Lacoste Polo Shirts

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Lacoste polo shirts start with the Original L.12.12, the shirt René Lacoste invented in 1933 and the reason the polo exists at all — still made in the same petit piqué cotton, with the ribbed

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The Lacoste Original L.12.12 polo shirt

The shirt that started it. René Lacoste designed it in the 1920s because tennis was played in stiff long-sleeved woven shirts and he wanted something he could move and sweat in — short sleeves, a ribbed collar that could be turned up against the sun, a buttoned placket, a longer tail at the back to stay tucked, and a knitted cotton he called petit piqué. It went into production in 1933 as the L.12.12: L for Lacoste, 1 for the petit piqué, 2 for short sleeves, 12 for the twelfth prototype. The crocodile on the chest was the first brand logo ever put on the outside of a garment. Nearly a century on it is made the same way, and the petit piqué is still what makes it work — the knit structure creates small raised cells that let air through, so it does not cling in heat the way a jersey t-shirt does.

Choosing between Lacoste polo fits

Three names cover most of the range and the difference is cut rather than cloth. The Original L.12.12 is the 1933 pattern, which is a trimmer shape than most modern polos and the reason Lacoste advises sizing up if you are unsure. Classic Fit is the same petit piqué with a little more room through the body and the armhole, which is the more forgiving choice. Wash effect and washed effect are the same shirts put through a treatment so they arrive soft rather than needing a season of wear, with a slightly faded, less uniform colour. Beyond those, the French Made stripe collar polo is the dressier one, and the knitted short sleeve is a different proposition altogether — a finer gauge knit that sits closer to a lightweight jumper than a piqué polo.

Browse the full Lacoste collection or see all polo shirts.

Lacoste Polo Shirts FAQs

Both use the same petit piqué cotton. The Original L.12.12 is the 1933 pattern, cut trimmer through the body than most modern polos. Classic Fit gives a little more room through the chest and armhole. If you are between the two, Classic Fit is the safer choice.
Lacoste states on its own product pages that the Original L.12.12 runs small and advises choosing a larger size if you are unsure. Classic Fit is cut easier. Our Manchester and Sheffield shops carry the range if you would rather try before buying.
The knitted cotton René Lacoste developed for the first polo shirt. The structure creates small raised cells in the fabric, which lets air through and keeps the shirt off the skin — lighter and cooler than the woven shirts tennis players wore before it, and the reason a Lacoste polo has that slightly textured surface.
The shirt has been treated after knitting so it arrives soft and slightly faded rather than crisp. It is the same petit piqué cotton and the same cut — the difference is that it looks and feels broken in from the first wear, with a less uniform colour.
Cool machine wash and dry naturally rather than tumble drying, which is what shrinks cotton piqué and hardens the ribbed collar and cuffs. Wash dark colours separately for the first few washes. Avoid ironing directly over the crocodile.