Mens Snag Resistant Polo Shirt

The polo shirt is one of the most fundamental pieces of menswear.

With beginnings on polo fields of the mid-19th century, the polo shirt has evolved from a formal piece of sports uniform to a ubiquitous, preppy sportswear classic. Like most garments, the design of the modern day polo shirt was spawned from utilitarian needs that trickled into mainstream fashion with the help of society’s most respected individuals.

But how did the polo shirt come to be?

Ironically, the polo shirt we know today was born from a completely different sport—tennis. Like polo, tennis ‘whites’ in the early 1900s featured a long-sleeved button-down shirt. Looking to improve the practicality of this design was French tennis star, Jean René Lacoste. Nicknamed ‘le Crocodile’ due to his agility and shot power, Lacoste won seven Grand Slam titles, making him one of the most sensational sportsmen of his era.

While most tennis stars wore a button-down shirt and tie, Lacoste went against the grain and introduced his own short sleeved,
three button shirt, made from a lightweight, breathable pique cotton that improved freedom of movement on the court.
Proud of his reptilian moniker, Lacoste had a crocodile embroidered onto the left breast of his tennis shirt, a piece that
surprised spectators as he smashed his way to consecutive U.S. Open wins in 1926 and 1927.
The first of its kind, Lacoste’s tennis shirt was the blueprint for the modern day polo shirt.