From tennis, polo, golf, sailing jerseys to mass casual sportswear.
In 1926, Lacoste’s artist friend Robert George designed the crocodile emblem for him. Lacoste has his own mark on a sports jacket. In 1929, Lacoste decided to promote his sweatshirts under this famous brand.
In 1933, Lacoste co-founded the company with André Gillie, the president of the largest knitting company in France at the time. The company mainly produces knitted shirts with the crocodile logo that Lacoste originally designed for itself. And some other shirts suitable for tennis, golf, and sailing.
Lacoste pioneered the placement of trademark signs on the exterior of clothing. This approach was subsequently followed by major brands. In 1933, the crocodile shirt was publicly sold in France and immediately became a popular men’s clothing in the 1930s. The crocodile shirt was sold to the United States in 1952, and even President Eisenhower began to wear crocodile shirts in his senior golf games.
Since the 1970s, crocodile shirts have become more popular. Among men, teenagers, and children, “crocodile” is a sign of good quality, and possession of a crocodile shirt is a sign of identity. They dress in different ways: the hem is pulled out; the ribbed collar is opened and stood up. In the 1980s, the collar was turned down again and the buttons were buttoned up. Women can also wear male companion costumes. Crocodile shirt is the main style in the American middle-class wardrobe, and it is also a common term for tennis shirts and polo shirts (Polo shirts).
Rene Lacoste passed away on October 12, 1996.
