Polo Shirts from America's Packard Museum

About Polo Shirts

The first version of the polo shirt was created in India at the beginning of the 20th century. As the subtropical climate demanded a lighter garment for the popular equestrian sport, the polo shirt was born. It was inspired by the striped, hip-length, round-neck jerseys worn by Indian aristocrats at that time.The idea of casual polo wear was subsequently adopted in England too. However, the first polo shirts in Europe still had long sleeves and were manufactured from a solid wool fabric to protect players from the wind – hence the addition of the collar as a functional and elegant element. When John E. Brooks, an American tailor, visited England and discovered the buttoned collar shirts, he brought them back to the USA where he even had the name patented. He debuted his creation in 1896, calling it “the first button-down polo shirt". In spite of this, the piqué polo shirt owes its worldwide fame not to polo, but to tennis. In 1929, tennis player René Lacoste, also known by his nickname "Crocodile," created the piqué polo shirt. His design in classic white was initially intended only for himself and therefore decorated with an embroidered crocodile on the left chest. In the 1930s, his design sparked massive hype leading to the sale of up to 300,000 Lacoste shirts every year! Credit: SANVT