Taylor Stitch has been building out its knitwear category for a few years now, and the Monterey Sweater Polo is the kind of piece that tests whether a brand known for shirting and denim can pull off something more seasonal and pattern-forward.
The Verdict
At $148, this is a summer polo for someone who wants texture and wants to be noticed, just not too loudly. Whether that's worth it depends almost entirely on how much you like the geo crochet pattern, because the construction underneath doesn't do anything to justify the price on its own.
The Make
The Monterey is 100% organic cotton, GOTS-certified, knit on a 5-gauge yarn in an open crochet geo pattern across the body and sleeves. The 5-gauge is relatively coarse, which suits the crochet construction, but it means this doesn't drape or compress the way a finer-gauge knit would. The collar, cuffs, and hem are finished in flat rib knit, which gives the piece some structure at its edges and keeps it from reading like a beach coverup. Straight hem, no shirttail, which makes untucked the obvious move.
Made in China. Taylor Stitch is upfront about that, and it doesn't undermine the organic cotton sourcing, but at this price point it's worth noting.
The open geo construction is the whole point of this shirt. It's not subtle. Hold it up to light and you'll see through it. Wear it over a fitted white or navy crewneck and it reads intentional. Wear it alone and you're committing to the pattern in a way that limits where it goes.
The Fit
Cut runs regular, and sizing is accurate. Nothing clever about the fit here, no high-arm, no tapered waist, just a clean regular cut that works for most builds. The ribbed collar sits flat without curling, which is the minimum you'd ask of a polo collar and the one thing open-knit polos often get wrong.
The Context
This competes with summer knitwear from brands like Corridor, Drake's, or Portuguese Flannel, all of whom are doing open-knit or textured cotton polos in the $150-$250 range. The Taylor Stitch version sits at the accessible end of that bracket. It doesn't match the construction depth of a Drake's crochet polo, but it's also not asking you to spend $250. For someone already in the Taylor Stitch ecosystem, it fits logically alongside their oxford shirts and chino shorts. For someone new to the brand, it's not the strongest entry point.
The Workshop pre-order discount, if you catch it, brings the price down further and makes the calculus easier.
The Personal Note
I haven't owned this one. The geo crochet pattern scores a 6 on loudness, which puts it in interesting territory: noticeable enough to be the thing people comment on, not so loud that you feel like you're wearing a costume. My hesitation is the travel score. Open-knit cotton at 5-gauge is not forgiving in a bag, and hand wash cold with lay flat dry means this isn't a piece you throw in a hotel sink and hang up. For a sweater polo to earn a place in a regular rotation, it needs to be easier than this to maintain.
