Men's fashion has long taken inspiration from the world of sport adopting both the brands and the types of the clothing itself. None more so than the men's designer polo shirt, this shirt has come to symbolize smart casual wear for generations of men and has made its way into the mainstream of society from a carefully designed piece of sports wear. Rene Lacoste was a world class tennis player who found the shirts that the players were required to wear to be burdensome and he decided to design a shirt that would not impede his tennis.Players traditionally wore long sleeved shirts that they would roll the sleeves up to above their elbow but they often came down during play which caused irritation and got in the way of their play. That is why Lacoste designed his shirts with short sleeves, he also designed the shirt to have a longer length at the back so that it did come out of his trousers whilst he was playing. He added the crocodile logo to the top left hand section of the shirt after his nickname on the court.
The Development of the Polo Shirt
When Ralph Lauren designed the Polo Ralph Lauren range he made the polo shirt one of his main items in the collection, even mirroring the style of Lacoste in having a logo on the top left hand side, this time a polo player, cementing the connection between the two forever. Ralph Lauren's line of polo shirts has become a symbol of men's wear and the male fashion industry the world over.
Polo shirts were adopted by polo players for similar reasons as the tennis players, because they were less invasive whilst playing and the material offered some breathability which is an important part of any type of sports wear.
The other main sport that has an association with the polo shirt is golf, it has become the most common item of clothing worn on the professional golf tour. This is because of their comfort and the breathable fabric they are made from make them ideal for the hot weather and to wear all day long.
Its popularity has meant that many of the top golfing labels have picked up the design and created their own shirts often with a logo similar in style to Lacoste's first men's designer Polo shirt. The Scottish golfing brand Lyle and Scott have been making exclusive knitwear for over 130 years, as part of their rebranding to interest a younger audience they launched their own polo shirt with eagle logo. The popularity of the Lyle and Scott polos can be seen in many areas of men's fashion with many celebrities choosing to wear them, which has in turn increased their status and reputation.
Men's designer polo shirts are still an extremely popular item of clothing because of their comfort and versatility they can be both smart and casual clothing.
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