subject: Sporting History Of The Polo Shirt [print this page] Polo shirts are one of the most popular garments worn by both genders but are more popular among men. They can also be referred to as golf or tennis shirts. As you can see all three names refer to some type of sport which suggests the shirt is quite casual and loose fitting. This is exactly what it is! These types of clothing are often made from the same kind of knitted cloth material or pique cotton as these are more durable materials and styles of knitting or sewing.
Polo and tennis together as sports had different stories of how the shirts came about but are both to be thanked for the creation that we have today. In the 19th and 20th century tennis players would only wear snow white clothing. They would all consist of the same types of clothing and it was made from quite a sturdy material, not completely practical when running about and energetically playing tennis. This is where Lacoste became renowned for their variety of shirts. Rene Lacoste, a skilled and well known tennis player decided that they were too uncomfortable so he designed a new style of shirt. He first wore it in 1926 and decided to add the popular crocodile logo that we recognise the brand for today, in 1927. He was nicknamed the crocodile by the American press so this is where his inspiration for the logo came.
Before Lactose"s mass marketing began which was around 1933, polo players wore a similar kind of shirt already. This was made from thicker material like the early tennis clothing so polo players adopted this style for their sport. Although polo shirts were originally called this because of the long sleeved, buttoned shirt the players used to wear, it is now the world wide known name for the tennis shirt design.
Common features of this type of attire include short sleeves that are cuffed; they stop a few inches above the bend of the elbow so still cover the majority of the upper arm. Having them this length meant it stopped the impracticality of long sleeves falling down after players had rolled them up. They also feature a collar with buttons so you can adjust to suit your style or for practical reasons of comfort. Classic designs for sport also have a "tennis tail" were they have more material at the back to stop the shirt from falling out of the wearers" trousers or shorts.
