2025.07.30

The Origin & Pinnacle of the Polo Shirt: Why Does Lacoste's "L.12.12" Remain Timelessly Loved Across Generations?

#LACOSTE

#Lacoste

#Polo Shirt

#L.12.12

#Tennis Wear

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*The text-to-speech feature is generated by AI,
so there may be errors in the reading.

Summer is the season when you just want to throw on a polo shirt.

Tracing the roots of this now-iconic item—long established as a staple of lifestyle wear—brings us back to LACOSTE's legendary L.12.12.

The polo shirt of all polo shirts, adored around the globe. Let’s take a look back at its journey from creation to becoming a modern classic.

The Untold Story Behind the Creation of "L.12.12"

Rewind to 1928, when professional tennis player René Lacoste appeared in the finals of the French International Championships (now the French Open). The crowd was astonished by what they saw.

The world champion, a point of national pride in France, wore a short-sleeved knit shirt. Inspired by the shirts worn by polo players[1], René developed his creation: a collared short-sleeve shirt.

A vintage photograph of René Lacoste (c) Archives Lacoste. Fonds Jacques Brugnon

The tennis scene in the 1920s was far more conservative in terms of dress codes, and rigid rules were strictly enforced. Players typically wore long-sleeve, loose-fitting, woven cotton shirts.

Ignoring the perplexed reactions around him, René gave a stellar performance in his sleek, fitted shirt, catching the eyes of both spectators and fellow competitors. Despite some criticism, he wore his creation with confidence, unfazed by the backlash.