Purple is one of those colours that men consistently underestimate in their wardrobes, usually because they’ve only ever seen it done badly. Too saturated and it wears you. Too washed out and it looks like an accident. Get the shade right though, whether that’s a deep aubergine, a faded violet, or something closer to heather, and it becomes one of the more interesting things you can build a casual outfit around. The polo shirt is already doing a lot of work as a garment, smart enough to replace a shirt in warm weather, relaxed enough to sit alongside your best trousers without looking try-hard. In purple, it earns a second look without demanding one. We’ve been looking specifically at fits that don’t pull across the chest, piqué and jersey fabrics that hold their colour after washing, and collar constructions that stay flat. These are the ones we’d actually wear.