The polo shirt was originally designed by tennis player Jean René Lacoste in 1929, with a button-down collar and loose knit. It became popular among polo players and golfers, and later migrated into popular culture as semi-casual wear. The Lacoste brand was a status symbol in the 1980s. Today, polo shirts are still popular in sport and regular dress, with cotton, silk, and wool fabrics available.
The polo shirt would be better called the tennis shirt, as it was first designed by Jean René Lacoste, a world-class tennis player who was affectionately called the alligator or alligator due to his vicious playing tactics. Lacoste, like many tennis players in the early 20th century, felt that tennis attire was restrictive, as players had to wear long-sleeved shirts and ties. In 1929, Lacoste made the cotton pique polo or tennis shirt in a loose knit, with a button-down collar that could be turned up for extra sun protection, and thankfully no tie.
Polo players had button-down collars until the late 19th century, but the Lacoste design was preferable. By the mid-1930s, most polo players wore the Lacoste design, and the polo name stuck. The modern version may or may not have a button color, is likely made of cotton, has two or three top buttons, and short sleeves.
Polo is part of the traditional sportswear for several major sports. Tennis players still wear these shirts, as do polo players and golfers. Rug players also wear a variant of this shirt.
As men’s wardrobes became less formal, the polo shirt migrated into popular culture as semi-casual wear. Ralph Lauren’s Polo brand was helpful in firmly establishing the polo style in the 1950s. These shirts have even become popular in school uniforms for private and often Catholic schools. While most private schools in the 1970s insisted that boys wear the more standard non-woven cotton button-down, many now simply require a polo shirt in the color the school wears.
In the 1980s, Lacoste brand polo shirts were, for a time, a status symbol for young men and women. Although you could certainly get less expensive polo shirts, wearing the Lacoste with its little crocodile badge on the chest was considered very fashionable. It became associated with the “Preppy” look of the 1980s.
The modern polo shirt is still considered popular both in sport and in regular dress. Men may prefer them to T-shirts as the collar makes them a bit more dressy. In addition to being made of cotton, some include silk or wool fabrics. The least expensive versions are likely to be made from a cotton/poly blend, although it may be worth paying a bit more for a 100% cotton shirt over the blended shirt because it tends to breathe better.
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