The History of the Polo Shirt (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of the polo shirt? ›

The piqué polo shirt that we know and love today – short-sleeved with a top row of buttons and a collar – was first designed for playing tennis in France in 1929. Namely, by tennis player René Lacoste, also known by his nickname "Crocodile".

This shirt was the first to have a buttoned-down collar, which polo players invented in the late 19th century to keep their collars from flapping in the wind. Brooks Brothers' early president, John Brooks, noticed this while at a polo match in England and began producing such a shirt in 1896.

The game followed the nomads' migration to Persia (modern Iran) some time between 600 B.C. and 100 A.D. In Persia, polo became a national sport, played by the nobility and military men. The game was formalized and spread west to Constantinople, east to Tibet, China and Japan, and south to India.

Invented by René Lacoste

Before the crocodile invaded the tennis courts, the long-sleeved cotton shirt was the norm. The Lacoste polo shirt was a single invention and three patents. In terms of fit, the short sleeves optimised mobility. The innovative material, "le petit piqué", allowed players to sweat less.

Who invented the polo shirt? If we're speaking of the modern iteration of the polo shirt, then you have Jean René Lacoste to thank for its design. But there are several other claimants to the Collared Throne: John E. Brooks, Ralph Lauren, and an unknown 19th Century pioneer from the Northeast Indian state of Manipur.

Inspired by his friend, the Marquis of Cholmondeley, a keen polo player who took to the tennis court one day wearing a short-sleeved shirt with a soft button-down collar, Mr Lacoste designed a similar one for himself, adding a crocodile logo on the chest in honour of his nickname, “Le Crocodile”.

"Most of people don't even know like, Shaq owns Forever 21," Kenny Smith said. "He owns Brook Brothers. He owns the rights to Marilyn Monroe.

A Brooks Brothers staple to this day, the Oxford Cotton Button-Down (also widely known by the acronym OCBD) continues to bear the legend 'The Original Polo Shirt' on its label. But despite its more than 120 years of history, the OCBD is not what we generally think of when the words 'polo shirt' are uttered.

The logo depicts a polo player on a horse, dressed in traditional polo attire, and is often accompanied by the brand name "Ralph Lauren." The logo was created by Ralph Lauren himself in 1971, and it is intended to evoke a sense of heritage, tradition, and an affluent lifestyle.

These shirts were marketed in the 1930's and 1940's by tennis star René Lacoste, whose “Izod” brand popularized his iconic crocodile logo. Another design Lacoste created for his fashion line featured a large, embroidered illustration of a polo player on a horse.

What does polo mean in English? ›

polo. noun. po·​lo ˈpō-lō : a game played by teams of players on horseback using long-handled mallets to drive a wooden ball.

Dubbed the “sport of kings”, the game of polo has long been associated with nobility, wealth, power and prestige – which makes playing it rather than watching it the ultimate status symbol for the world's elite.

The polo shirt is arguably one of the most iconic pieces of menswear to arise within the last century. The shirt's name comes from the popular game of “polo,” or “the sport of kings,” which has historically been enjoyed by the upper crust of society for centuries.

In 2012, Lacoste was acquired by Maus Frères SA, a family-run business founded in Geneva in 1902. Fascinated by the brand and the man behind it, Maus Frères SA - currently directed by Lacoste CEO Thierry Guibert - upholds the same heritage and values of optimism, passion, elegance, bravery and tenacity.

René Lacoste, the company's founder, was first given the nickname "the Crocodile" by the American press after he bet his team captain a crocodile-skin suitcase that he would win his match. He was later redubbed "the Crocodile" by French fans because of his tenacity on the tennis court.

The polo shirt was first popularized by tennis player René Lacoste in the 1920s. Lacoste, a French tennis champion, designed and introduced the polo shirt as an alternative to the traditional long-sleeved, button-up shirts worn by tennis players at the time.

Some styles have side vents which means they are split approximately two inches up from the bottom hem. This allows the shirt to be tucked in more easily. Other styles have an extended tail in the back to make it easier to remain tucked in.

The polo shirt as we know today was developed by French tennis legend Mr. Rene Lacoste in 1926. His design to replace the restrictive full sleeved cotton shirts that tennis players were wearing in courts with something more comfortable is how the idea of a polo shirt was born.