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René
LACOSTE entered the legend of tennis when he and his team-mates
"The Musketeers", stole the Davis Cup away from the
Americans for the first time, in 1927.
Not
forgetting his 3 French Open victories (1925, 1927 and the ROLAND-GARROS
stadium in 1929), his two victories in Great Britain (WIMBLEDON
1925 and 1928) and two U.S. OPEN titles at Forest Hills (1926
and 1927).
René
LACOSTE was born in France on 2nd July 1904 and died on 12th
October 1996. The
true story of the "Crocodile"
begins in 1927. René LACOSTE liked to recount how his
nickname became an emblem recognized throughout the world.
"I
was nicknamed "the
Alligator" by the American press, after
I made a bet with the Captain of the French Davis Cup Team concerning
a suitcase made from alligator skin. He promised to buy it for
me if I won a very important match for our team.The public must
have been fond of this nickname which conveyed the tenacity
I displayed on the tennis courts, never letting go of my prey!"
"So
my friend Robert GEORGE drew a 'crocodile' which I then had
embroidered on the blazer I wore on the courts.
An
attentive spectator at René LACOSTE's Davis Cup matches
was the winner of the BRITISH Womens golf title, Mademoiselle
Simone THION de la CHAUME, who soon became his wife and constant
support.
In 1933, René LACOSTE
and André GILLIER, the owner and President of the largest
French knitwear manufacturing firm of that time, set up a company
to manufacture the logo-embroidered shirt. The champion had
designed this for his own use on the tennis court, as well as
a number of other shirts for tennis, golf and sailing - as can
be seen in the first catalogue, produced in 1933.
To the best
of our knowledge, this was the first time that a brand name
appeared on the outside of an article of clothing - an idea
which has since become extremely successful. This
shirt revolutionized mens sportswear and replaced the woven
fabric, long-sleeved, starched classic shirts.The first LACOSTE
shirt was white, slightly shorter than its counterparts, had
a ribbed collar, short sleeves with ribbed bands and was made
of a light knitted fabric called "Jersey petit piquéIt
continues to offer the same quality, comfort and solidity on
which it built its name and which constitute its uniqueness.
Brand description detail remains property of lacoste dotcm
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