The polo shirt, with the addition of a company or business logo has become something of a standard piece of clothing that is seen everywhere you look but have you ever though about where it all started?

Even though there are several claimants to the title of being the very first polo shirt including the American Navy, the most likely is that it was actually a modification of a garment that already existed. English officers in India changed what was a long sleeved top to one which was short sleeved and added a collar. In the late 1920s, Lecoste changed this further by using lighter materials in its construction, and making the collar thicker so that it could be turned up, offering the wearer extra protection on the neck when playing in the sun.

This French modification to the design was taken up in the 1960s by the ‘Mods’ youth movement which took inspiration from the smart tailored look of both the French and Italian fashions. The cycling shirt was taken up as a must have garment in the same way. However, one particular brand took over as the ‘uniform’ for this group within the youth culture movement, and this was Fred Perry who at the time was one of Lecoste’s biggest rivals and was another ex-tennis player. Perry was seen to be a better product at the time because of the detailing he had on the shirt itself. The iconic laurel emblem itself was embroidered onto the shirt, where as the Lecoste logo was ironed onto each garment.

In the last forty years we have seen the polo shirt used all over the world and in a multitude of colours and designs, in more materials than you can name and has even now gone full circle as being seen back on the tennis and golf courses where it made its first appearances.

Polo Shirts, such as Gildan short sleeved polo shirts amongst many other brands, embroidered with numerous designs, advertising everything from plumbers to television series fan clubs, have come a long way from there humble beginnings on an Indian polo field and it will be intriguing to see what it can be used for next.