If we are also specialists in customising poles? The answer is, of course, yes!
We're clearly in the presence of an indisputable phenomenon in the world of fashion, and nowadays, who doesn't have at least one, or even several polo shirts in their wardrobe?
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Comfortable, sporty and elegant, the polo as a garment is synonymous with style and implicit, timeless quality, which are some of the main reasons behind its true popularity.
In Maudlin Merchandise we have a huge variety of brands, models, cuts and colours to choose from. personalise poles, be they men's polo shirts, women's polo shirts and children's polo shirts, as well as short-sleeved and long-sleeved polo shirts, with or without pockets and in different weights.
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Where and how exactly did the Pole come about? Let's make it as clear as possible!
Few garments can boast of being a true classic and timeless fashion icon like the polo shirt. We're talking about a basic and essential element of any modern wardrobe, but you've probably never wondered how it got the name polo, right?
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Early 19th century
The exact origin of polo is unknown, but its debut in a more "mass" form dates back to the end of the 19th century, specifically in Manipur, India, where it was officially born.
After the British soldiers "stationed" in India attended a polo match, they decided to create their own club. As a result, the sport grew in popularity with the British army and British tea planters in India, with a huge phalanx of players.
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Of course, attention immediately turned to the traditional costume of the time, which consisted of thick long-sleeved shirts made from cotton and which were anything but comfortable, hence the idea of fastening the collars of the shirts with buttons to prevent them from flapping while galloping in the field.
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Late 19th century
John E. Brooks, grandson of the founder of Brooks Brothers in the United States, arrived in England on a business trip and, while watching a game, noticed a peculiar detail: that the collars had been buttoned up to prevent them from flapping in the wind.
The idea was taken back home, with Brooks Brothers applying collars to their shirt designs, and was officially introduced in 1896, becoming the iconic "Button-Down" formal polo shirt, changing the world of men's fashion forever.
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1920
Next important date in the history of polo. Why? That's when Lewis Lacey, an Argentinian-Irish clothing and polo shirt salesman, opened a men's clothing shop in Buenos Aires and started selling them.
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1926
The rise of the polo shirt as a garment to another level will always be linked to French tennis player Rene Lacoste, who is credited with creating the current polo shirt.
As with polo (sport), tennis clothing was highly uncomfortable (to give you an idea, initially we were talking about long-sleeved shirts with buttons, where you had to roll up the sleeves, and to help the party, a final kit with trousers and a flannel tie (a status symbol associated with sport at the time).
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Clearly dissatisfied, Lacoste took advantage of the fact that he was number one in the world at the time to create an alternative that was more aligned and adapted to the real needs of sport, opting for a design with short sleeves, a collar without buttons, and not least, the introduction of pique cotton at the time, which not only translated into greater durability, but more importantly, greater breathability of the fabric, which was a critical factor in the brand's consolidation process.
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1933
In partnership with his friend and knitwear manufacturer Andre Gillier, Lacoste founded La Société Chemise Lacoste, the company responsible for producing the mythical soft polo shirts.
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1951
The year Lacoste comes up with another brilliant idea. How about starting to produce polo shirts in colours other than just white (which was the norm at the time)? It was also the year that coincided with the company's expansion into the United States, catapulting the brand and the polo as a garment to stratospheric levels of popularity.
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1954
Fred Perry, another tennis legend at the time, decided he wanted to create his own version of Lacoste's creation, keeping the cotton pique but introducing a design enhancement detail (embroidered logo instead of heat-applied).
Its popularity ensured that it became a major competitor to Lacoste, with widespread adoption among younger audiences. However, it wasn't until a New Yorker by the name of Ralph Lauren that the polo shirt really became the polo shirt 😉
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1972
The next important date in the history of the polo shirt was 1972, when Ralph Lauren wanted to give his new casual clothing company a brand that at the same time portrayed sophistication and timelessness, including the polo shirt as an essential part of production and further increasing its popularity.
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The 90s
Decade in which the polo shirt became part of standard business casual wear and the high-tech industry, later extending to other industries.
An undisputed fashion phenomenon, the polo shirt is comfortable, stylish, sporty and unshakably popular, so while you're browsing our selection of products, be sure to take a moment to consider its rich history.
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We know that this "brief" summary of the history of polo must have sounded more like a five-set tennis match, with all of them decided in a tie-break, but we've tried to be as assertive as possible! The reality is that we're really talking about a lot of history already 😉
As we've already mentioned, Maudlin Merchandise also specialises in personalising polo shirts, guaranteeing prints and embroidery with the best quality/price ratio on the market, in the way that characterises us.
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In terms of options, the only "problem" you'll have is actually choosing, so our recommendation is always to consult our price lists to get a better idea of the values we're talking about, as well as a garment of personalised quotewhich we will be happy to answer.
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We are well aware of the excellent quality of all our products, production processes and customer support throughout the process, which makes us one of the players of choice in the national market!
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Shall we work together? Don't hesitate to contact us!
