Despite their name, Lacoste polo shirts are actually direct descendants of the original cotton “tennis whites” worn in the late nineteen century. The “tennis whites” shirt style was defined by a long-sleeved buttoned-up front, normally worn with the narrow sleeves rolled up. Although this seems like a very limiting shirt choice for athletes by today’s standards, tennis whites were considered very informal and quite “sporty” in their day.

But French tennis champion René Lacoste thought he could improve upon the old button-up style. He had long felt that the long-sleeve tennis whites of the day were uncomfortable and limited movement on the court. He began experimenting with a new short-sleeved shirt. His first shirt was made from a light-knitted fabric called “jersey petit pique” which allowed for ventilation. The shirt was white and short-sleeved. The shirt could be opened for maximum ventilation by adjusting the two-button placket and the collar could be worn up-turned to block the sun from his neck.

Over the next few years, other members of the French tennis team began to wear Lacoste-style shirts and soon players from other countries were requesting his tennis shirts for themselves.

About the Logo

The roots of the world-recognized Lacoste logo extend back to the game of professional level tennis in the 1920’s. René Lacoste was a world-class tennis player from France. Lacoste acquired the nickname “Alligator” from the American sports press following a bet he made while in America to play in the 1927 Davis Cup. While in Boston, Lacoste had seen a piece of luggage made from alligator hide that he liked very much. The captain of the French team offered to buy the case for him on condition that he won his match in the upcoming competition. When the press heard of the bet, they thought that the alligator skin was a good metaphor for Lacoste’s tenacious playing style and his ability to keep a hold on and control his opponent’s attempts to change up the tempo of the matches. From then on, sports journalists referred to Lacoste as “the Alligator”.

The nickname stuck with him after returning home to France but with no cognate in his native language, the French press changed his nickname to le crocodile. Soon after, his friend, Robert George, drew an alligator that Lacoste had embroidered upon the blazers he wore when attending tennis events.

The Beginning of Lacoste Fashions

René Lacoste retired from professional tennis in 1929 but at the time he did not know that he would soon be embarking on a new career in the fashion industry. After the success of his tennis shirt among tennis players throughout Europe, polo players began to request the shirt. They, too, were tired of wearing stiff, long-sleeved shirts and were attracted by the ability of the collar to block the sun from their necks. The spreading popularity of the tennis shirt prompted Lacoste to team up with the owner and president of the largest French knitwear manufacturing firm at the time, Andre Gillier, in 1933. The company was called La Societe Chemise Lacoste and it began to produce the Lacoste white tennis shirt with the logo embroidered on the chest.

In 1951, the company expanded the popularity of the shirt by introducing colored shirts and in the 1960’s the Lacoste fashion line was expanded into other areas such as shoes, hats, and sweaters. Today, you are just as likely to find a Lacoste Polo shirt on the golf course as on the tennis court or polo field. In fact, the familiar little crocodile has become a modern wardrobe staple for all men, not just athletes. Its popularity remains as strong as ever among the general public.