Men’s Lacoste Clothing

Lacoste Clothing was founded by Rene Lacoste, a French tennis champion of the 1930s whose nickname “The Crocodile”, is immortalized in the brand’s iconic embroidered logo. Best known for its instantly recognizable polo shirts, Lacoste now produces a full line of men’s clothing including shirts, jeans, knitwear, suiting and accessories. |

History of Lacoste

In 1929 tennis star, inventor and entrepreneur Rene Lacoste introduced a shirt he had created from “jersey petit pique” fabric, designed to be breathable and comfortable on hot tennis courts. His new style, complete with its embroidered crocodile, replaced the long sleeved starched shirts worn by tennis players in the 1930s, and men’s sportswear has never been the same since.
In 1933 Rene joined with French textile mogul Andre Gillier to found “La Société Chemise Lacoste”. The original tennis shirt design remained while the company expanded into golf and sailing markets. Lacoste’s colour range didn’t veer away from classic white until 1951, after which the colourful shirts were exported to the United States to be marketed as upper class, sophisticated sportswear. The Lacoste brand’s influence on fashion was immediate and lasting.
During the 1950s, Lacoste collaborated with “Izod” to produce clothing under the brand name “Izod Lacoste”. Their shirts were extremely popular during the 1970s and 1980s, but the enterprise ended due to financial difficulties in Izod’s parent company. Since that time, Lacoste has reclaimed its brand by sticking to what it knows best – comfortable, classic and stylish sportswear with a focus on tennis and golf styles. Lacoste has remained synonymous with the sporty Lacoste family – Rene Lacoste’s wife Simone and daughter Catherine were both golf champions. A new generation of sports icons act as ambassadors for the brand, including Andy Roddick, Lorena Ochoa and Jose-Maria Olezabal, while Lacoste also sponsors major tennis and golf events.

The company is still owned by the Lacoste family and has never swayed from the company’s signature styles and founding principles. This is exemplified in the iconic polo shirt designed in 1929 by Rene Lacoste and still produced virtually unchanged today. Lacoste Today
In 2000, Lacoste refreshed its brand with the arrival of French designer Christophe Lemaire as its Artistic Director. While remaining authentic to Lacoste’s classic men’s sportswear roots, Lemaire has reinvented the brand in a modern context. His elegant but functional menswear designs include the classic polo shirts in addition to jeans, knitwear, and accessories in a modern palette of muted pastels. Lacoste’s 2009 collection is a new take on “easy-chic”, offering sophisticated sportswear designed with the active and fashion-conscious man in mind.
For 75 years Lacoste has produced men’s clothing that is smart and comfortable and just as stylish off the tennis courts and golf courses.

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