The little forest green crocodile is inescapable; In every nook and cranny of the Earth is someone clad in the iconic croc shirt—one that has stood the test of time and remained resilient amidst the rise and fall of multiple trends. Eponymous in its own right, Lacoste—one of the first few luxury sportswear brands to hit the market, only gets stronger and stronger as the years progress.
While the brand has remained a staple for many over the years, has anyone ever considered just when and how the iconic croc came to be?
The story begins with frenchman and superstar tennis player, René Lacoste, who found the current sportswear at that time very limiting. The usual tennis uniform channeled that of your grandfather’s Sunday’s Best: a long-sleeved button-down shirt, long pants, and a tie. One can only imagine what racing for a proper forehand under the hot sun would feel like.
Acting on the needs of his fellow athletes, Lacoste commissioned an English tailer to create a few cotton and wool shirts that were breezy and easy to move in. While everyone started to catch on with the trend, people also began to take notice of René’s athletic boldness and prominently pointy nose, as well as his penchant for alligator skin (he had wagered for an alligator-skin suitcase with the captain of the French Davis Cup team); This later on earned him the identity “The Crocodile”, which he in-turn used to his advantage. Embroidered on his blazers later on was the logo of the familiar reptile we have grown to love.
Now decades later, Lacoste’s legacy remains vibrant and alive, with hundreds of branches sprawled all over the globe. In fact, Lacoste has just recently unveiled its first Standard Premium concept store in Trinoma, which reflects the brand’s strong identity and rich heritage. Located at the 3rd level of Trinoma Mall in Quezon City, it occupies more than 200 square meters of prime retail space and offers a complete range of products: apparel, leather goods, fragrances, footwear, eyewear, watches, and underwear.
From the 1920’s up until today, Lacoste still remains to be one of the few brands that are out to rule the industry.
Lacoste is also located at Central Square in Bonifacio High Street Central, Alabang Town Center, Eastwood Mall, Estancia in Capitol Commons, Fairview Terraces, Gateway Mall, Greenbelt 3, Newport Mall, Podium, Power Plant Mall, Robinson’s Galleria, Robinson’s Magnolia, Robinson’s Place Manila, Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’sShangriLla, Shangri-La Plaza East Wing, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, Ayala Center Cebu, Abreeza Davao, SM Davao and Veranza KCC Mall. Lacoste Accessories is located at Gateway Mall and Glorietta 4. Follow @ssilifeph on Instagram for more information.
