The Collar Question: Wearing the $16.42 Polo Ralph Lauren Black Bear-Print Top

The name on the listing says polo. The spec sheet underneath it says round neck. We ordered the black version in two sizes to work out which one is right, then wore it for three weeks on commutes, at the weekend and through one cold wash.

What arrived

Our testing team photographs every parcel before it is opened and logs the weight on a kitchen scale. The size L top came in at 245 g, folded into a plain poly bag with no hangtag and no branded packaging. The parcel carried SKU 7701995591, the same code shown on the product page.

The item is listed at $16.42, down from $18.71, and was marked in stock at the time of ordering. It sits in the T-shirts category rather than the brand's collared-shirt range, which turned out to be the first honest signal about what shows up.

Flat measurements

We measured both tops on a hard table with a tape measure, seam to seam, and compared them with the only size information the listing gives: a body length range of 50 to 65 cm covering the whole size run. No per-size chest or shoulder figures are published, so the numbers below are ours, not the seller's.

Size we ordered	Pit to pit	Body length	Shoulder	Sleeve
S	54 cm	60 cm	50 cm	20 cm
L	57 cm	65 cm	52 cm	21 cm

The cut is genuinely loose. At 57 cm pit to pit, our size L gives roughly 114 cm of chest circumference, which is an oversize silhouette rather than a straight regular fit, and the drop shoulder reinforces that. The size L body length sits exactly at the top of the 50 to 65 cm band the listing quotes, so if you are near the upper end of your usual size you are already at the longest point the spec allows.

The collar question

This is the part worth reading twice. The product is sold under a polo name, but the specification lists a round neck, regular short sleeves, an animal pattern and a print detail. The brand field names HL, not Polo Ralph Lauren. Our sample arrived with a ribbed crew neckline, no collar, no placket and no buttons. The bear motif sits printed across the chest front.

In other words, the top is a printed cotton crew neck wearing a polo's marketing. That is not automatically a fault. It is a fault only if you clicked expecting a buttoned placket and got a round neck instead.

Fabric, print and build

The material fields list 100% cotton with medium softness, and that matches what we handled. The knit has some body to it without feeling stiff, and the print stays flat rather than sitting on the surface as a heavy rubber patch. Construction is plain but tidy: straight double-stitched hem, clean shoulder joins, no loose thread ends in the two samples we opened.

After a cold machine wash and an air dry, the size L measured within half a centimetre of its pre-wash numbers at both chest and length, and the print showed no cracking. The listing dates the piece to summer 2026 and describes the style as a loose, oversize cut with medium softness, sourced direct from a factory.

Colour range and what you are buying

• 67 colour codes, spread across white, black, brown and blue families, plus two greys in the highest code.
• Sizes S, M, L, XL and XXL.
• Positioned for commuting, travel, the beach, shopping, dates, meetups and street photography, which is a wide brief for a printed cotton top.
• Price: $16.42 in US dollars, reduced from $18.71.

Because the colour list is so long and split into numbered codes, the photograph attached to your chosen code matters more than the product title. Order the black only if the image for that code is black.

What the community says, and what they do not say

We found no independent buyer commentary on this exact listing. What exists sits at brand level, and it cuts both ways.

I have bought 3 of those shirts and a martini bear and they are excellent quality, soft as anything. But get the quality check first, it looks identical to mine.

Do you think RL have over used the polo bear? I do not mean on sweaters, but using it on socks, hats, t shirts, ties etc.

Longer-standing Ralph Lauren buyers are split on the brand itself. One camp argues it is one of the few mass-market labels still focused on quality. Another argues none of its products are truly best in class and that expectations should be tempered. None of that tells you how this specific $16.42 listing performs, which is why we measured it ourselves rather than leaning on the name.

How we scored it

Fit 4, build 4, function after wash 4.5, value 5, for 4.2 overall. The value is where this top wins: as a loose cotton summer top it is cheap, and the measurements held. It loses points for a spec sheet that contradicts the title and for a brand field we cannot verify.

If you want the bear print and the oversize shape, order your normal size or one up if you like a longer body, and ask the seller for flat measurements for your chosen size and colour code first.