Get Trippy With Oi Polloi's Psychedelic Sportswear
Ready the psilocybin, draw the curtains, and put on some relaxing ambient music, because Oi Polloi has dropped its latest sportswear collection. But be warned: things are about to get wavy.
The Manchester-based retailer – which dropped its first sportswear installment towards the backend of last year – has looked to Timothy Leary’s band of psychedelic Ivy Leaguers this time around, a divulsion that ultimately inspired the striping that adorns much of the collection.
While the design might have been tweaked, Oi Polloi’s goal to deliver hard-wearing, organic jersey pieces remains exactly the same, which is why it revisited the same excellent Portuguese craftsmen for this collection, as it did the first time out.
Contrary to the name, Oi Polloi Sportswear isn’t actually designed for sport. There’s a stark contrast nowadays between what’s considered sportswear and what’s considered activewear, and while we’re of course big fans of both, sportswear’s cozy credentials certainly have my backing.
Talking of cozy credentials, the collection itself is awash with them. Sweatshirts and hoodies have been made using loopback construction on a 45 degree angle (which basically means they keep their shape for longer), while a myriad of Smedley-collared rugby polos crafted with 100% organic cotton are just what the doctor ordered.
The beauty of everything Oi Polloi does, is that it’s done with a vision – and an educated one at that. There’s no guessing or needless messing about, for them it’s about delivering tried and tested garments, in refreshing and modern ways (take its recent Universal Works collaboration, for example). And with its sportswear collections, it’s certainly hitting the spot.
