A tennis shirt is, in fact, what most people mean when they say "polo" or "golf shirt." This is a type of shirt with a collar, two or three buttons down the front seam, and side slits at the bottom. They are often associated with a breast pocket and are made from fine fabrics such as pique cotton, Merino wool, and silk. René Lacoste, a seven-time French tennis Grand Slam winner, is credited with creating the tennis shirt when, in 1929, he introduced his shirt design, which was the first of its kind. The idea for the crocodile emblem came because, at that time, tennis clothing consisted of shirts, Hackett polo shirts, trousers, and ties, making the attire more suitable for an office setting than a tennis court. Moreover, the formal dress shirts were stiff and heavy.
On the other hand, Lacoste's tennis shirt featured a thick collar, was loose and not too straight, made from angry cotton, had side slits at the bottom, and left long shirt tails. The thick collar provided protection for the neck when opened, preventing players from getting sunburned. Interestingly, polo players have been wearing shirts of the same design since the late 19th century. At that time, they wore long-sleeved shirts with button-down collars made from thick Oxford cloth cotton. Despite the thick collars, these shirts were uncomfortable and inconvenient to wear. Therefore, when polo players discovered Lacoste's shirt design in the 1930s, they quickly adopted it over their previous polo t-shirt designs.
It wasn't long before tennis shirts and polo shirts became synonymous. By the 1950s, the polo shirt was considered official tennis attire in the United States, even though tennis players referred to them as "polo shirt dresses." However, in reality, "polo" shirts were first worn in tennis rather than actual polo matches. The popularity of the polo shirt reached its peak in 1967 when Ralph Lauren introduced his original clothing line, aptly named after the sport. Ralph Lauren's shirts were not designed for players to wear during polo matches but rather associated the idea of leisure with polo shirts, turning his shirt into a popular commodity among polo players. High-quality materials and craftsmanship, along with nice collar details, made these shirts desirable. They come in good colors and are perfect for casual wear or golf, although they are not especially dressy due to the pique knit material.
In the 20th century, golf players began to wear more formal yet easy-going golf apparel instead of the traditional formal golf clothing. It wasn't just polo players who started using tennis shirts as standard sports attire; golf players did as well. Today, you'll see most golf players wearing these T-shirts. However, since golf differs significantly from tennis, golf players' tennis shirts have a different cut design, featuring higher placements like golf shirts. Tennis shirts are so common today that almost anyone wears them, whether playing sports or not. Men and women wear them on any occasion. Clothing companies usually have their own version of the Lacoste shirt. These shirts bridge the gap between too informal round-neck T-shirts and overly formal occupation costumes. You'll find that both half professionals and those in the retail industry often wear tennis shirts to work. In many workplace environments, these shirts are acceptable work clothes because they look clever and relaxed.
The yellow color looks very nice! Very good quality and an overall great shirt for an amazingly low price! I highly recommend it. Then, in the 1990s, tennis shirts became the standard garb in the high-tech industry (informal/casual business). Eventually, this trend spread to other industries. Companies began printing their marks on tennis shirts, transforming them into uniforms. This shirt provided temporary workwear while simultaneously setting the staff's image and unity within the enterprise. In sports, tennis shirts are standard attire. Caddies, referees, and sports announcers wear tennis shirts. Teachers and students often wear these shirts in schools. In many schools, these shirts are actually required uniforms. Above all, tennis shirts are closely related to sports, so most tennis shirts are light-colored, with white being the most typical color. Besides color, the "tennis tail" is another feature of the shirt design. Lacoste Long Sleeve tennis shirts usually have a back Ed Hardy Cap, with the front of the shirt no longer than a few centimeters. This is actually Lacoste's original design. The tennis tail design ensures that when a tennis player leans forward, the backside of the shirt remains hidden in his shorts. Some sizes of clothing can be hard to find, so I was happy to find these. They fit well and feel good to wear.