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Lacoste vs. Ralph Lauren: Which Polo Is Best for You?
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It’s a debate as old as time: the Lacoste polo versus the Ralph Lauren polo. Since their respective conceptions, both have been propelled to icon status within the sphere of menswear, enduring as wardrobe staples capable of appealing to a range of stylistic sensibilities, considered the pinnacle of prep by many, while simultaneously finding favor among rappers and various counter-culture figures alike.Get more news about cheap lacoste mens polo shirts,you can vist kictg.com!
Choosing between the two, though, can be tricky. Glance at the shirts and you might think they’re identical, save for the logos. But a closer look and some research reveal differing fabrics and cuts, all of which should be taken into consideration when deciding between the designs. So while you might be drawn to the classic all-American aesthetic of Ralph Lauren’s polo, the piqué cotton of Lacoste’s could adhere more to your fabric preferences.
Below we’ve delved into the history of Lacoste and Ralph Lauren’s polo shirts, as well as looking into the difference in fabric, fit and stylistic details between the designs (specifically the Lacoste’s L.12.12 and Ralph Lauren’s Iconic Mesh Polo Shirt, both considered the “original” polos). to help you more easily decide which of the two deserves its place in your closet.
As its name would indicate, the polo shirt’s origins are rooted in the equestrian world. Having adopted polo from Manipur, a state in northeast India, in the 19th century, British military officers stationed there returned home circa the mid-1800s with a penchant for the sport that soon gained popularity across England, particularly among the wealthy and upper class.
The uniform worn by the players was comprised of the expected riding boots and jodhpur pants, both garments sourced from India, while their upper halves were sheathed in what would today be considered a long-sleeve button-down. Yet it wasn’t long before players encountered a nuisance in the form of their shirt collars, which would flap in the wind during play, leaving the players to resort to DIY solutions that included affixing their collars with buttons or pins.
Then along came John E. Brooks, grandson of Brooks Brothers founder Henry Sands Brooks, who was quick to take note of the players’ solution to the problem their collars posed while visiting England in 1896. Upon his return to the states, Brooks tasked his tailors with perfecting a more permanent design to the one he witnessed across the pond. What initially began as a personal preference for Brooks’ own dress shirts was soon introduced to the designs of his family’s long sleeve collared shirts, with “the original button-down polo shirt” making its stateside debut in 1900.
But the polo shirt as we’ve come to know it, i.e. the short sleeved iteration, wouldn’t arrive for some thirty years and would be related to an entirely different sport altogether — tennis. Not unlike polo players, those who enjoyed the game in the early 1900s typically wore a long-sleeve button-down paired with flannel trousers and ties. French tennis player Jean René Lacoste sought an alternative to the long sleeve button-down that would help to improve mobility and soon began wearing a short-sleeved, three-button shirt crafted from a lightweight piqué cotton, complete with a crocodile embroidered above the left breast in acknowledgment of his nickname “le Crocodile.”