We are right in the middle of our runway styling-hack shark week. As a refresher, this is a summertime series in which two Vogue Runway editors, José Criales-Unzueta and Laia Garcia-Furtado, test straight-off-the-runway styling trends to figure out if they can be worn in real life. So far our experiments have yielded mixed results: the backwards-shirt trend proved semi-easy and fruitful, and the apron trend made us really put in the work. Today we’re trying out that frat boy classic, the double polo shirt and asking the hard questions—much like separating the art from the artist, can double polos escape their checkered past? It’s fitting that its most recent runway appearance was on the ERL runway where designer Eli Russell Linnetz likes to play around with clothing signifiers. Off the runways, we’ve also seen Paul Mescal and Billie Eilish rock the trend. As we soon found out, though, we may have underestimated this look’s simplicity. What were we made for? Evidently not this.
Photo: Courtesy of José Criales-Unzueta & Laia Garcia-Furtado
José Criales-Unzueta: Okay, this is the first attempt. I layered a classic pique polo under this much lighter one from Venroy, which is my current summer staple. I feel like you can’t really tell I’m wearing a double, which I like, but that’s definitely not the point of this exercise…on to the next.
Laia Garcia-Furtado: This also feels very… not you. It’s too normie! I think it’ll be funny if this is the hardest trend for us to do since it’s technically, like, the most normal? I thought I could do a cute Billie fit with the double polo and my nu-metal jorts and a little heel but I looked so crazy I couldn’t risk having photographic evidence of it living on the internet forever. Okay let’s see your next look.
Photo: Courtesy of José Criales-Unzueta & Laia Garcia-Furtado
JCU: Speaking of normie… I went here, which is very not me but kind of works. I layered a black polo under this more graphic one, which I think works better. Short shorts are also very much on-trend at the moment. I folded the sleeves up to underscore the existence of the black polo underneath. It’s…fine? Hilarious indeed that this is the hardest trend for us to try. I can’t find myself here!
LGF: This one feels breezier on account of the LEG, and the bold color obviously helps a lot. This looks good but it’s still not you. I think you’re right, you can’t find yourself here, I can’t find myself here, this one’s better left for the runways I think.
Photo: Courtesy of José Criales-Unzueta & Laia Garcia-Furtado
JCU: I wholeheartedly agree. This one with my XXXL Random Identities polo is a bit more fun and more me, but you don’t get credit for the double-up. Any final thoughts?