Nobody Out-Polos the Brand That Invented It
Imagine, if you will, the Lacoste Polo. The shirt style may have been inspired by polo, but it was René Lacoste’s sartorial experimentation on the tennis court in the 1920s that helped finalize its popular form: Short sleeves, slight collar, a few buttons, and the brand’s little crocodile logo — inspired by Lacoste’s ruthlessness in matches, in which he never let go of his prey.
In a way, even a century after starting his namesake brand in 1933, Lacoste is still biting. The Lacoste polo has become one of fashion’s most ubiquitous sportswear (and preppy style) staples, inspiring a sea of imitators and devotees of the form.
There’s no blunting the impact of the piece. There’s only the question of what could be better than wearing one Lacoste polo? Well, wearing two, of course. Or three. Or four.
That’s the logic driving Lacoste and Saturdays NYC’s new capsule collection, which doubles up the brand’s signature L.12.12 shirt. Layering one polo over another is a simple styling trick, but seeing just a peek of that under-polo’s collar delivers its own kind of brain-tickling visual satisfaction. It’s a very polomaxxing move, in the midst of a hot Lacoste Polo summer. And it’s a flex only Lacoste feels fit to make, given it's the brand that actually designed the silhouette — all other polos are just iterations on the original croc.
Summer is, fittingly, when the heritage sportswear label feels most alive, given a polo is a perfect seasonal shirt. Its Saturdays NYC drop isn’t the only release worth eyeing; Lacoste has gone collab-crazy this year, with multiple Japanese brands like Snidel, Biotop, and Edifice remixing the polo with roomier fits, moisture-wicking tech, and even a feminine bow added to the classic collar.
Each of these fresh takes doesn’t just deliver an opportunity to remix a century-old style; it also acts as a reminder of why the style has stuck. To put it another way: There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when the wheel looks so good from the start.
Bountiful other options exist for the polo-wearers among us, of course. Ralph Lauren has a literal sublabel named after the style, while Miu Miu’s prep-rebellious aesthetic has made the brand a go-to for luxury takes on the shirt.
But interpretation only goes so far. In a sea of near-identical styles, wearing an OG Lacoste unit means wearing fashion history. Doubling the shirt just means making the point twice.
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