Who is Ralph Lauren and What is the Polo?

If you have heard of the Polo shirt, it is most likely the name Ralph Lauren is also familiar to you.

While the polo is older than Ralph Lauren, it was Ralph Lauren who made the polo shirt what it is today. The polo shirt’s beginnings may have started as early as the mid-1800s. Sporting teams were wearing long sleeved jerseys made from the same knitted material as the polo is today. Rene Lacoste added some flare to the shirt in 1926 producing it in white with short sleeves and with an un-starched, flat protruding collar. It also had a buttoned placket, and a longer shirttail in back than in front for tennis players. As a tennis player, he first wore the shirt at the 1926 U.S. Open championship.

Later on, clothing retailer Ralph Lauren, born Ralph Lischitz, was getting his own name brand off the ground. This was in the late 1960s. By 1971, Polo Ralph Lauren launched its first women's collection and his first standalone store in Beverly Hills, California. Ten years later, in 1981, the brand went global with its first international store on London's New Bond Street. The Polo Sport line was introduced in 1993.

Ralph Lauren’s brand now produces clothing, accessories, fragrances, furniture, operates the restaurant RL in Chicago. The flagship store is located in the former Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue in New York City. Ralph Lauren is one of the largest retailers in the United States with revenues reaching $4.2 billion in 2007.

Some of Ralph Lauren’s classics are of course his Polo. One of the most famous pieces in the Polo line is the classic polo short-sleeved knit shirt featuring the now-iconic Polo player on the left breast of the shirt. This shirt in particular became a fashion must-have in the 1980s with the preppy set. Other Polo classics include the cashmere cableknit sweater, chinos and the oxford cloth button-down shirt.

Since Ralph Lauren's first brand, Polo, was launched in 1967, the company has expanded to include a variety of luxury brands. They include:
* Purple Label: Launched in 1994, this is Ralph Lauren's signature, and highest end, men's line, with classic, traditionally British styling. It includes ready-to-wear suits and sportcoats (made by St. Andrews and Cantarelli), dress shirts, sportswear, accessories, and footwear, as well as a collection of made-to-order suits, sportcoats, shoes (made by British company Edward Green), dress shirts, exotic skin luggage, small leather goods, and jewelry. Purple Label is only available in Ralph Lauren stores, the company's online store and high-end department stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
* Black Label: Black Label for men and women. The men’s clothing tends to have a more modern, Italian cut to its suits, sport coats (made by Raffaele Caruso), dress shirts, and sportswear, with higher armholes and a slimmer silhouette. Black Label for women demonstrated more modern, high-end casual and semi-formal women's wear.

* Polo Ralph Lauren: His first brand for men, and also the most widely available. This 'blue label' line spans from tailored clothing (ready-to-wear and made to measure), sportswear, accessories (including luggage) to small leather goods. Available at many department and specialty stores as well as Ralph Lauren stores and the company's online store.
* Polo Golf: A sporty collection catering to golfers since 1987 and often featuring celebrity golfers as advertising models (see Sports sponsorship below).[4]
* Polo Jeans Co.: Denim inspired line. Now discontinued in the US.
* Polo Denim: A 2007 relaunch of the Polo Jeans Co. line of 1996. Denim basics available online and in department stores.
* Lauren Ralph Lauren: Basics and suiting. Divided into Green and Silver (slightly slimmer cuts) Label. Available primarily through department and outlet stores, and not at RL stores or ralphlauren.com.
* Ralph by Ralph Lauren: Men’s clothing exclusively available at Dillard's stores, this label offers suits, sport coats, dress trousers and suit vests.
* Collection: The highest end clothing line for women (also carries a purple tag), as seen in his runway shows. Includes classic eveningwear, tailored blazers, outerwear, sportswear, handbags, and accessories.
* RLX: A technical sports apparel line, focusing on clothing and outerwear built for outdoor sports such as tennis, golf, skiing, sailing, and hiking, launched in 1998. Primarily distributed through RalphLauren.com
* Polo Sport: A discontinued line of casual sports clothing that was introduced for men in 1993 and women in 1996. It was retired in 2005 and ultimately replaced by RLX as well as the Golf and Tennis lines. The Polo Sport fragrance lines continue to exist as remnants of this label.
* RRL (pronounced "Double-R L"): A denim and sportswear line that takes its influence from the American West. Available in Ralph Lauren stores as well as several smaller signature Double RL stores.
* Rugby Ralph Lauren: A brand launched in 2004 focusing on collegiate apparel with a similar look to the pricier Polo and Blue Label brands. Sold at signature Rugby stores.
* Tennis: Sports clothing for tennis players. Special collections for the US Open tournaments.
* Pink Pony: A charity line of sportswear and accessories all carrying a pink Polo pony. A portion of the proceeds benefit cancer research. Predominantly for women, the line also includes polo shirts for men.

Yes, the polo shirt spurred on the growth of a number of other types of clothing but it is still the preferred style of shirt for outdoor enthusiasts and for business casual. It is still comfortable and colorful, even after all these years.

Justin Morris is a Managing Partner of LEADApparel.com. LEADApparel.com offers first class Screen Printing & Embroidery services, custom clothing including printers t-shirt. Companies purchase t-shirts print services from LEADApparel.com at heavily discounted prices. For more information, visit www.leadapparel.com.

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The Polo Shirt and Its History

Many of us have heard the term polo shirt and many of us have worn them or still wear them. But how many of us know where the term polo shirt came from and whom it was that came up with it?

Indeed the shirt started with the game of polo. Polo started off as a sport played by Tibetan men who called the ball that they hit a pulu. In the 7th Century the Persians invented a new game, a game that made use of the pulu by riding horses and hitting it with sticks. By the time that the Persian game had become a recognized Indian sport, it was called “polo.” When the British occupied India, they enjoyed watching polo games. The British eventually learned how to play polo as well and brought the sport to England.

In the mid-1800s, sports teams in Britain began to wear knitted shirts at soccer games, at rowing matches and at other sporting events. Although they had long sleeves, their jerseys did share one feature with today’s polo shirt and that was they were made from a knitted material. By the19th century, a businessman and entrepreneur who saw the jerseys and liked them, redesigned them and sold them as “polo shirts.” Printed ads for “polo shirts” appeared in Maryland papers as early as 1887.

In 1923 the members of the Hurlingham Polo Team in Buenos Aires appeared at a match wearing the now newly labeled polo shirts. The popularity of the shirt grew and in 1920 a man named Lewis Lacey opened a clothing store in Buenos Aires and sold the shirts. The shirts now had a logo depicting a polo player on a pony.

In 1926 Rene Lacoste, a famous tennis player, brought the polo shirt to the public eye in a new way, showing his audience that the shirt could be worn for more than just polo.
Lacoste’s shirts were white, which was typical of tennis clothing then, short-sleeved, made of loosely knit piqué cotton with an un-starched, flat protruding collar. It also had a buttoned placket, and a longer shirttail in back than in front. He first wore the shirt at the 1926 U.S. Open championship. Beginning in 1927, Lacoste placed a crocodile emblem on the left breast of his shirts. The American press had begun to refer to him as “the alligator”, a nickname that he embraced.

In 1933, after retiring from professional tennis, Lacoste teamed up with André Gillier, a friend who was a clothing merchandiser, to market that shirt in Europe and North America. Together, they formed the company Chemise Lacoste, and began selling their shirts, which still included the small-embroidered crocodile logo on the left breast.

By 1972, Ralph Lauren took the ideas of Lacoste’s and Lewis Lacey and included his “polo shirt” as a prominent part of his original line called Polo. While not specifically geared for use by polo players, Lauren’s shirt imitated what by that time had become the normal attire for polo players. Lauren prominently included his new attire as the “sport of kings”. On the shirts he kept Lacoste’s crocodile emblem. This worked well as a marketing tool, for subsequently, due to the immense popularity of Lauren’s clothing, a majority of English-speaking westerners began to refer to Lacoste’s tennis shirt as a “polo shirt”.

Over the latter half of the twentieth century, as standard clothing in golf became more casual, the polo shirt became adopted nearly universally as standard golf attire. Lacoste’s “tennis shirt” in various golf cuts has resulted in specific designs of the tennis shirt for golf, resulting in the moniker “golf shirt”. Golf shirts are commonly made out of polyester, cotton and polyester blends, or mercerized cotton. The plaque typically holds three or four buttons, and consequently extends lower than the typical polo neckline. The collar is typically fabricated using a stitched double-layer of the same fabric used to make the shirt, in contrast to a polo shirt collar, which is usually one-ply ribbed knit cotton.

Now the polo shirt is worn as standard attire due to its comfort. The shirts are worn by students and adults, athletes and non-athletes alike. It seems the little crocodile is here to stay.

Justin Morris is a Managing Partner of LEADApparel.com. LEADApparel.com offers first class Screen Printing & Embroidery services, custom clothing including printers t-shirt. Companies purchase t-shirts print services from LEADApparel.com at heavily discounted prices. For more information, visit www.leadapparel.com.

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How to Choose the Right Polo Shirt

Polo shirts are a classic addition to any wardrobe. They are great for dressing up or down. If you are shopping for polo shirts online, you may have questions about what exactly the descriptions mean. There are a few main categories of fabrics that you will have to choose from, including cotton, jersey knit, pique and sport knits.

Polo shirts are available in pique or smooth finish. Pique polo shirts have a raised, corded pattern. They can add style and personality to a run-of-the-mill polo. Pique fabrics come in cotton, polyester and silk blends.

Cotton is a classic, breathable fabric. It is popular for office and casual wear. Cotton polos are generally the least expensive. Check to see if the cotton polo you are looking at is pre-shrunk or not, as this can affect your size choice. Allow for some shrinking with 100% cotton. Cotton polos are very comfortable and soft, but may require some ironing. Cotton polos may also stain more easily than other fabrics. They might be a little heavy for sports, so consider a polyester blend or sport knit for strenuous activity.

Jersey knit polo shirts are a little lighter and easier to clean than cotton shirts. They come anywhere from 1%-50% polyester blended with cotton. The more polyester, the lighter the shirt will be. Jersey knit polo shirts resist stains and are easy to clean. They also rarely require ironing. They have a little bit of a smoother look and feel than cotton polos, making them a good choice wash and wear. Cotton and jersey knit polo shirts are both great choices for breathability in warm weather.

Most silk blends are combined with polyester and cotton. Silk blended fabrics have minimal shrinkage, resist fading and have a really soft and smooth feel. Silk blends are popular for their ironed appearance and extremely soft, cashmere touch. These polo shirts are wonderful choices for work or times when you want to be comfortable but still have a polished appearance.

Sport knit polo shirts are the most lightweight polo shirts on the market. They are also available in a mid-weight style for added warmth. The sport knit fabric is made up mostly of nylon. It comes in varying degrees of stretch, breathability and water resistance. Some incorporate a wicking technology that takes moisture from your skin and propels it to the outside of the shirt, keeping you cool and dry on hot days or during athletic activity. Nylon fabrics are very stain resistant, just about never need ironing and usually will not fade. Shrinking is also minimal for sport knit polos.

When you know how to choose the right polo shirt, it will be like custom clothing designed for your specific needs. Choose your polo shirt depending on the weather, the use of the shirt and the level of care that you wish to put into it. No matter which style you choose, you know that you can depend on the classic look of the polo shirt to make you look good no matter if you are at home, playing sports or at work.

Justin Morris is a Managing Partner of LEADApparel.com. LEADApparel.com offers first class Screen Printing & Embroidery services, custom clothing including printers t shirt. Companies purchase t shirts print services from LEADApparel.com at heavily discounted prices. For more information, visit www.leadapparel.com.

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