It’s the simplest way to explain the phenomenon: “polo shirts are to Ralph Lauren what Mickey Mouse is to Disneyland or the Empire State Building to New York,” reads the opening pages of the Rizzoli-sealed edition celebrating the 50 years of a milestone in casual fashion, between ubiquity, aspiration and democracy in consumer habits.
Unbuttoned, with the collars turned up, or in a more upright version, under a coat, the optimism of the American style dresses this piece whose history “was never clothing, but a way of life”. From the Ivy League to the graduation photo, from weekends at sea to Olympic stadiums where athletes parade, in the US and around the world, the history of polo, the piece launched in 1972 by Ralph Lauren, is told over 544 pages.
It has different cover and color options, always at 35 euros, on the brand’s website. Just choose the composition © Ralph Lauren
For the designer who made his debut selling ties at school, barely 12 years old, the son of Belarusian refugees who left in search of the American dream, the idea was clear: reaching those early 70s, the material and the weight (in this lightness case) used in the piece were decisive for its success, for a guarantee of comfort and lightness. Every detail, from the buttons to the emblem, makes a difference and raises the bar when faced with counterfeiting attempts, in what will be one of the most copied icons on the planet of fashion.
The use of pure cotton was a point of honor for the designer in an era of rival polyester consolidation. And instead of recycling the classic jersey that was popular on the tennis courts, he imposed the novelty of it with the launch of 24 colors and a slogan unbecoming of less noble materials: “it improves with age”. As for the famous badge, better known as The Pony, presented by a designer who has never been to a polo match in his life, it became a textile institution, a year after it first appeared on the cuff of a woman’s t-shirt from the brand. , originally created for advertising purposes. 3.1 centimeters in height and 900 points are essential references to obtain this image that endures —in 2006— and make it more visible to viewers who followed events such as the Wimbledon tournament or the US Open on television, to which the brand was associated. , the t-shirts began to show a “Big Pony”, of larger dimensions.
A fundamental piece in the wardrobe of men and women, …and even four-legged companions, the origins of the model go back to the polo fields of the 19th century, the initial formality being conquered by the label of sports classic. British soldiers stationed in Manipur, India are said to have imported this tradition into the kingdom, where it became a symbol of wealth and pedigree. But the biggest revolution in this championship came from the hand of a famous crocodile.
The truth is that polo, popularized in the meantime, was consecrated in another modality, tennis, with the copies in white tones marking the first years of the 20th century, then still in long sleeves. It fell to the French star Jean René Lacoste, winner of seven Grand Slam titles, and known as Le Crocodile, for his agility and powerful blow, to make the most practical piece. In 1933, already retired from the fields and in partnership with the manufacturer André Gillier, La Chemise Lacoste was born.
In 1951, American manufacturers were already vying for the license to produce Lacoste polo shirts in the US in the following 1951. decade, benefiting from technological innovations, the same ones that relegated cotton piqué to the background. The new fabric was claimed to be more practical, for everyday use or in a sporting context, and less likely to fade or fade in color.
Transformations that did not convince the then still young designer Ralph, who was looking for the perfect piqué to emulate the patina of a piece made to last and last. A creation that during the last five decades has known the most varied incarnations. It grew in colors, dressed dogs with the same pride with which it dressed its owners, adopting the no less illustrious puppy fit, and opened the range of cuts, adapting to different tastes and demands, instead of following the one size fits all . fits everyone. From the original model, comfortable but not too loose, to the great Polo, passing through a more fitted and cropped version aimed at the female public. And since the world doesn’t have to be smooth, he introduced more eclecticism with stripes, the same ones he brought back years after appearing in a photo wearing an inspiring striped tank top and shorts from 1946.
With texts by Ralph Lauren, his middle son, David Lauren, and director Ken Burns, the play reviews production details, reconstructs the play’s trajectory over the years and does not forget the faces that over the years They wore the famous polo shirt. From the gallery of celebrities, with well-known names, to the stories of anonymous people whose lives intersected in a relevant way with one of these pieces.
Polo by Ralph Laure, Rizzoli, April 2022, €35
“Novo em Folha” is a heading that suggests recent editions of coffee table books to browse and decorate.
Source: Observadora
