Lacoste is a premium quality brand that most of you have heard of, but most are not aware of the unique history behind the brand which really makes it what it is today, and keeps it popular.

We’d love to really highlight the heritage, genius and innovation of Lacoste due to celebrating its 80th anniversary back in September, it’s most definitely a brand which needs to be celebrated.

1933, was a great year, a year which saw England regain the Ashes, thanks to body-line tactics and the movie “King Kong,” premièred at Radio City Music Hall & RKO Roxy NYC, but more importantly an iconic brand was born, this brand being. Recognised by the small crocodile on all of its garments the familiar green reptile still has a dominating place in the world of fashion. The crocodile logo came from Rene’s nickname on the courts which was Le Crocodile. Upon explaining how this nickname came about Rene Lacoste told the press “The American press nicknamed me ‘the Crocodile’ after a bet that I made with the Captain of the French Davis Cup team. He had promised me a crocodile-skin suitcase if I won a match that was important for our team. The American public stuck to this nickname, which highlighted my tenacity on the tennis courts, never giving up my prey”.

Rene Lacoste was responsible for revolutionising male fashion by substituting the typical long-sleeved shirts on the tennis courts with the classic Lacoste polo shirt which we all know and love today. In the US during the late 1970s, Lacoste soared to new heights in popularity and became the typical 80s “preppy” wardrobe item, Lacoste also began to present other products into their range including shorts, sunglasses, tennis shoes, Lacoste trainers, walking shoes, watches, and assorted leather goods. A great range of Lacoste trainers can be found here.

DID YOU KNOW it takes fifteen and a half miles of super fine cotton to make one Lacoste polo shirt. Today Lacoste is available in 115 countries and is known and respected for being an active lifestyle brand which allies elegance and comfort. Take advantage of the season and indulge in the Lacoste Polo Sale here.

Craig Landale – Founder of Menswear Style
The Lacoste brand is known for having high quality garments with a smart casual style and a firm grounding in the tennis industry. The crocodile logo is very iconic and it sends a positive message about the wearer’s lifestyle.
Rene Lacoste was not only a great tennis player who invented the polo shirt for the sport of tennis, he was a super stylish guy and the media at the time were fascinated with him because of his style and elegance on and off the court.

Why is Lacoste still as popular as ever?

To answer this question we speak to Becky Powell; merchandiser for mainlinemenswear.com who has a keen eye for what sells and all current trends.

Why do you think Lacoste still remains popular today?

Lacoste remains a very popular men’s designer clothing brand as it has a modern day twist but keeps its heritage routes.

Lacoste’s heritage routes are in tennis and are kept through the traditional pieces in the autumn 13 collection, such as the crew neck plain jumpers and t shirts which all have the small and iconic crocodile logo on the front, through to the standard but classic 1212 polo t shirts that always remain firm favourites.

In the last couple of years Lacoste have launched Lacoste Live as a new branch to their brand. This young and vibrant extension of Lacoste has introduced the brand to a whole new and younger audience. The Lacoste Live range includes bright colours and often striking patterns and designs, especially on jumpers and t shirts.

The footwear branch of Lacoste at Mainline Menswear boasts over 60 style to choose from, ranging from the classic Ampthill, protect and Andover through to the new Ventron, Marleau and Romeau styles. There’s also a wide range of colours to choose from, making the Lacoste footwear collection one of the strongest and most appealing on Mainline.

As Lacoste has a diverse collection and different branches of the brand it enables it to be appealing to a wide audience, ranging from the Lacoste Live younger man to the older guy who likes the basic but very traditional polo t shirt. As the Lacoste brand is able to span a wide range of generations this is why it remains a popular brand today.

Why do you feel Lacoste is an important brand at Mainline Menswear?

Lacoste is a much loved and important member of the Mainline Menswear family because of the reasons above.

It is also important because of the wide collection available from t shirts and jumpers through to footwear, hats and gloves. It really does have something for everyone whether it be a striped and vibrant Lacoste Live jumper of a classic polo t shirt steeped in tradition and heritage. Lacoste has managed to move forward with the times and reinvented itself whilst not losing its history and loyal followers, which is why it will remain popular for many years to come.

Some of our favourite picks from Lacoste

Due to the large product range available from Lacoste it is difficult selecting a mere few to showcase! Some of our favourite Lacoste items are showcased below in a bundle we have put together and a great range of the famous polo shirts.