Why are the poles so chic? This is how the wealthy appropriated this sportswear

When manipur (India) was a British protectorate, the soldiers stationed there enjoyed watching and playing polo matches that they founded the first club in 1833. Of course, the uniform shirt was not the most comfortable. For now, they buttoned the collar at the ends so it wouldn’t flutter while driving. A year later they exported the sport and the garment to the United Kingdomwhere both triumphed at the stratospheric level.

At the time, John E. Brooks (grandson of Brooks Brothers founder) attended one of those games on horseback while on a business trip to Europe. More than sport, the mentioned collars caught his attention, what ordered replica from Brooks Brothers† For this reason, since 1896 they have been bringing the Original polo shirtone of the most imitated fashion designs of all time.

Anyway, the emblem of the player on horseback was born in Argentinawhere the English introduced the sport in 1890. Lewis Spacey, player and shirtmaker, had the idea to embroider it on the chest, so in 1920 he started selling polo shirts with this motif (an original design by the Hurlingham Club) in a store in Buenos Aires.

It was in tennis where the garment as we know it originated† Like early polo players, tennis players wore thick, long-sleeved white shirts until the early 1900s. By this time, the discipline had become more democratic and competitive, and they had to improve their dress.

At the 1926 American Championship, René Lacoste achieved a double victory: he declared himself the winner of the championship and attracted the attention of the public with his polo shirta slightly modified but revolutionary design: Short sleeve –to prevent the traditional long sleeve from being rolled up–, in pique –a more breathable and durable fabric–, button-down collar and unstarched –easy to open and lift to protect from the sun (and show off)– and with the longest back skirt then the front one – so he wouldn’t come out of his pants –.

A year later, Monsieur Lacoste he embroidered the crocodile as a reference to the nickname given to him by the press. But he didn’t start marketing it until he retired in 1933. Around that time, he founded Lacoste Chemise Society along with a fashion businessman, and not only tennis players took over: golfers, who had similar needs, and of course the general public, who symbolically gained access to the universe of top sport with this piece.

During the 1930s and 1940s, the West was enamored with the polo shirt, a cheaper, more comfortable and more casual version of the shirt. To the delight of the youth, Fred Perry covered it in the 50s, giving it the modern look it lacked. and Ralph Lauren took it (including horse) in his line pool in the 70†

We had to wait until the nineties so that the polo shirt becomes part of uniforms. And here comes the most important chic association for the generation millennial: the students of the private schools wore a polo shirt or shirt, and those of the public schools a t-shirt.

And to finish the story, here’s another fact: his name is of Tibetan originwhere the ball is said pholo† Of course, we recognize that we don’t know anything about the relationship with ice cream, except that both are a solution tasteful to relieve the heat in summer.