Why I Must Have ... Lacoste L.12.12 Polo Shirt?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07QzzrEsHIJuqk0FOuEwheL-h-pwrfC7_AmRxYZB6xF-Qx7l2pCDWgkq18ANQVrmV6MggqmwCbxSEOxLWxpu2VNSgDWsRhVUVwyCXa2N9kO_JCnQTT5UQKwCJj_anYPsSzeAo1iRIjgY/s320/001_LACOSTE_L.12.12_POLO_SHIRT_WHITE%252BGilles_Toledano.jpg)
What is it? What am I talking about? Well, I am talking about the classic polo shirt!
The ribbed standing collar and armbands against the raised texture of
the tightly-knitted petit piqué fabric has been long regarded as the embodiment of effortless
style, and to some, contemporary sexiness.
Amplifying your status as a fashion-forward yet practical fashion doyen
is the iconic alligator logo, embroidered in luminous thread on the chest. It
is, for long, the mark of distinctiveness and casual elegance to those who wear
it.
Like its
spirit reptile that underwent a series of evolution since the Jurassic days, Lacoste
L.12.12 polo shirt too has been reinvented one too many times. Creative geniuses such as Karl Lagerfeld,
Jean-Paul Goude and the Campana Brothers have all worked with the legendary
shirt. Nevertheless, despite the various permutations it went through, the
essence of its timeless design remains present.
René
Lacoste, the great mind behind the polo shirt, was a French tennis player. At
the age of 17, he won his first tournament followed by the French Open in 1924.
Throughout the 1920s, Lacoste has participated and won 10 Grand Slam titles,
including his final match against Jean Borotra in 1929.
Why he called his
shirt ‘polo’ when he’s a tennis player?
The shirt
in discussion stemmed from the shirts that Lacoste saw on polo players while he
was in London. Since the shirt allows greater freedom of movement, he decided
to adopt it as his game uniform.
When did the world
begin to embrace Lacoste polo shirt as part of their style essentials?
In 1933,
Lacoste met André Gillier and they conceived what is known today as Lacoste
L.12.12 polo shirt. The duo used breathable fabric, which is the petit piqué
jersey. The fabric resulted flexible and lightweight shirt. They also added the
crocodile logo onto the shirt.
First, the
alligator came from the moniker coined by the press, alluding to his strength
and performance in the court. The story has it that a journalist, having heard
of a bet concerning an alligator skin suitcase, nicknamed Lacoste the “Alligator”.
The
ferocious reptile became the spirit animal of the brand when Lacoste, inspired
by his nickname, asked his friend Robert George, to design a crocodile. He
premiered the logo on his blazer and the rest, as they say, is history.
What does L.12.12
stands for?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiid3NwP7-J_OG_-loH8IIyNwdGRNV3JItDZPZk_eoIH04b6SPyL52trnpq1W4mWZVH9fGGkq1HgJ4HhOP4NNHZBjpgDaDMKDJSIPff6aSXsTXyJHjXcF3TKEHxtfbFSt0AIcw4YFPZ9Aw/s320/006_LACOSTE_POLO_SHIRT_SLIM_FIT%252BDR.jpg)
How many fits are
there for Lacoste L.12.12 polo shirt?
There are
three main fits for men, namely “Classic” – straight fit with two buttons, the
original Lacoste creation, “Regular” – casual and adjusted fit with three
buttons and a pocket, and “Slim Fit” – which, like its name suggests, fits
close to the body and has two buttons.
For women,
the fits consist “Classic” (straight fit with two buttons), “Slim Fit” (fits
close to the body with five buttons), and “Slim Fit Chemise” (fitted with
three-quarter length sleeves and five buttons)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8sniKqJOtqeWwe5-QISx-z2kjxWxdL5bKab1FUGhretAlouLlc5qrOwJBkznh-RHhy5jd3VaVpnXY1CvtlYW5aLd7_0iXVBfRyQzUqMBUa8fr3mJmqnVKFxJqeBecS0LAeN36nXqESY/s320/013_LACOSTE_POLO_SHIRT%252BDR.jpg)
For more than
80 years, Lacoste L.12.12 polo shirts have been made using the same level of care
that involves three core elements: The finest cotton thread, an exclusive
knitting technique and rigorous processing controls.
All these steps, paired
with the skillful hands of Lacoste craftsmen, culminated to the birth of French
discreet elegance and revered quality.
The journey
of your Lacoste L.12.12 polo shirts begins in Lacoste studio in Paris. Moreover, it is within the
maison’s French workshops where the variety of colourways are developed and
tested for optimum brilliance and resistance.
Next, the threads will undergo a
revolutionary knitting technique to produce petit piqué, a fabric that is
signature to the maison. Knitted from two-ply fine cotton of unrivalled
quality, the petit piqué is famous for its lightness, flexibility and
strength.
As details are essential to the maison’s celebrated savoir-faire and
its pursuit of excellence, every Lacoste L.12.12 polo shirt is handcrafted and
thoroughly controlled.
Wow, so much of
history and effort within one shirt! Where can I find it?
Lacoste
L.12.12 polo shirts are available at all Lacoste stores around the world. The current price of a Lacoste L.12.12 polo shirt falls between RM350.00 to RM500.00. Visit your nearest Lacoste stores or corners to know more.
*Photos courtesy of Lacoste
Lacoste – Lot 3.01.01, Level 3, Pavilion
Kuala Lumpur, 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur; Parkson Pavilion,
Level 5, 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur; Lot F-239B, First Floor,
The Gardens Mid Valley, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala
Lumpur; GF-9, Ground Floor, Bangsar Village 2, Jalan Telawi Satu, Bangsar Baru,
59100 Kuala Lumpur; Lot 233, Level 2, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre,
50088 Kuala Lumpur; G353A, Ground Floor, High Street, 1 Utama Shopping Centre,
Lebuh Bandar Utama, Bandar Utama, 47800 Petaling Jaya; Lot G09, Level 1, Gurney
Paragon Mall, Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Penang; G229, Ground Floor, 1 Borneo
Hypermall, Jalan Sulaiman, 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Comments
Post a Comment
For privacy reasons, kindly be advised that all comments will be moderated. All spams and unwanted advertisements will be removed immediately.