The wardrobe essential that came from sports
No matter how much we would like that the only essential menswear would be a suit, it’s not the case in real life. Although it IS the best option and one that every gentleman should have. And multiply. A lot.
At this time, however, we’re are not discussing suits. We looked into the wardrobe a bit further and found another quite essential basic that a proper gentleman should have. A polo shirt. The one thing that is so needed during the hot summer days when you still need to look proper (read: you are in town, working).
You probably think you know everything about a polo shirt. It’s a piece of menswear that clearly was developed as a uniform for polo players. Right? Well, wrong. Don’t let yourself be fooled about the name. As a matter of fact, polo shirts were first used in tennis! The original tennis uniforms were very uncomfortable. We’re talking long sleeved white dress shirts with sleeves rolled up, and paired with dress trousers and usually a tie too. These were called the tennis whites. For running and swinging a tennis racket, it all was too much. Still, nobody said anything because fashion won over functionality and everyone accepted it. Except tennis star and seven-time Grand Slam champion Jean René Lacoste. Tired of the impracticality of tennis whites, he developed the very first polo shirt. Instead of a stiffer woven fabric, he favoured a knit pique that stretched and moved with the player, with an extended back tail to stay tucked in (today known as a tennis tail). Instead of a button-down collar and full placket, he opted for an unstarched ribbed collar that could be flipped up to protect the neck from the sun. He also ditched the long sleeves for short. This allowed a player a fuller range movement. He wore the shirt first at the 1926 U.S. Open championship.
The design was immediately popular! And it didn’t go unnoticed for him. He then started a business and launched “The Lacoste Shirt Company”. In 1927, Lacoste placed a crocodile emblem on the left breast of his shirts. The now famous crocodile logo came from the nickname the American press had given to Lacoste – “The Crocodile”.
It didn’t remain a tennis shirt for too long. As a comfortable option for elegant sport games other sportsmen took note and began to abandon their own stuffier choices for ore sensible designs. And the polo players were caught on quick. And for some reason the term “polo shirt” just stuck more than “tennis shirt”. Even tennis players were calling it by that name.
In the mid 1900s golfers also picked up that style for the same reason as other sportsmen. It became a standard uniform for golf but the nickname polo shirt still remained.
Today, the polo shirt has come a long way and it’s not just a sports ensemble anymore. Quite the opposite – it has been adapted to everyday use. The usual polo shirt is more casual option but there are luxe choices as well. Choose versions with merino wool or other finer knits for a elegant look. It’s the perfect companion for summer time, and pair it with chino shorts or jeans for a dressed down look or under a blazer for a more formal look.
For further informations or any additional questions on how to style the legendary polo shirt, just contact your highly trained LGFG clothier and (s)he will help you out:www.lgfgfashionhouse.com/contact-lgfg/
