John F. Kennedy wearing a light blue polo shirt

There are few people on the planet who wouldn’t recognize the logo of a crocodile or a polo player. These two brands shaped the polo shirt into the classic piece of menswear that we know today. It all started in India in the 19th century, where British military men stationed in Manipur adopted the game of polo from locals. When they returned to the UK, they brought it back with them, and it quickly became popular among royalty and the upper class. Part of the original polo uniform was a long-sleeved cotton shirt, very similar to a dress shirt. To keep their collars from flapping during play, players would secure them down with pins or buttons. After he saw them on English polo players during his trip to England, John E. Brooks, grandson of Brooks Brothers founder Henry Sands Brooks, added button-down collars to dress shirts. In 1896 Brooks Brothers introduced the 'Original Button-Down Polo Shirt'.

In the early 1900s, tennis players wore long-sleeved button-down shirts with ties as part of their all-white outfits, which were very similar to those worn in polo. French tennis player Jean René Lacoste didn't find them very practical and was looking for a different shirt to play in. So he created his own short-sleeved, soft-collared, three-button shirt that was longer in the back and made from lightweight, breathable piqué cotton, which made it easier for him to move on the court. As a tribute to his nickname 'Le Crocodile,' he embroidered a crocodile logo on the chest of the blazer he wore before every game. Lacoste played in 10 Grand Slam finals and won 7, which made him one of the most famous athletes of his time.

He was also a mechanical engineer, which led him to create several innovations in tennis. He invented the first metal tennis racket, the first tennis ball machine, and even developed a new polyurethane golf driver that helped the sport shift toward using composite materials for clubs. But it’s his clothing line that remains the most famous part of his legacy. In 1933 when he was already retired, he was approached by André Gillier, the owner of a leading French knitwear manufacturer, with the idea of selling the knitted tennis shirts with the embroidered crocodile, the same as he wore on his pre-match uniform. It was the first clothing with a visible logo on the outside of the garment. That was the birth of 'La Chemise Lacoste,' the company we know today as Lacoste.

The company began to grow in 1951 when it added colored shirts to its classic white tennis shirts. That same year, it entered the U.S. market. Soon polo shirts became popular across the country, from colleges to golf courses and yacht clubs. With the introduction of new technology, polyester became more popular in the 1960s because it didn’t fade, bleed in the wash, or wear out as easily. It was great for everyday wear and sports, and eventually replaced knitted pique cotton in most polo shirts.

A new era began with Ralph Lauren, a young designer at the time who didn’t like polyester. He preferred the patina of well-worn clothes, something that didn’t happen with garments made from polyester. In 1972 he released his own version of the classic cotton polo shirt, made from knitted pique cotton. The Polo Ralph Lauren polo shirt with iconic polo-player logo came in 24 colors and was promoted with the slogan, “It gets better with age.” It quickly became a best-seller and has remained Polo Ralph Lauren’s most popular product for over 50 years.

After almost 100 years the polo shirt remains one of the staples in menswear and womenswear. It’s without a doubt one of the most versatile pieces you can have in your wardrobe and it’s impossible to imagine classic menswear without it. It can be dressed up or down, worn on the beach with swim shorts or to a nice dinner with a suit. It works perfectly with both casual and formal outfits.

It’s also a garment that will have a very different appeal in different fabrics. It can look really casual in a pique cotton version, very formal in a finely knitted fabric like wool or silk, or even totally sporty in a polyester blend. With the right fabric and fit, it can work for almost any occasion. To show just how versatile it is and how well it works with classic menswear, I've put together a few of my favorite outfits below.