| A tennis shirt or also commonly known as a polo shirt | | | | twice about adopting the tennis shirt. Until today, most |
| or a golf shirt, is a type of t-shirt with a collar, typically | | | | golfers wear nothing else. For the ladies, they can |
| with some buttons down a slit below the collar, two | | | | have their tennis shirt custom made in colors that they |
| small slits on the bottom of either side, and an optional | | | | like. The only difference is that the monicker "golf |
| pocket. These shirts are usually made of knitted cloth | | | | shirts" have various golf cuts necessary to incorporate |
| especially pique cotton or, less commonly, silk, merino | | | | into the standard tennis shirts. Today, the tennis shirt's |
| wool, or synthetic fibers. During the nineteenth to early | | | | popularity is so widespread that it has a line of fashion |
| twentieth century, tennis players usually wore | | | | of its own. Most of the main clothing producers have a |
| long-sleeved shirts, trousers, and ties Attire suitable for | | | | version or variation of Lacoste's tennis shirt since it is |
| office work in our modern society. These formal | | | | worn extensively by both men and women today and |
| clothes presented several problems for ease of play | | | | not necessarily for athletic purposes. Tennis shirts are |
| and comfort on the court. The French 7-time Grand | | | | regarded as smart casual wear. Many |
| Slam tennis champion René Lacoste felt that the | | | | semi-professional and retail workers wear tennis shirts |
| stiff dress shirts and ties of the day were simply too | | | | to work because round collar t-shirts are considered |
| heavy and uncomfortable for the tennis court. He | | | | too informal and yet business suits are too formal. Its |
| began his own line of apparel, named Lacoste after his | | | | rough and ready style also makes it a favored shirt for |
| namesake and designed a loosely-knit pique cotton | | | | those working outdoors, such as field guides and |
| shirt with an un-starched, flat protruding collar and a | | | | labourers. During the 1990s, the tennis shirt became the |
| longer shirt-tail in back than in front. The function of the | | | | standard business informal/casual attire for the high |
| thick pique collar was to protect the neck from being | | | | tech industry and then spread to other industries. |
| sunburned by the sun. Preceeding Lacoste's 1929 | | | | Company logos are often printed on these tennis shirts |
| invention of the tennis shirt, polo players normally wore | | | | to be used as custom corporate apparel. Some |
| thick long-sleeve shirts made of Oxford-cloth cotton. It | | | | government officials in India wear tennis shirts as |
| is interesting to note that this shirt was the first to have | | | | standard work attire. Tennis shirts are without doubt |
| a button-down collar, which polo players invented in the | | | | very fashionable in sports. Officials such as caddies, |
| late nineteenth century to keep their collars from | | | | some retired golf professionals, umpires and sports |
| flapping in the wind. Still, those clothes presented a | | | | announcers wear tennis shirts on a regular basis. |
| discomfort on the field, and when polo players became | | | | Besides that, tennis shirts are also popular in many |
| aware of Lacoste's invention in the 1930s they readily | | | | schools, especially junior schools. Both boys and girls |
| adopted it for use in polo. Before long, the design of | | | | wear tennis shirts as part of their compulsory uniform |
| polo shirt and tennis shirt became the same. By the | | | | to schools. Because tennis shirts are closely |
| 1950s, polo shirts were deemed as part of the | | | | associated with sports, they come in all sorts of light |
| standard tennis attire in America. It was highly sought | | | | colors. The most typical color is white. The modern |
| after. In fact, the tennis players also cite their court | | | | tennis shirt has a special feature called a "tennis tail". |
| uniform as a "polo shirt", although in reality, the t-shirt | | | | This design is taken from the original Lacoste, whereby |
| was initially designed for tennis and was only taken on | | | | the back is cut a few centimeters longer than the front |
| by polo players a good many years later. Then Ralph | | | | so that when the tennis player leans forward, the shirt |
| Lauren started a new line of polo shirts and | | | | will still stay tucked properly in his shorts. In addition, a |
| incorporated it into his existing collection called Polo, in | | | | tennis shirt's collar can be easily upturned to protect |
| 1967. As a result, polo shirts became even more | | | | the player's neck from the sun. The tennis shirt or polo |
| popular. Lauren's polo shirts were not really designed | | | | shirt will continue to occupy a niche in the fashion |
| for the game, but its design was similar to what the | | | | industry, regardless of the changing trends and times. It |
| polo players were wearing at that time. Before long, | | | | has become an essential wear in our daily lives. |
| golfers became aware of the advantages of | | | | Jay Pow has over 21 years of experience in the |
| Lacoste's tennis shirt. As a result, when golf's | | | | embroidery and imprinting industry covering products |
| customary wear grew more relaxed and informal | | | | from corporate logo apparel, school backpacks, |
| some time in the twentieth century, golfers did not think | | | | computer backpacks. |