Pictures of Famous People Wearing... Lacoste

01.04.2021 • 1 comment

Picture this – it’s 1925, and stuffy garb rules the tennis-o-sphere with a rigid, uncomfortable fist. Players are collapsing left and right on the court due to sweat-related exhaustion (not entirely sure whether this what was the case, but it’s funny to imagine it was) and every single racket-wielder is chaffed-up to the nines.

This was the status quo until a man named René “The Crocodile” Lacoste came up with the ingenious idea of creating a short-sleeved, piqué cotton shirt explicitly designed with tennis in mind.

Not only was this a massively comfortable upgrade from the tennis clobber of yore, but it also looked pretty sharp – and it wasn’t long before Lacoste outgrew the court.

Here’s some snaps hoiked from the internet of people sporting the humble Croc.

Sergio Leone and Robert De Niro before a painted city skyline, one in a pink Lacoste polo, one in a fedora and red scarf

Clint Eastwood in a red Lacoste polo and dark trousers peeling an apple with a knife in a kitchen with wooden cupboards

Someone in gold aviators and a blue striped Lacoste knitted tank top over a white tee, with grey jeans and a backpack

Five people round a worktable of equipment in a workshop, one in a pale yellow Lacoste polo standing at the centre, smiling

Someone in a coral red Lacoste polo shirt in a room with shelves of books behind

Someone walking in a red Lacoste polo, khaki shorts, a blue jumper tied round the waist and white Sperry canvas shoes

René Lacoste in a white blazer with a crocodile on the chest pocket, carrying wooden tennis rackets, in black and white

Still from The Odd Couple: someone in a pale yellow Lacoste polo holding up a teacup, beside someone in a navy cap

Someone on a picnic bench in a tan Lacoste bucket hat, pink fleece jacket, check trousers and cream canvas high-tops

Eisenhower in a white Lacoste polo and cap, laughing with someone holding up a golf club, in black and white

Four people in polo shirts, most with the Lacoste croc, tucked into high-waisted jeans, in black and white

A group posing in a packed crowd at an outdoor ground, several in striped Lacoste polo shirts, one in a white visor

More Lacoste from the Archives

There's more to the crocodile than a cotton polo shirt. We've dug out a couple more bits from the archives, including Lacoste L!VE and some rather fine tennis shoes.

And if you're after something with a crocodile on it, see what's currently available in our Lacoste collection.