Lacoste

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Since 1933, the Lacoste name has epitomized casual elegance, when Rene Lacoste designed and manufactured the famous tennis shirt with the crocodile emblem on the chest.  Rene had been nicknamed "The Crocodile"by his fans due to his tenacious spirit on the courts, so it was a logical choice of logos, one that has spanned two centuries.  Golf and sailing shirts soon became a company  offering, with colored shirts joining "tennis whites" in 1951. These were soon shipped to the US, marketed as status symbols for ardent sportsmen.  The "upper class" soon favored Lacoste shirts, which were sold at Brooks Brothers through the 1960s. Bernard Lacoste took over management in 1963, growing the brand and expanding its output to 300,000 products yearly. 

Lacoste was very popular in the 1970s, gaining more steam in the 1980s with the "preppy" movement and being featured in Lisa Birnbach's "The Official Preppy Handbook" as a preppy wardrobe staple.  Product development soon grew to include tennis shorts, sunglasses and prescription glasses, as well as tennis and deck shoes.

The brand names Izod and Lacoste were thought of as an inseparable unit at this time since Izod owned licensing rights in the US. This arrangement ended in 1993 when Lacoste took back exclusive rights.  Many polo shirts entered the picture at this time, including Le Tigre, and various embroidered animals showed up on the left chest of consumers, with varying degrees of success. 

Famous golfers have been sporting Lacoste shirts at The Masters Tournaments, and at least one Olympic gold medalist has been spied wearing one.

Lacoste launched their first e-commerce site in the US in 2007, and is available in high-end shops all over the world.  HisRoom is proud to carry this legendary name, with a host of classic styles such as woven cotton shirts, pique knit polo shirts, Henley shirts and fine quality cotton t-shirts. Visit our Lacoste offerings frequently to see our updates.