Polo shirt outline

A polo shirt, also known as a golf shirt and tennis shirt, is a T-shaped shirt with a collar, typically a two- or three-button placket, and an optional pocket. Polo shirts are usually made of knitted cloth (rather than woven cloth), usually piqué cotton or, less commonly, silk, merino wool, or synthetic fibers.

History[link]

History of the tennis shirt[link]

A Lacoste tennis shirt

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, tennis players ordinarily wore "tennis whites" consisting of long-sleeved white button-up shirts (worn with the sleeves rolled up), flannel trousers, and ties.^[1][2][3] This attire presented problems for ease of play and comfort.^[2]

René Lacoste, the French 7-time Grand Slam tennis champion, decided that the stiff tennis attire was too cumbersome and uncomfortable.^[2] He designed a white, short-sleeved, loosely-knit piqué cotton (he called the cotton weave jersey petit piqué) shirt with an unstarched, flat, protruding collar, a buttoned placket, and a longer shirt-tail in back than in front (known today as a "tennis tail"; see below), which he first wore at the 1926 U.S. Open championship.^[1][2][3][4] Beginning in 1927, Lacoste placed a crocodile emblem on the left breast of his shirts, as the American press had begun to refer to him as "The Crocodile",^[5][6] a nickname which he embraced.^[1][2][3]

Lacoste's design mitigated the problems that traditional tennis attire created:^[1][3][4]

• the short, cuffed sleeves solved the tendency of long sleeves to roll down
• the soft collar could be loosened easily by unbuttoning the placket
• the piqué collar could be worn upturned to block the sun from the neck
• the jersey knit piqué cotton breathed.
• the "tennis tail" prevented the shirt from pulling out of the wearer's trousers or shorts

In 1933, after retiring from professional tennis, Lacoste teamed up with André Gillier, a friend who was a clothing merchandiser, to market that shirt in Europe and North America.^[1][2][4] Together, they formed the company Chemise Lacoste, and began selling their shirts, which included the small embroidered crocodile logo on the left breast.^[1][2]

Application to polo and other sports[link]

Polo players Paul Barry, Vichai Raksriaksorn, Adolfo Cambiaso, Martin Valent with fellow player Prince William (center), wearing polo shirts as part of their uniform.

Before Lacoste’s 1933 mass-marketing of his tennis shirt, polo players wore thick long-sleeve shirts made of Oxford-cloth cotton.^[7] This shirt was the first to have a buttoned-down collar, which polo players invented in the late 19th century to keep their collars from flapping in the wind (Brooks Brothers's early president, John Brooks, noticed this while at a polo match in England and began producing such a shirt in 1896).^[7][8] Brooks Brothers still produces this style of button-down "polo shirt".^[7] Still, like early tennis clothing, those clothes presented a discomfort on the field, and when polo players became aware of Lacoste’s invention in the 1930s they readily adopted it for use in polo.

In 1920, Lewis Lacey, a Canadian born of English parents in Montreal, Quebec in 1887, haberdasher and polo player, began producing a shirt that was embroidered with the logo of a polo player, a design originated at the Hurlingham Polo Club near Buenos Aires.^[9] The term polo shirt, which previously had referred only to the long-sleeved buttoned-down shirts traditionally used in polo, soon became a universal moniker for the tennis shirt; no later than the 1950s, it was in common usage in the U.S. to describe the shirt most commonly thought of as part of formal tennis attire. Indeed, tennis players often would refer to their shirt as a "polo shirt," notwithstanding the fact that their sport had used it before polo did.

In 1972, Ralph Lauren included his "polo shirt" as a prominent part of his original line called Polo, thereby probably helping to further its already widespread popularity.^[10] While not specifically geared for use by polo players, Lauren’s shirt imitated what by that time had become the normal attire for polo players. As he desired to exude a certain "WASPishness" in his clothes, initially adopting the style of clothiers like Brooks Brothers, J. Press, and "Savile Row"–style English clothing, he prominently included this attire from the "sport of kings" in his line, replete with a logo reminiscent of Lacoste’s crocodile emblem, depicting a polo player and pony. This worked well as a marketing tool, for subsequently, due to the immense popularity of Lauren’s clothing, a majority of English-speaking westerners began to refer to Lacoste’s tennis shirt as a "polo shirt".^[11] Still, "tennis shirt" remains a viable term for all uses of Lacoste’s basic design.

Golf[link]

Over the latter half of the 20th century, as standard clothing in golf became more casual, the tennis shirt became adopted nearly universally as standard golf attire.^[1] Many golf courses and country clubs even require players to wear polo shirts as a part of their dress code.^[12][13] Moreover, producing Lacoste’s "tennis shirt" in various golf cuts has resulted in specific designs of the tennis shirt for golf, resulting in the moniker "golf shirt". Golf shirts are commonly made out of polyester, cotton and polyester blends, or mercerized cotton. The placket typically holds three or four buttons, and consequently extends lower than the typical polo neckline. The collar is typically fabricated using a stitched double-layer of the same fabric used to make the shirt, in contrast to a polo shirt collar, which is usually one-ply ribbed knit cotton. Golf shirts often have a pocket on the left side, to hold a scorepad and pencil, and may not bear a logo there.

Other uses[link]

Since 1933, the tennis shirt has become so popular that it has become one of the standard categories of clothing. Virtually every major clothier makes some version or variation of Lacoste's tennis shirt. It is today worn by both men and women in numerous non-athletic contexts.

Notably, tennis shirts are worn by many semi-professional and retail workers in settings where T-shirts are not acceptable, but formal business attire is not required. In contemporary Western fashion, tennis shirts are considered more casual than woven button-front shirts while still being slightly dressy.

It is also a favored shirt for those working outside, such as groundskeepers and maintenance workers, due to its ruggedness and style. During the 1990s, the tennis shirt became the standard informal business attire for the high-tech industry and then spread to other industries (see business casual). A form of tennis shirt (often prominently branded with the company name and logo) is a common element of a uniform for retail companies.

In many schools that require students to wear uniforms, especially junior schools, tennis shirts are part of a compulsory uniform for both boys and girls.

The tennis shirt continues to have wide use in athletics, including non-athletes associated with sports in their employment, such as caddies and sports announcers.

Over the years the polo shirt has become a favorite giveaway in many corporate events.

Thus the polo shirt has become a fashion style that can be worn with both jeans and slacks.^{[citation needed]}

See also[link]

• Fred Perry
• Lacoste
• Rugby shirt
• Sportswear
• T-shirt

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Polo shirts

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Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren in his office 1979 by Edgar de Evia
Born	Ralph Lifshitz (1939-10-14) October 14, 1939 (age 72) Bronx, New York
Nationality	American
Education	Baruch College, City University of New York
Occupation	Fashion designer
Spouse	Ricky Anne Low-Beer (1964-present)
Children	3
Awards	Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur
Labels	Polo Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren (born Ralph Lifshitz, October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.

Early life[link]

Ralph Lauren was born Ralph Lifshitz in the Bronx, New York, to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants, from Pinsk, Belarus:^[1] Fraydl (née Kotlar) and Frank Lifshitz, a house painter.^[2]

Ralph attended the Salanter Academy Jewish Day School followed by MTA (now known as the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy), before eventually graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1957.^[3][4] In MTA Lauren was known by his classmates for selling ties to his fellow students. In a moment of spontaneity, when asked what he wanted to do in^[5] his Clinton yearbook he stated under his picture that he wanted to be a millionaire.^[6] During the summer, Ralph attended Camp Roosevelt (Monticello).^[7]

At the age of 16, Ralph's brother Jerry (who was his guardian) changed their last name to Lauren to avoid the unfortunate obscenity reference Lifshitz has in English (although Ralph's brother Lenny retained the name). Apparently Ralph was teased about it in school.^[8] “My given name has the word shit in it,” he told Oprah Winfrey. “When I was a kid, the other kids would make a lot of fun of me. It was a tough name. That's why I decided to change it. Then people said, "Did you change your name because you don't want to be Jewish?" I said, "Absolutely not. That's not what it's about. My cousins who lived in California had changed their last name to Lawrence. So I just thought, "I'm going to pick a nice last name"—it wasn't particularly connected to anything or anyone."^[9]

He went to Baruch College where he studied business, although he dropped out after two years. From 1962 to 1964 he served in the United States Army.^{[citation needed]} He did not attend fashion school, but worked for Brooks Brothers as a salesman. In 1967, with the financial backing of Manhattan clothing manufacturer Norman Hilton, Lauren opened a necktie store where he also sold ties of his own design, under the label "Polo."^[10] He later received the rights to use the trademark Polo from Brooks Brothers.

Personal life[link]

On December 20, 1964, he married Ricky Anne Low-Beer in New York City. The two met six months earlier, in an eye doctor's office where Ricky was working as a receptionist.^[11] They have three children: Dylan, David and Andrew.

The Polo Ralph Lauren flagship store occupying the Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue in New York City

In 1970, Ralph Lauren won the COTY Award for his menswear line. Around that same time he released a line of women's suits that were tailored in a classic men's style, which was when the first Polo emblem was seen. It was on the cuff of the women's suit. Ralph Lauren released Polo's famous short sleeve mesh shirt with the Polo logo in 1972. It came out in 24 colors and soon became a classic.^[12] He also gained recognition for his design after he was contracted to provide clothing styles for the movie The Great Gatsby.

A Polo Ralph Lauren store on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago

In 1984, he transformed the Rhinelander Mansion, former home of the photographer Edgar de Evia and Robert Denning, into the flagship store for Polo Ralph Lauren. This same year de Evia photographed the cover feature story for House & Garden on the Lauren home Round Hill in Jamaica,^[13] which had formerly been the home of Babe and Bill Paley.^[14] On June 11, 1997, Polo Ralph Lauren became a public company, traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RL.

By 2007 Ralph Lauren had over 35 boutiques in the United States. There were 23 locations that carried Ralph Lauren Purple Label, including Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Boston, Charlotte, Washington, DC, Chicago, Costa Mesa, Dallas, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas, Manhasset, New York, Palm Beach, Palo Alto, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Short Hills, and Troy.^{[citation needed]} The Financial Times reported in its edition of January 2–3, 2010 that the firm had revenues of $5 billion for the fiscal year 2009. The article addresses succession plans and the future of the overall business.

In 2010, Ralph Lauren was decorated Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in Paris

Surgery[link]

Sometime in early 1987, he was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. In April 1987 he underwent surgery to remove the tumor and made a full recovery.^[15]

Net worth[link]

As of September 2011, Forbes estimates his wealth at $6.1 billion dollars which would make Ralph Lauren the 173rd richest person in the world.^[16]

Automobile Collection[link]

Ralph Lauren with his Porsche GT3 RS (2010)

Ralph Lauren is also well known as a collector of automobiles, some of which are extremely rare. A large portion of his over 70 automobiles are held in his estate in Katonah, New York. He owns a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, two Ferrari 250 Testa Rossas, three 1996 McLaren F1s (one of them an ultra-rare F1 LM), a Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, a 1929 Blower Bentley, one Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, a Porsche 997 GT3 RS, a Bugatti Veyron, a 1930 Mercedes-Benz CountTrossi SSK (aka "The Black Prince") a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Mille Miglia.^[17], a Lamborghini Reventón and the rare Reventón Roadster. His cars have won "best in show" at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance multiple times. In 2005 his collection was displayed at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.^[18] In 2011 17 prime members of his collection were exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.^[19]

Controversies[link]

In 2009, Ralph Lauren apologized^[20] for digitally retouching a photograph of model Filippa Hamilton to make her look thinner. Hamilton also claims that she was fired by Ralph Lauren a few days later.^[21] Another model's photo was also digitally retouched^[22] adding to the row.

See also[link]

• List of swimwear brands

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Gross, Michael: Genuine Authentic: The Real Life of Ralph Lauren. Harper, New York 2003.
• Trachtenberg, Jeffrey A.: Ralph Lauren: The Man behind the Mystique. Little, Brown and Company New York 1981.
• McDowell, Colin: Ralph Lauren: The Man, The Vision, The Style. Rizzoli, New York 2002.

External links[link]

• Ralph Lauren Web Site
• Ralph Lauren designer profile at Fashion Model Directory
• Ralph Lauren at the Internet Movie Database
• Ralph Lauren collections at style.com
• Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention
• Men's Vogue profile of Ralph Lauren
• Ralph Lauren Auto Collection
• WIRED Magazine celebrates the Ralph Lauren Classic Automobile Collection