Lacoste Celebration

April 10th, 2008

Lacoste enjoys its 75th birthday this year. Founded by French tennis legend Rene Lacoste in 1933, it is still a family firm, the current Director is Philippe, grandson of Rene. The alligator logo, seen on all Lacoste products but most famously on their polo shirts, arises from Rene’s career as a professional tennis player. He was nicknamed The Alligator by the American press, after making a bet with the captain of the French Davis Cup Team in which he promised to buy the man a suitcase made from alligator skin if he won an important match for their team.

Lacoste was world number one seed in 1926 and 1927, and won seven Grand Slam singles. But it was in 1933 that his name became a legend. He set up La Societie Chemise Lacoste (The Lacoste Shirt Company), to produce shirts for him to wear on court – he specified that the shirt should be soft, not stiff, short sleeved not long sleeved, and have a floppy collar – the opposite of the tennis shirts being worn by his contemporaries, and it bore his trademark alligator (often mis-described as a crocodile!). It was such a successful product that it became the standard tennis wear for over fifty years.

Tennis shirt courtesy of Bludgeoner86

Bookmark to:

Entry Filed under: Fashion history, Polo Shirts, casual wear, famous clothing, mens clothing