ORIGINAL VINTAGE mid-1970s/1980s Lacoste "Crocodile" Polo Shirt
MADE IN THE USA! Size XL ("Grand Patron")
Chest: 20 1/4
Length (front): 29
Length (back) 30 1/2
"In Paris it's the snob shirt for young men at tennis clubs. In Washington, it's the status shirt for men for all but formal occasions."
So claimed The Washington Post in 1977.
This view was echoed by The Official Preppy Handbook in 1980, when it asserted that “The sport shirt of choice is Lacoste... Only the all-cotton model will do, the one with cap sleeves with the ribbed edging, narrow collar and two-button placket (never buttoned).”
The Lacoste polo shirt of the 1970s and 1980s thoroughly deserved its endorsement by TOPH.
It was innovative (it was the first shirt to feature a chest logo), extremely well-designed (the characteristic long tail of the shirts produced for the American market was owed to Lacoste's belief that American men were more athletic than the French, and so would need this to prevent unsightly gaps appearing during athletic activities), and extremely well-made. And it was exotic--the French sizing (Patron, Grand Patron, Plus Grand Patron...) adding considerably to its appeal.
THIS is one of those shirts--a late 1970s/early 1980s Lacoste. Unless you're lucky enough to find one elsewhere you'll need to build a time machine to acquire one, so this is MUCH cheaper at just $22, or offer, shipped in the USA.
And this is in Excellent condition; there are a couple of VERY faint minor white marks on the front that my camera couldn't capture, but I only found these while measuring and they won't be seen when worn.
Prep on! :)