The History of the Polo Shirt
Nowadays, the polo shirt is a highly common piece of quality clothing, worn as part of an outfit for both smart and casual occasions. This comfortable attire, which is now popular amongst both men and women, has become an iconic piece of clothing. Here, one of the UK’s leading designer of polo shirts Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.com) takes a look at the history of this classic shirt.
The polo shirt dates back to the 19th/20th Century when tennis players wore uncomfortable long, buttoned up shirts to play the sport. In response to the grievances from players, Rene Lacoste, the French 7-time Grand Slam tennis champion designed a new quality t-shirt as a remedy for the problem. This comfortable clothing was originally white, short-sleeved and loosely fitting, with a protruding collar and made of pique cotton. Rene Lacoste initially wore his new creation at the 1926 US Open Championship.
Rene Lacoste later retired from his profession and went on to form a partnership with clothing merchandiser, Andre Gillier. The duo formed the label, Chemise Lacoste and started to sell the classic polo shirts in Europe and North America. The shirts would be embroidered with the now famous crocodile logo on the left breast.
Since its introduction, the polo shirt has continued to grow in popularity as part of British menswear, and is now worn in a variety of sports, including polo and golf. The name of the shirt started as a tennis shirt, due to the reason for its creation, but this name later changed to polo shirt, as it branched out into other sports. It is now a standard piece of clothing worn in golf, and has developed from the plain white colour to a wide range of patterns, colours and styles.
The quality polo shirt was introduced as part of designer Ralph Lauren’s Polo Collection in 1972 and became a huge success the world over. It is now a popular piece of clothing for everyday wear, which can be adapted to suit both a smart and casual look.
Sunspel also has an integral part to play in the history of the polo shirt. This classic staple has been part of its quality heritage clothing brand since the Fifties and the brand is responsible for making it as much of a British classic as it is a European and American one. After all, who is more quintessentially British than James Bond? When Daniel Craig played 007 in the cinema he wore the Sunspel Riviera Polo Shirt in Navy, a design based on the original 1950s Sunspel polo shirt which was made to be worn in the heat of the Italian Riviera.
Today’s collection of Sunspel polo shirts features a wide selection of colours and styles to suit just about anyone – from iconic spies to the man on the street. To view the complete Sunspel range of polo shirts and other luxury clothing, go to http://www.sunspel.com.
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