Polo Bear Sweaters: Our New Furry Fad
Updated: Mar 11
They're un-bearably cute...
Perhaps you've seen this latest fashion trend circling your social media these days like I have. These Polo bear shirts, usually sweaters, have sprung up out of nowhere. They're un-bearably cute, but their prices aren't.
Because we're balling on a budget, instead of buying the actual sweaters, we're going to use them for outfit inspiration.
Below I have 5 Polo Bear Sweaters, and I'm going to break down how to thrift each of their looks.
1. Business Casual Aesthetic
This look is great if you want a comfortable yet elevated outfit to wear out, especially if it's colder outside.
Thrifting in the men's schedule is going to be the key to achieving this look. The oversized sweater and button up will be easily identifiable in this section, and the men's hats are always better than the woman's.
You can stay in the men's section if you want some oversized jeans, especially since you'll be pairing them with a belt like the bear does, but women's denim always has a surplus of options. Make sure to utilize the women's accessories to finish off the look (belt, watch, and purse).
If you have a hard time finding the right colors for this look, try experimenting with other neutrals and a bright color to achieve color-blocking.
2. Balletcore Aesthetic
This look is perfect if you've been closely following balletcore. The feminine touches like the pink wrap around shirt and flowy skirt really hit that style on the head.
My biggest tip when thrifting for this outfit is to check the kid's section. When it comes to dainty little touches, this section will be your best friend.
If it's close to Halloween, or if you have a costume section at your thrift store, definitely check it out for the beret. The regular hat section works too if your store doesn't have a costume section, but I find that the costume section is surprisingly good for those very specific pieces. If you can't find a hat that fits this look, trying swapping it out for a black bow.
This costume and kid's sections are both great places to look for that tutu/full skirt.
Recreating this outfit is a must as the weather starts to warm up.
3. Western Chic Aesthetic
This look may not be for everyone, but it sure is a fun way to change things up.
Layering is essential for this outfit which means that oversized pieces will do better. For this reason, we should hop back over to the men's section. This section will yield the most prospects for the brown work jacket (a Carhartt would be a great find, or better yet, one that has fringe) and the denim and white button-up.
The women's section is where you'll find the outfit's smaller details, such as the red ascot and the brown leather vest.
The hat can be tricky to find, but if you have a costume section or you live in an area with farmers, I wouldn't be surprised if you found one.
You can even try incorporating green into this look, taking inspiration from the sweater's actual color.
4. Preppy Aesthetic
This look screams Grease and Heathers. It's that old-school "It Girl."
Patterns play a huge part in this outfit, as do coordinating colors. You need to make sure that every element ties into another.
When thrifting, you HAVE to check the skirts section for a plaid mini. You are almost guaranteed to find one that fits this aesthetic.
Scarfs are so much fun to incorporate into an outfit and they don't get enough credit. If you can find a striped scarf like pictured above then great, but if you have to adapt to your thrift store's selection, then you can find a plaid one or even a plain navy blue one. Anything that keeps the overall feeling of the outfit.
Finding a sweater with this exact pattern might be hard, so instead check the women's section for a plain white or blue V-neck sweater to still give off that V shape.
5. Casual Aesthetic
This outfit is the one I've seen most commonly recreated on TikTok and Instagram because it's probably the easiest one to accomplish.
You don't have to search far and wide for most of the pieces, only the sweater. If you can't find a sweater that replicates this one, you can try DIYing one, finding an oversized navy-blue sweater and ironing on an American flag patch.
The color combo of brown and blue aids this outfit's casual vibe, so make sure you really focus on that. You can play with the tones, but make sure the overall hue is the same.
Make sure you don't miss the blue denim shirt underneath the sweater.
There's truly a Polo bear sweater for every occasion. So, if you're ever stuck trying to pick an outfit, a quick Google search of these guys is sure to provide you with outfit inspiration.
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