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The Lacoste History
In 1927 the french tennis player René Lacoste won the U.S. Open championship. During the match he wore something that he himself created which is said to be the first version of a performance clothing in sports: a white, short-sleeve shirt made exclusively of a light knitted fabric called "jersey petit piqué" that served to wick away moisture due to heat. The shirt was a radical departure from fashion those days. The American Press nicknamed Lacoste "the Alligator" due to a bet about an alligator-skin suitcase. In French the nickname was changed to "le crocodile", because of Lacoste´s tenacious behavior on the courts, never giving up his prey. His friend Rober George then drew him a crocodile which Lacoste embroidered on the blazer he wore on the courts.
In 1933, after René Lacoste retired from tennis, he founded La Chemise Lacoste with André Gillier, the owner of the largest French knitwear manufacturing firm at the time. They began to produce the revolutionary tennis shirt Lacoste had designed and worn on the tennis courts, with the crocodile logo embroidered on the chest, serving as the first example of a brand name appearing on the outside of an article of clothing.
In 1951, the company began to expand as it branched from "tennis white" and introduced color shirts. In 1952 the shirts were exported to the United States and advertised as "the status symbol of the competent sportsman", influencing the clothing choices of the upper-class. In addition to tennis shirts, Lacoste also produced shirts for golf and sailing.
In the 1960s under the mangement of René´s son Bernard Lacoste the company significantly grew. Around 300.000 Lacoste products were sold annually. The Lacoste brand reached its height of popularity in the US during the late 1970s and began to introduce other products into their line including shorts, perfume, optical and sunglasses, tennis shoes, deck shoes, walking shoes, watches, and various leather goods.
Recently Lacoste's popularity has surged due to French designer Christophe Lemaire’s work to create a more modern, upscale look. In 2005, almost fifty million Lacoste products sold in over one hundred and ten countries. Its visibility has increased due to the contracts between Lacoste and several young tennis players, including American tennis star Andy Roddick and French rising young prospect Richard Gasquet.
Like Lacoste clothing, Lacoste shoes veer towards the casual end of the scale. The company still concentrates mainly on tennis and athletic shoes, with the odd pair of casual loafers or deck shoes thrown into the mix. These are no ordinary tennis shoes, though.
In the years since the company started, Lacoste has developed into a leading fashion brand. Look out for colorful, retro-inspired sneakers, sleek, sporty styles and shoes which are, in general, just a little bit out of the ordinary. Many of the shoes carry the famous alligator logo, either embroidered onto the side of the shoe, or displayed more creatively.
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