Establishing a Classic - The Lacoste Polo Shirt

History of the Lacoste logosweat stains better than colored garments.
The roots of the world-recognized Lacoste logoIn 1926, encouraged by the switch from long-sleeved
extend back to the game of professional level tennis inshirts to short-sleeved shirts by women tennis players,
the1920's. Rene Lacoste was a world-class tennisRene Lacoste wore a shirt he designed himself while
player from France who was one of the legendarywinning the 1926 U.S. Open tournament. His first shirt
Four Musketeers, four Frenchmen who dominatedwas made from a light-knitted fabric called 'jersey petit
tennis during the mid-1920's through early 1930's.pique' which allowed for ventilation to wick away
Lacoste held the #1 world title in 1926 and 1927 andmoisture. The shirt was white and short sleeved with a
won the prestigious single men's title at Wimbleton inlonger shirt-tail in back than in the front. The shirt could
both 1925 and 1928.be opened for maximum ventilation by adjusting the
According to an interview with Rene Lacoste's son,two-button placket and the collar was ribbed to
Bernard, his father acquired the nickname 'Alligator'provide stability so it could be worn up-turned to block
from the American sports press following a bet hethe sun from his neck. After acquiring the nickname
made while in America to play in the 1927 Davis Cup.'the Alligator' in 1927, Lacoste had all his tennis shirts
While in Boston, Lacoste had seen a piece of luggageembroidered with his newly adopted alligator logo.
made from alligator hide that he liked very much. TheOver the next few years, other members of the
captain of the French team offered to buy the caseFrench tennis team began to wear Lacoste-style shirts
for him on condition that he win his match in theand soon players from other countries were
upcoming competition. When the press heard of therequesting his tennis shirts for themselves.
bet, they thought that the alligator skin was a goodThe beginning of Lacoste fashions
metaphor for Lacoste's tenacious playing style and hisRene Lacoste retired from professional tennis in 1929
ability to keep a hold on and control his opponent'sbut at the time he did not know that he would soon be
attempts to change up the tempo of the matches.embarking on a new career in the fashion industry.
From then on, sports journalists referred to Lacoste asAfter the success of his tennis shirt among tennis
'the Alligator'.players throughout Europe, polo players began to
The nickname stuck with him after returning home torequest the shirt. They, too, were tired of wearing stiff,
France but with no cognate in his native language, thelong-sleeved shirts and were attracted by the ability of
French press changed his nickname to le crocodile.the collar to block the sun from their necks. The
Soon after, his friend, Robert George, drew an alligatorspreading popularity of the tennis shirt prompted
that Lacoste had embroidered upon the blazers heLacoste to team up with the owner and President of
wore when attending tennis events.the largest French knitwear manufacturing firm at the
Origins of the Lacoste polo shirttime, Andre Gillier, in 1933. The company was called La
At the start of the 20th century, tennis apparel wasSociete Chemise Lacoste and it began to produce the
formal; men wore stiff, woven, long-sleeve oxfordLacoste white tennis shirt with the logo embroidered
shirts and began the game wearing a necktie whichon the chest.
usually came off as the match progressed. The formalBy the late 1940's, the Lacoste tennis shirt had
looking yet heat-retaining shirts were matched withbecome known as the polo shirt by sport watchers.
full-length flannel pants. Women started the century inPeople who weren't tennis or polo players began
full-length dresses and petticoats while wearing awearing the Lacoste polo shirt as status symbols of
bustle underneath. By the 1920's, women's tennisupper-class tastes such as tennis and polo viewing. In
apparel had changed to calf-length cotton frocks with1951, the company expanded the popularity of the shirt
short sleeves and knee-high socks while men's tennisby introducing colored shirts and in the 1960's the
apparel stayed the same. It is no coincidence thatLacoste fashion line was expanded into other areas
white became the color of apparel choice for tennissuch as shoes, hats, and sweaters.
players early on as it minimized the appearance of