Education History
Buddy Austin (left) and Rene Lacoste (right) before a match, 1928.
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The polo shirt is one of the most fundamental pieces of menswear. With beginnings on polo fields of the mid-19th century, the polo shirt has evolved from a formal piece of sports uniform to a ubiquitous, preppy sportswear classic. Like most garments, the design of the modern day polo shirt was spawned from utilitarian needs that trickled into mainstream fashion with the help of society’s most respected individuals.
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But how did the polo shirt come to be? And why does the term ‘polo shirt’ evoke images of Ralph Lauren’s polo-player motif or Lacoste’s embroidered crocodile? Today, we’re answering those questions by unbuttoning the history of the polo shirt.
Polo player, 1920s via Vintage Dancer
Equestrian Beginnings
While the earliest known roots of polo reach back as far as 6th century BC, the modern form of the horseback sport can be traced back to the 19th Century India. British military men stationed in Manipur, a state in Northeast India, adopted polo from Indian natives and brought it back to the U.K. where it became synonymous with wealth, royalty, and the upper-class.
“The Original Polo Shirt” by Brooks Brothers
In addition to jodhpur pants and full-length riding boots, the original polo uniforms included a long-sleeved cotton shirt, similar to a dress shirt. To stop their shirt collars from flapping in the wind while they rallied around the polo field, players would fasten them down with pins or buttons. Inspired by this was John E. Brooks of the successful Brooks Brothers firm, who noticed the players’ improvisational collar solution while visiting England in the late 1800s. Upon his return to the U.S., Brooks introduced button-down collars onto all of his dress shirts, a feature that has become commonplace in modern-day shirting. Brooks Brothers introduced the first mass-marketed ‘polo shirt’ by debuting the ‘The Original Button-Down Polo Shirt’ in 1896.
Rene Lacoste in a Lacoste knitted shirt via Twitter
Le Crocodile’s Révolution
Ironically, the polo shirt we know today was born from a completely different sport—tennis. Like polo, tennis ‘whites’ in the early 1900s featured a long-sleeved button-down shirt. Looking to improve the practicality of this design was French tennis star, JeanRené Lacoste. Nicknamed ‘le Crocodile’ due to his agility and shot power, Lacoste won seven Grand Slam titles, making him one of the most sensational sportsmen of his era.
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Rene Lacoste via Polo Shirts UK
While most tennis stars wore a button-down shirt and tie, Lacoste went against the grain and introduced his ownshort sleeved, three button shirt, made from a lightweight, breathable pique cotton that improved freedom of movement on the court. Proud of his reptilian moniker, Lacoste had a crocodile embroidered onto the left breast of his tennis shirt, a piece that surprised spectators as he smashed his way to consecutive U.S. Open wins in 1926 and 1927. The first of its kind, Lacoste’s tennis shirt was the blueprint for the modern day polo shirt.
A vintage Lacoste polo shirt advert (left) via Pinterest and Rene Lacoste playing tennis (right) via iCollector
After retiring in the early 1930s, Lacoste was approached by the owner of a leading French knitwear manufacturer,André Gillier, who proposed that the two came together to sell reproductions of Lacoste’s knitted tennis shirt, complete with the infamous embroidered crocodile. In 1933, the pair founded La Chemise Lacoste. Now known simply as ‘Lacoste’, the brand is widely regarded as the first brand to produce clothes with clear, visible branding on the outside of the garment.
La Chemise Lacoste was not the first brand to popularise the knitted polo shirt. Independent makers and brands like John Smedley had already capitalized in on René Lacoste’s revolutionary design. But it was Lacoste’s formidable reputation and playful crocodile branding that made his tennis shirt so desirable.
An original Izod Lacoste label via Vintage Swag Chics
In 1951, American manufacturerIzodgained a licensing agreement to produce and sell Lacoste shirts in the United States. Within a few years, knitted polo shirts had become an American essential.The soft tailored chemise blurred the boundaries between formal and leisure wear, worn anywhere from golf clubs to frat houses.
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Image via Time Magazine
Ralph Intervenes
The knitted tennis shirt remained in fashion throughout the 1960s, resonating especially with ivy-leaguers who wore their Izod Lacoste shirts under their college sports jackets.Advancements in technology saw polyester rise in popularity and eventually replace knitted pique cotton in the mass-production of tennis shirts. This new fabric was less prone to fading, wearing, or bleeding in the wash, making it ideal for daily wear and sports use.
One person who didn’t favor the new polyester tennis shirts was Mr. Ralph Lauren. Then a young designer in the early stages of establishing his Polo brand, Ralph Lauren was open about his love for the patina of a well-loved garment, something that polyester couldn’t really offer. In a bid to produce the ideal knitted pique cotton tennis shirt of times-past, Ralph Lauren launched his iteration of the tennis shirt in 1972. Coming in 24 colors, Polo Ralph Lauren marketed the shirt with the tagline “it gets better with age”.
Image via Pinterest
Despite the benefits of polyester, the Polo Ralph Lauren shirt overtook all others as the archetypal knitted tennis shirt. Emblazoned with the iconic polo-player embroidered motif, it wasn’t long before Polo Ralph Lauren’s knitted shirt became simply known as the polo shirt.The polo shirt has remained Polo Ralph Lauren’s most popular product for nearly fifty years.
'); }As an enthusiast deeply immersed in the realms of fashion history and clothing evolution, particularly within menswear, I'm well-versed in the nuanced trajectory and evolution of iconic garments like the polo shirt. My knowledge spans various facets, from the origins of specific clothing items to the cultural influences that propelled them into mainstream fashion. The article you provided delves into the historical narrative and transformation of the polo shirt, tracing its roots from equestrian beginnings to its modern iteration associated with renowned brands like Lacoste and Ralph Lauren.
Let's break down the concepts intertwined within this article:
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History of Clothing and Fashion Evolution: Understanding the evolution of clothing from utilitarian origins, such as sports uniforms, to mainstream fashion is crucial. The polo shirt's journey from a long-sleeved, button-down shirt worn by polo players to a staple of modern sportswear exemplifies this evolution.
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Equestrian Roots and Polo Sport Origins: The polo shirt's origins are linked to the equestrian sport of polo, tracing back to British military men in 19th-century India and their adaptation of local attire, which eventually influenced the style of the sport's uniform.
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Innovation and Transformation by Key Figures: The article highlights the pivotal role of individuals like John E. Brooks of Brooks Brothers and French tennis star René Lacoste in redefining the polo shirt. Lacoste's adoption of a short-sleeved, breathable cotton shirt for tennis, adorned with an embroidered crocodile, revolutionized the design and functionality of the garment.
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Branding and Commercialization: The emergence of La Chemise Lacoste and the incorporation of visible branding on clothing marked a shift in how garments were marketed and perceived. Lacoste's branding strategy with the crocodile emblem became iconic and set a precedent in the fashion industry.
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Cultural Impact and Popularization in America: The introduction of Lacoste shirts in the United States through the partnership with Izod, and later Ralph Lauren's Polo brand's iteration of the polo shirt, had a significant impact on American fashion, blurring the lines between formal and leisurewear.
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Material Innovation and Brand Differentiation: The transition from knitted pique cotton to polyester in the production of tennis shirts showcases how material advancements and preferences influenced the market. Ralph Lauren's dedication to retaining the classic aesthetic by sticking to cotton despite the popularity of polyester exemplifies brand differentiation.
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Branding Influence and Long-Term Popularity: Polo Ralph Lauren's branding strategy, emphasizing the shirt's aging process and the iconic polo-player motif, solidified the polo shirt's enduring popularity, making it a signature and timeless piece within their brand's portfolio.
Understanding these intertwined concepts elucidates the multifaceted nature of the polo shirt's evolution, encompassing historical, cultural, and commercial dimensions within the fashion industry's narrative.
