Rene Lacoste
Okay, the Polo shirt, originally said to be from India, it was worn by Polo Players during about the 1920s. Traditional tennis apparel of the time, called Tennis Whites, consisted of long trousers and long-sleeve shirts. Seven-time Grand-Slam tennis champion, René Lacoste thought tennis attire was too restrictive and uncomfortable when he played. So he designed a white, short-sleeved, loose-knit shirt. It had a flat collar, a buttoned placket, and a shirt-tail longer in back than in front (known today as a “tennis tail”).
He first wore his new shirt design at the 1926 U.S. Open championship (which he won). The ‘tennis tail’ kept the back of the shirt tucked in during play. And the short-sleeve design eliminated the issue of long sleeves being restrictive and coming un-rolled during play.
Beginning in 1927, Rene’ Lacoste placed an embroidered crocodile emblem on the left breast of his shirts. The American press had started calling him “The Crocodile” because of his large nose, but he embraced the nickname and it eventually became one of the most recognized symbols in the US. In 1933, after retiring from professional tennis, Lacoste teamed up with friend and clothing merchandiser, André Gillier to market the shirts in North America and Europe. Together, they formed the Lacoste company and began selling their shirts which, of course, included the small crocodile logo.
Tennis and Golf.
Over the latter half of the 20th century, as golf clothing became more casual, this same style tennis shirt was adopted nearly universally as the standard in golf attire. Even today, most golf courses and country clubs still require players to wear golf shirts as part of their dress code. The Polo shirt today comes in tons of different colors, styles, cuts and fabrics with prices ranging from $10 to well over $150 for name brand golf shirts made with performance, moisture-wicking fabric.
Make sure to watch the video at the top of the page to see just a few ways you can style some different Polo shirts. If you like anything you see, I’ll leave a few of the direct links at the bottom of this article in case you want to pick something up for yourself.
LOOK #1
Blue Polo – https://go.magik.ly/ml/vpgb/
Light Gray Chinos – https://go.magik.ly/ml/xr9u/
Blue Sneakers – http://bit.ly/2QdKXCE
LOOK #2
Blue Polo – https://go.magik.ly/ml/vpgb/
Similar White Sneakers – https://go.magik.ly/ml/xra9/
LOOK #3
Blue Long Sleeve Polo – https://bit.ly/2mi5qeI
Gray Dress Pants – https://go.magik.ly/ml/xrae/
Blue Suede Loafers – http://bit.ly/2K2yNKR
LOOK #4
Similar White Polo – https://go.magik.ly/ml/xrah/
Dark Gray Chinos – https://go.magik.ly/ml/xraj/
White Sneakers – https://go.magik.ly/ml/xram/
LOOK #5
Black Polo – https://go.magik.ly/ml/olwy/
Dark Gray Chinos – https://go.magik.ly/ml/xraj/
Black Sneakers – https://go.magik.ly/ml/oejf/
