THE FASHION HOUSE HAS UNVEILED A NEW COFFEE TABLE BOOK CHRONICLING THE TIMELESS LEGACY OF THE AMERICANA FASHION SYMBOL
In 1972, the iconic American designer; Ralph Lauren began marketing traditional tennis shirts as “Polo shirts,” as part of his original Polo line. Now, fifty years later, the Ralph Lauren Polo shirt has been seen on a wide variety of pop culture figures, from rappers, to golfers, to royalty and has become an integral piece in the timeless, mainstream fashion world. Some of the most notable wearers have included Sean Combs, Pharrell, Prince William, Ye, and so many more who have bridged the Polo shirt’s sportswear roots to becoming a full-blown fashion phenomenon.
The classic Ralph Lauren Polo shirt wasn’t born from polo at all, but rather tennis. In the early 1900s, tennis whites saw players wearing long-sleeved button-down shirts for their matches. By the 1950s, the Polo’s reputation grew beyond sportswear making it a fashionable piece to wear both at the tennis court and for lunch at the country club. Polo shirts soon caught on like wildfire off the court and swiftly became an American essential as a symbol of preppy sportswear style.
Ralph Lauren’s The Polo Shirt book by Rizzoli is now available in stores and on ralphlauren.com.