Detailed
History Of The Polo Shirt
This history of the polo shirt page shows details and dates in support of our polo shirt page and Lacoste polo shirt history page.
May we suggest that you read either one or both of them, depending on your level
interest, prior to reading this page.
This page is more or less a reference page for both of the above mentioned pages.
Records found in newspaper archives, do not support the history of the polo
shirt according to the Lacoste web site and repeated by literally hundreds of
other web sites including Wikipedia.
One can find a reason, although not acceptable, for Lacoste to
publish misinformation about the history of the polo shirt. Perhaps it was ego,
perhaps it was thought to be good marketing or perhaps they just like blowing
smoke up their own you know what.
But we all know that big business and politicians generally
massage the facts to suit themselves. Hence you tread on soft ground if you are
not prepared to do your own research on articles that they publish about themselves.
And a web site that just copies what it finds on another
site, without confirming the facts, has absolutely no credibility or at least
its editor has no credibility what so ever.
The actual history of the polo shirt as detailed in our polo
shirt history page and Lacoste polo shirt page is supported by the following events
that we discovered in old newspaper archives.
Research
is Key to History of the Polo Shirt
Research shows that "new line polo's" were first advertised in August
1887.
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1887 – August, ads appear in The News, Fredrick Maryland, for
polo shirts “Just the thing for hot weather, new line polo's”.
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1893 – From the Magazine, Economy & Business September 1,
1986 - the new version of the polo made it’s debut in 1893 when worn by
players from the Hurlingham Polo Club near Buenos Aires. If this is correct
then the polo shirt becomes the first bona fide sports shirt.
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1920 – Lewis Lacey opens a sports store in
Buenos Aires selling the new style polo shirts with the logo of a
polo player astride a pony. Most likely the first time a logo has been used
commercially. This information was taken from Time Magazine September 1986.
(Ralph Lauren introduces a polo shirt in 1972 with depicts a polo player
from a different angle).
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1925 – Newspaper Article: “The polo shirt forms part of the uniform
among English sports women, golf, motoring, hiking and shooting. This photo of a young woman wearing a (modern day) polo shirt
accompanied the article.
”
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1929 –Newspaper article: Polo shirts are fashion among
“Broadway”.
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1929 – Boy’s polo's are advertised among normal street wear and not
among sports wear.
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1929 – July, The Fresno Bee: An article refers to the one in ten
thousand man who dresses sensibly during a heat wave in “shorts, a polo
shirt and sandals”.
More
History of the Polo Shirt - Dates
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1930 – Going by the sketch (advertisement) in the Appleton Post
Crescent the polo shirt has a place in women’s fashion. The image is of a
young woman wearing a tweed skirt, polo shirt made of white jersey and hat
for a casual outing. the image is titled "The Polo Shirt and the
Indispensable Sweater". If you look at the sketch you will see that it
resembles the modern day polo shirt - no doubt about it.
Sceptics claim that the polo shirt referred to in these
early years was entirely different to the modern day polo shirt and I believe
this sketch and the photo above refutes their claim absolutely.
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1930 – The Morning Star October 17, Article by O O McIntyre:
“The polo shirt becomes a democratic bit of wearing apparel. Originally it
marked the Fop but today graces the Tough Mug and International Banker. They
are seen at Newport and Coney Island on Park Avenue and Avenue A and priced
from one dollar to $42. Wow! In 1930 $42 was a lot of money. New York saw the polo shirt first on Vernon Castle.”
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1930 – Advertisement: Men’s polo shirts available in short sleeve
rayon “just in time for those warmer days”.
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1933 – Rene Lacoste and Andre Gillier join forces and produce Lacoste
polo shirts.
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1936 – The twin set polo shirt inspired by Fredric March and David Holt
looked like a sweater over a shirt but it was a one piece polo shirt. They
claimed it was worm by Hollywood Stars on set and at play.
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1951 – In September 1986, Time Magazine publishes details (See
commentary on the polo
shirt history page).
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1954 – It was about this time when personalities such as the Duke of
Windsor, Sam Sneed, Dan Tapping and Ben Hagan began wearing the Lacoste polo
shirt and it’s popularity began to grow.
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1960 – A fishnet version of the polo shirt was introduced during this
decade. It received minor acclaim but no big fish (excuse the pun).
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1968 – Esprit releases their polo shirt.
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1969 – The Oneonta, August – Interview with Vincient De Paul
Bradoy president of David Crystal Inc. (see Lacoste polo shirt page).
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1970 – Up until now all the ads for Lacoste are for “GOLF or tennis
shirts”, giving the impression that the emphasis is on GOLF.
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1970 – The following advertisement appeared in the Charleston Gazette
dated June 4 (see commentary on the polo
shirt history page).
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1970 - The Preppy
look is kind to polo shirt
manufacturers again, with it’s popularity continuing through much of this
decade. One of the most popular “must have” polo’s is by Esprit.
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1986 – Time Magazine September, reports that Ralph Lauren
discovers a Buenos Aires haberdasher, Alberto Vannucci selling polo shirts
with a polo player logo. Ralph Lauren accuses him of copying his trademark.
Although Vannucci pointed out that it was the logo designed by Lewis
Lacey in 1920,
Ralph Lauren filed suit in the Buenos Aires Court charging Vannucci with
trade mark similarities. These blokes have gall.
This confirms the commercial use of a logo 13 years prior to Lacoste.
Many web sites contribute the first commercial use of the logo to Lacoste in
1933.
The above information supports the pepperlibido tshirts-and-tops commentary
on polo shirt history. Also of interest is the history of the Lacoste polo shirt.
Return to polo shirt history page.
Go to Pepperlibido tshirts and tops home page.
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