Lacoste
Polo Shirt Greets the US in 1951
The Lacoste polo shirt was first marketed in France in 1933 at a time when the
polo shirt was well and truly entrenched in US fashion. The Lacoste polo shirt
was not marketed in the US until 1951. The notable difference between the
Lacoste shirt and the general polo shirt was the longer tail of the Lacoste.
Lacoste
claims to be the inventor of the polo shirt and the first to incorporate the
use of a logo on their shirts. Through research you will see that both
of these claims are inaccurate and incorrect. To claim or imply that Lacoste was somehow the inventor of the polo shirt is
insane and absurd.
Many web sites that write about the Lacoste polo shirt just
repeat the information provided on the Lacoste web site. However, we decided to
do our own research and guess what?
We have researched hundreds of newspaper archives and magazines
and found inaccuracies, omissions and massaged facts on the Lacoste polo shirt
on the Lacoste web site. Much the same can be said about Wikipedia.
Let's
Call It the Lacoste Polo Shirt
Through out this site for the purpose and ease of reporting we have, in most
cases, referred to the Lacoste shirt as the Lacoste polo shirt. The Lacoste web
site does not refer to it as a polo shirt but on one occasion does state “ Lacoste offers women's
polo shirts, men's polo shirts and children's polo shirts.” In fact
right throughout the history of the Lacoste shirt, Lacoste virtually never
referred to it as a polo shirt. Lacoste referred to it as a golf shirt of a tennis shirt which makes
it all the more interesting that Lacoste should now claim to be the inventor of the polo shirt.
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1926 – This was the first and only record, prior to his wearing
of his crocodile embroidered jacket, of Lacoste being referred to as the
‘Crocodile of the courts’ and it was in the Pennsylvania Newcastle News, March
3, 1926.
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1927 – Photo of Rene Lacoste on the Lacoste web site wearing a jacket
with a crocodile as the logo. It states that the photo was taken in 1927.
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1933 – Rene Lacoste and Andre Gillier join forces in France and produce
the Lacoste tennis shirt with the crocodile logo and give birth to La
Chemise Lacoste. The Lacoste web site suggests that they were the first to
put a brand on the exterior of an item of clothing, however, research tells
us that this is incorrect.
Lewis Lacey in 1920 opened a sports store in Buenos Aires
selling the ‘new style polo shirts’ with the logo of a polo player astride a
pony. This is most likely the first time a logo had been used commercially.
It confirms the commercial use of a logo 13 years prior to
Lacoste. Many web sites contribute the first commercial use of the logo to the
Lacoste polo shirt in 1933 (see above paragraph), guess they got it from the Lacoste web site.
1940
– 1946 - No Production of Lacoste Polo Shirts
Due to The War.
The war is over and in:-
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1946 – Production of the Lacoste polo shirt recommences in France.
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1951 – In September 1986, Economy and Business publish details
that Lacoste did not market into the US until 1951 which my research
supports. David Crystal Inc., was given the license. It was marketed under
the name of English tailor Jack Izod. Interesting though that the Lacoste
web site omit these details.
The official site makes note that Lacoste commenced export to the
US in 1952. Interesting to note that Lacoste make no mention what so ever of
the connection
with David Crystal, Jack Izod or the manager of David Crystal, a Mr.
Vincient De Paul Bradoy whom you will read more about later.
It is incorrectly reported in some sites, that in the same year (1952)
the Lacoste polo shirt was the first to introduce a range of colours
for the polo shirt. The polo shirt was available in a range of colours as far
back as the late 1920's. (Please
see polo shirt history).
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1966 – Signing of a clothing manufacturing agreement in the US.
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1970 – The following advertisement appeared in the Charleston Gazette
dated June 4. The ad was for GOLF shirts by Lacoste from Izod and read in
part “Our status GOLF SHIRT, designed by Rene Lacoste is equally at home
on the TENNIS courts or patio.
Specially designed with long tail….” What makes this so interesting is
the long tail, a definite “tennis” attribute yet it’s advertised as
their status golf shirt. It also confirms the involvement of Izod (which, as
mentioned above, is omitted
from the Lacoste web site)
Lacoste ads in the US during the period 1952 to 1970 refer
to the Golf shirt first and Tennis shirt second. No ads were located
advertising the Lacoste POLO SHIRT.
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1982 – Signing of a manufacturing and distribution license in
Australia.
Lacoste
Reclaims Control of His Beloved Polo Shirt
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1992 – With the help of the world wide manufacturer, Devanlay S.A., the
Lacoste Group resumed control over the Lacoste Brand in the US, Canada and
the Caribbean.
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2000 – July 1, La Chemise Lacoste extends the world wide clothing
license to Devanlay S.A. until 2025.
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2001 – Christopher Lemaire, a new appointment at Lacoste introduces a
limited edition black Lacoste polo shirt with a silver crocodile.
Who
Do You Believe
The Crocodile or The President?
From the official Lacoste Web site:
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Quote
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The true story of the Crocodile begins in 1927. René Lacoste liked to
recount how his nickname became an emblem recognized throughout the world.
"I was nicknamed "the Alligator" by the American press, after
I made a bet with the Captain of the French Davis Cup Team concerning a
suitcase made from alligator skin. He promised to buy it for me if I won a
very important match for our team. The public must have been fond of this
nickname which conveyed the tenacity I displayed on the tennis courts, never
letting go of my prey!
"So my friend Robert George drew a 'crocodile' which I then had
embroidered on the blazer I wore on the courts"
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Un Quote
From The Oneonta, August 14, 1969 – Interview with Vincient De Paul Bradoy
president of David Crystal Inc., the company licensed to make Lacoste Apparel
in The US:
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Quote
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"Lacoste was in Boston for a tournament, he walked past a pet shop
and saw a crocodile in the window. He was so fascinated he almost missed the
match. When he told his friends the reason (he was late for the tournament)
they started calling him Crocodile and his friend (Robert) George made a
crocodile for his jacket. The symbol was born."
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Un Quote
The
Logical Answer
 One
should accept the official version of events, simply because it’s the OFFICIAL
version. But I’m not so sure. I ask myself the question. Why would Vincent De
Paul Bradoy make up such a story and risk his personal relationship and his
company’s relationship with Lacoste?
Why would he make up such a story full stop?
This gentleman was the president (at the time of making the
statement) of the company that made the Lacoste polo shirt and other Lacoste
apparel for the US market.
Let’s look at the official version.
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‘I was nicknamed "the Alligator" by the American press,
etc’
Between 1924 and 1930, out of 3,798 articles written about
Lacoste by the US press, only 3 articles refer to him as ‘The crocodile’. In
addition to the one in 1926 (see
above) there are two very brief articles in 1929. In fact we also found reference to
Lacoste as the French Sphinx on one occasion.
During the period 1930 to 1933 we found one article published by
United Press Staff Correspondent, which tells us that “The alligator is the
pet name French tennis fans have for Rene Lacoste.’ No reference to the
crocodile could be located for this period.
Three of the four articles we found were written after Lacoste wore the jacket
with a crocodile embroidered on the left hand site pocket in 1927. In any case
4 articles in 9 years is hardly supporting evidence that the US press
nicknamed him ‘The Crocodile’ or ‘The Alligator’.
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“the tenacity I displayed on the courts, never letting go of my
prey”.
Sounds a bit fanciful to me. So, where did this come from?
Experience tells me that Lacoste’s marketing people took
control and invented the whole suitcase story. Why? Answer - Marketing. That’s
why.
The story of the suitcase and in particular the “never letting
go of my prey” is far more romantic than a story about Lacoste risking the
result of a very important tennis match because he couldn’t drag himself out
of some pet shop.
More akin to the story of a young boy than an accomplished
Tennis Great.
 And
the above explanation of how ‘The Crocodile’ name came to be, as delivered
by Vincient De Paul Bradoy in his interview with ‘The Oneonta’, may explain
why no mention of him or his company David Crystal Inc., are made in the Lacoste
site. If David Crystal Inc., is not accredited by Lacoste then Lacoste can claim
that Bradoy and his story have no credibility.
Some web sites tell us about the brilliance of the invention and
marketing of the Lacoste polo shirt as though it was well planned and executed.
Yet research shows that he was so confident with his Lacoste polo shirt that he
actually marketed it as a “GOLF shirt” up until the early 1970’s.
Lacoste
Copied The Polo Shirt
Web Sites Copy The Story
There must be over 100 web sites that follow the line of Lacoste inventing the
polo shirt in 1933, the shirt they claim is the forerunner to the modern day
polo shirt.
Lacoste won two US open tennis titles at Forrest Hills in 1926
and 1927 respectively and spent a lot of time in the US studying besides playing
tennis. So it is difficult to imagine that he did not become intimately involved
with the ‘new line polo shirts’ which were already popular in the US prior
to 1926.
Any suggestion that he invented the ‘polo shirt’ is absurd.
Copied - YES. Invented - definitely NOT.
We have consciously omitted details about the great achievements
of Rene Lacoste as a champion tennis player because this page is about the
history of the Lacoste polo shirt and the famous Lacoste logo and not about
Lacoste the man. Although in some instances the two merge or are at least a bit
clouded.
For our research we have referred to NewspaperARCHIVES.com and
it’s 62.1 million pages of newspaper content, Google News Archive Search and
some others.
To research is far greater then to copy.
Return to polo shirt history.
Go
from Lacoste polo shirt to Pepperlibido-tshirts-and-tops.com.au home page.
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