Polo shirt
The English name of POLO shirt is POLO SHIRT: it is derived from the clothing of polo sports, so it is also called polo shirt. It is a short-sleeved sports pullover, open at the neck Has placket and buttons. The texture of Polo shirts is generally 100% cotton, and the fabrics come in knitted forms such as mesh and plain weave. The Polo shirt has a long history. As one of the few classical clothing styles that can still be worn today, the Polo shirt has evolved from a specialized sportswear to the most commonly worn clothing today due to its classic style. One of the styles.
1. Origin: Jersey shirt
Polo shirt originated in the 19th century. It was originally woven from worsted wool. Because the weaving location was on the British island of Jersey, it was first called a Jersey shirt (also synonymous with a sports shirt). It was used for football, rowing and other sports. Why did this kind of sports shirt enter polo? Then it is necessary to introduce the development history of polo (Polo):
2. Shaping: British polo shirt
Polo Polo should have originated in China during the Taizong period of the Tang Dynasty, and spread to the West in the following centuries. Its name comes from India, where people play a wooden ball called pulu in Tibetan. Later, the British, as occupiers of India, brought the movement back to Great Britain.
In the Victorian era, a polo suit consisted of: white flannel trousers, a white tennis sweater (to induce sweating), and a white shirt with a neat collar (later the shirt was worn to keep the collar out) Button it up)
Later, Jersey shirts gradually replaced the old Polo shirts. The new shirts were neck-down, with folded collars or lapels, long sleeves, and 5 buttons set at the front of the collar. middle. This new shirt has long been popular in the polo field represented by Richmond Park and the British Polo Association.
3. Popularity: French Crocodile brand tennis shirt
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, due to rules, long-sleeved shirts and ties were required to play tennis. In 1926, short-sleeved sweatshirts were introduced by French tennis champion Rene Lacoste, who also invented the ball machine and metal racket. Lacoste has the nickname "Le Crocodile" (The Crocodile). This nickname may come from his attacking power on the court, or it may come from his unusually long nose. Another theory is that before a game in the United States in 1923, Lacoste He made a bet with his teammates that if he won the game, he would buy a crocodile skin suitcase he was looking at in the store. Later, he lost and did not buy the fish skin suitcase, so his teammates called him Crocodile.
Ralph Lauren is one of the most successful designers in the fashion industry. His design concepts come from life experience. Under the American spirit that Ralph Lauren adheres to, he not only spreads the essence of American leisure throughout the world, It also brings classical elegance into the design, and the simple, practical and easy-to-match Polo shirt has become a well-known classic.
Since the styles of POLO shirts are basically the same, their comfort has become the biggest purchase point. A POLO shirt should be worn close to your body and must make you feel comfortable, breathable and sweat-absorbent. Therefore, the fabric needs to be very particular.
When purchasing, check to see what kind of cotton the clothes are made of, whether the fabric has been combed and processed, and whether there are any details of hairiness. The 40-count double yarn structure is the best. It is tight, elastic and durable. Durable pearl texture, full particles, not easy to deform.
The earliest shirt Lacoste designed for himself had a small ribbed neckline and ribbed short sleeves. The body was longer so that it would not fall off easily during fierce competitions. The placket button structure of the shirt It comes from polo shirts.
The first white Crocodile shirt immediately sparked a revolution in the tennis world, replacing the traditional long-sleeved wool starched shirts commonly worn by tennis players at the time. This shirt is slightly shorter than other types of shirts at the time, with a hard collar and short sleeves. It is made of lightweight, finely woven "small plain weave single-sided felt cotton fabric". Its advantages of being comfortable to wear and strong and wear-resistant have been maintained to this day, making crocodile shirts a distinctive and unique brand.
4. Popularization: from tennis, polo, golf, sailing jerseys to mass casual sportswear
In 1926, Lacoste’s artist friend Robert George designed a crocodile emblem for him. Lacoste has its own signature on a blazer. In 1929, Lacoste decided to promote his sweatshirts under this famous trademark.
In 1933, Lacoste founded the company in cooperation with Andre Gillier, the president of France's largest knitting company at the time. The company mainly produces knitted shirts with crocodile logos originally designed by Lacoste for itself, as well as other shirts suitable for tennis, golf, and sailing sports. Lacoste was the first to put trademark logos on the outside of clothing. This approach was subsequently followed by major brands. In 1933, crocodile shirts were publicly sold in France and immediately became popular men's clothing in the 1930s. In 1952, crocodile shirts were sold to the United States, and even President Eisenhower began to wear crocodile shirts in his senior golf competitions.
Since the 1970s, crocodile shirts have become more popular. Among men, teenagers, and children, "crocodile" is a symbol of good quality. Owning a crocodile shirt is an expression of status. The way they wear it Different: the hem is pulled out; the ribbed collar is opened and raised; in the 1980s, the collar is turned down and buttoned up; women can also wear male companion clothes. The crocodile shirt is a staple style in the wardrobe of the American middle class and is also a common term for tennis shirts and polo shirts.
Rene Lacoste passed away on October 12, 1996.
Note: The above-mentioned crocodile shirt refers to French crocodile. In addition, there is also a famous brand Hong Kong crocodile.
Hong Kong crocodile, also known as "crocodile shirt", is a clothing trademark registered by Germans in Hong Kong in 1911. After Germany was defeated in 1945, the crocodile shirt brand was confiscated by the Hong Kong authorities. In 1952, the Chinese Chen family took over the crocodile brand and officially named it "Crocodile Shirt". Crocodile shirts are now part of the Lam Group family of Hong Kong Lai Sun Group. The company entered the clothing and leather goods market in mainland China in 1987 and has achieved impressive results.
Polo shirts include the following brands:
brooks brother
burberry
ben sherman
tommy
p>Abercrombie & Fitch
LACOSTE
ralph lauren
Jcrew
LOUIS KOO
Florons