport of Formula One motor racing.

To celebrate the foundation of a franchise partnership and other business connections in Malaysia, Polistas founder, Johnny Lynn, travelled to Kuala Lumpur last month to take in the ambiance of the Grand Prix wearing a Malaysian Polo Team shirt.

The polo playing Prince of Pahang hosted a party for polo players, Ferrari officials and Polistas on the eve of qualifying day.  On race day, Johnny was hosted by the Malaysian Tourist Board and track officials with a fantastic view of the back straight where controversy on the track was unfolding between Red Bull Team mates Sebastian Vittel and Mark Webber while vodka and Red Bull, in the VIP suite, soothed Johnny’s jet lag.

A new collection of Authentic Malaysia Polo Team shirts was tested in the humidity at the track and got the thumbs up for comfort and design by local Polistas customers and Johnny himself.

Johnny noted, “Polistas polos are made from heavy weight cotton piquet, and some people think heavy means hot.  But with the piquet mesh, our polo shirts have proven to be comparatively breathable and cool in the extreme humidity of the Malaysian climate.”

The polo shirts were cool, but at the post race party hosted by Ferrari at KL night club, “The Pool”, all the shirts came off and everyone went for a dip with methuselahs of champagne…now THAT is a cure for extreme humidity!

Sorry, only a flash in the dark before the camera got wet

F1 Grid Girl serving Dom before the pool got into action

Zacara win the US Open

Congratulations to Zacara polo team for winning the second US Open title in a row at the International Polo Club in Palm Beach, Florida last weekend.

Zacara’s team included, arguably the best 10 goaler in the world at the moment, Facundo Pieres, Argentine 8 goaler Magoo Labrida and former 10 goaler American, Mike Azzaro at back.  They had lost in their previous encounter,  three weeks earlier in the USPA Gold Cup Final to Valiente, but this time beat the Adolfo Cambiaso led team 16-13.  And to add to the drama, Cambiaso was given a red card near the end of the match sending him off for unsportsmanlike conduct.  A bad day at the office for the La Dolfina founder.

Zacara has been a faithful customer of Polistas over the years, sporting Polistas caps, jeans, polo shirts and our famous polo windbreakers.

Good on ya Zacara! And best of luck in winning back the British Open title they took in 2011!

Zacara win – more informations
]]> http://www.polistas.com/news/lyndon-lea-zacara-wins-us-open/feed/ 0 http://www.polistas.com/news/must-have-adjustable-cuff-links/ http://www.polistas.com/news/must-have-adjustable-cuff-links/#comments Sat, 30 Mar 2013 22:31:44 +0000 johnny http://www.polistas.com/news/?p=1118

Q. Why do some cuff links have an angled stem?  So they look better in the display box?

Wrong.

A. The reason good cuff links have an angled stem is so that the wearer can adjust the tightness of the shirt cuff.

Polistas cuff links have an angled stem so that you can adjust the width of the shirt cuff to make them tighter or looser depending on personal preference or to adjust for things like a chunky wrist watch or simply because your shirt cuffs are too loose or big in the first place.  You might want to try a made to measure shirt from the Polistas 10 Goaler collection to customise your shirt cuffs in future.  But in the meantime, by turning the cuff links one way or the other you can make the simple adjustment and make sure you are always showing the right amount of cuff.

(See our guide for how much is the correct amount of cuff to show in a future edition of Pololife Style)

Here are 5 style tips on enjoying a fine Cuban cigar that most Aficionados overlook:

1. Humidification: Cuban cigars come from Cuba in the Caribbean. (Sorry this is supposed to be a style lesson, not a geography lesson but there is a point here).  The Caribbean is very humid and warm all year round.  That is the cigar’s natural habitat and it doesn’t like it when it is cold and dry.  This is why your cigar must be kept between 70 and 80 per cent humidity and at room temperature or above.  DON’T put them in the freezer.  That’s an old wives’ tale (from a wife who must have hated cigar smoke).  I’d much rather smoke a cheap cigar that is correctly preserved than a great cigar that has dried out.  But don’t throw them in the bin if they have gone a bit crunchy.  You can always re-humidify them but make sure you do it slowly.  If not, the filler leaves will expand quicker than the wrapper leaf and your cigar will rip its wrapper apart like the Incredible Hulk goes through T shirts.
2. Lighting:  After properly looking after your cigar, this is the most important part of the cigar ritual.  Make sure you light the whole end of the cigar.  If one side is burning quicker than the other, re-light the slower burning side, or blow on it, until you have unity.  Otherwise your cigar will go lopsided part way through and you’ll be compromising your enjoyment by constantly struggling to get an even burn.   This is standard stuff, an Aficionado might say, but I also have a more controversial take on the lighting game.  The kind of ignition you use is not as important as some connoisseurs would lead you to believe. Sure, a turbo cigar lighter makes it easier to get the right start, but if in need, a candle, a disposable or anything else like a burning amber from a fire or BBQ will do.  In my experience, it is another wives’ tale that a common butane lighter will damage the taste of your cigar.  And one other thing…those cedar strips that come in cigar boxes and tubos are not for lighting your cigar with.  They are there to maintain a steady humidity and by definition make bad lighting material as they should be too humid to light well.
3. The Label: For some time it was maintained, especially in England, that the label should be removed before you light your cigar.  Some of the classiest cigars come without labels and the theory was one didn’t want to show off their cigar by the label – kind of like leaving the label on the outside sleeve of a suit to show off where you bought it.  Very gauche.  But it is not true regarding cigar labels.  If your cigar comes with a label you are going to want to take it off at some point to have those last few puffs on the last couple inches.  But the best time to take the label(s) off is after the cigar is wormed up and the label(s) have expanded and separated from the wrapper leaf.  The last thing you want to do is take it off early, if it is in any way stuck to the wrapper, as you will end up unravelling the cigar or putting a whole in the side which will adversely affect the draw.
4.  Cutting:  Using a cutter is another myth.  I only use a cutter on torpedo cigars (also know as pyramids like the Monte Cristo No 2).  Most cigars with a rounded end have a cap on them.  After the cigar roller makes the cigar, he or she puts a little cap of tobacco leave on the end and a small piece of wrapper leaf over it to make a nice dome shaped end.  If you use your teeth, like I do, you can carefully remove the domed wrapper leaf and cap to reveal the convex end which gives you the best draw.  Using a guillotine cutter, on the other hand, will crush the end of the cigar and compact the filler leaves to adversely affect the draw.  Using your teeth takes some practice and it isn’t always perfect but it is still preferred to the chop.  The trick is to moisten the cap first. An alternative, which is just as effective and a bit more graceful at removing the cap, is the punch cutter which is something like what a green keeper does to create a new hole on a golf course.
5. Ring gage:  It is a little known fact that the best cigar rollers in the factory are responsible for the larger ring gage cigars.  Even for a short smoke, I wouldn’t normally choose a cigar below a 46 ring gage.  Not only are they better made, but by virtue of their diameter, they offer the smoker a better draw which equates to greater enjoyment.  My preference is for robusto cigars, typically with a ring gage of 50 or 52.  Some cigar novices find the larger ring gage intimidating.  But trust me, go large and you’ll get a better made cigar, better value and a better smoke.

The Polistas Mayfair Boutique is an official distributor of fine Havana cigars.  We also sell cedar lined leather cigar holders on-line and in-store.  A great cigar lover’s gift.

The annual Greenpoint Polo Arena League has again proved to be a huge success with the Universities, running from the 21^st November through to the finals weekend on the 9^th and 10^th March. Sponsored by Polistas, the teams were vying for the coveted first place and some fabulous prizes.

With a total of 18 teams from six Universities entering the tournament from beginner level through to novice and intermediate the standard this year was higher than ever. Teams played a total of 12 chukkas on 4 occasions throughout the tournament.

No University tournament would be without the social element – and The Chequers pub in Lane End played host to “après – polo” on numerous occasions.

The claimants to the wonderful Polistas polo whites were:

Beginner – Oxford Brookes University

Novice 2 – University of London Union

Novice 1 – Reading University

Intermediate – Royal Veterinary College

With runners up receiving warm winter beanies and all participants, a baseball cap.

By popular demand, Greenpoint Polo will be hosting a summer University league.

By Sophie

French cuff shirts and the cuff-links that go with them are “must haves” for the sophisticated polista and modern fashionista.

Polistas cuff-links come in a wide range of colours in never-tarnish silver coated stainless steel with angled stem so you can adjust the cuff-links to suit your cuffs and jacket.

See the Pololife Style article above to learn more about the significance of the angled stem.

And buy Polistas cuff-links on-line for only £65 by clicking here.