LACOSTE polo shirts are the originals and the perfection! Recommended items and features

LACOSTE is one of the most popular brands when it comes to selecting a high-quality polo shirt. Known as the pioneer of polo shirts, the brand has created a number of details that remain to this day, such as the fawn-knit fabric and the logo mark on the chest. In this issue, we focus on Lacoste polo shirts, introducing their charm and classic items!

Who is Lacoste, the creator of the polo shirt?

Lacoste is an apparel brand established in France in 1933. The founder, René Lacoste, was a former tennis player who won the French Open three times, Wimbledon twice, and the US Open twice. René was even named one of the ” Four Musketeers of France ” in the world of tennis, but he retired in 1929 at the young age of 25 after suffering from tuberculosis, and began designing tennis shirts. Together with André Gillier, the owner-president of the largest knitwear manufacturing company in France at the time, he produced a polo shirt embroidered with a green crocodile logo, and ” Lacoste ” was born.

At the time of Lacoste’s founding, tennis wear consisted of shirts with long sleeves and buttons all the way down to the bottom, a Japanese expression that could not possibly accommodate the intense and agile movements of tennis. The world’s first polo shirt, named L1212, had ribbed cuffs and slits at the hem, and even now, more than 80 years later, the basic design remains largely unchanged and is worn by men and women of all ages around the world. It is still used by men and women of all ages all over the world with almost no change in the basic design.

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Although the polo shirt was created primarily for use in tennis, it was designed during the development stage with the expectation that it would be worn in all sports, including golf and sailing. Because of the elegance typical of its French origins, it became established not only as sportswear but also as everyday wear. Today, it is incorporated into American casual, French casual, and even business styles. While based on the L1212, an eternal standard item, the L1212 is also available with a chest pocket, with a border pattern, or in fabrics other than the fawn. A variety of options are available.

The crocodile logo that symbolizes the Lacoste polo shirt was created from the founder’s nickname

Lacoste polo shirts are known for the crocodile logo placed on the left chest. This mark, which is difficult to find someone who does not know it by now, comes from the nickname of the company’s founder, René Lacoste, when he was a tennis player. While representing France at the 1925 Boston tournament, René became interested in an alligator leather suitcase that he happened to find in a clothing store while out for a walk. Just before the finals, he approached the captain of the French team and said, ” If you win the match, give me the alligator leather suitcase as a gift. René lost the match, but a Boston journalist who heard about the episode reported, “René Lacoste didn’t get the crocodile-skin suitcase, but his play was just like that of a crocodile. In fact, René’s tenacious and relentless bite on the ball was so alligator-like that it did not take long for the nickname to catch on.

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At the Davis Cup in the spring of 1927, he appeared on the tennis court wearing a blazer embroidered with the crocodile logo, which was designed by Robert Georges, a friend of René’s, and was the starting point for the crocodile logo that has remained in use to this day.