The old world of exclusive leisure class sports for the upper classes and wealthy amateurs evolved somewhat in the late nineteenth century to welcome the everyman. Whereas boating, sailing, steeplechase, ice skating, gymnastics, football, and other sports had always been the province of a idle upper class individual with resources and money to train, rising egalitarianism brooked for stiff competition.

The nature of sports changed in the twentieth century from the leisure amusement of the upper class and “gentleman” amateurs to a hive of ambitious professionals. The gifted natural winner from the restricted sports clubs of the elite had become the trained competitor who used every advantage and strategy to win. Clothing was another part of training and competition equipment.

TSports like tennis and golf were no longer inaccessible but the professional hobby of the heroes of the masses. Records were being made and innovations to popular sports and outdated practices. Sportsmen in the twentieth century like Rene Lacoste and Fred Perry became so frustrated with the uncomfortable tennis and golf “flannels” they worked to make their own knit polo shirts and clothes.

Fred Perry was a stunning tennis player who won every Grand Slam title in his day and played exhibition professional matches on tour with Don Budge. He worked on a singular early version of the wristband “sweatband” that many players used for decades after. Rene Lacoste has been credited with the first polo shirt, yet Perry also invented his version of the polo shirt in a pique knit and launched them in 1954 at Wimbledon.

Finally, players could jump, lunge and strike at the ball without irritating seam chafing, ruffling collars and flapping sleeves, and shirt ends making uncomfortably quick billowing appearances. The knit shirt hugged the wearer and didn’t fly off comically into the wind or flap about. In an increasingly exhibitionistic sport, especially during tournament or professional demonstration play, a seasoned winner considered these design elements and sport play aspects essential.

The Fred Perry logo is famously the Wimbledon laurel leaf, a Caesar like circle of a double leafed crest. The Rene Lacoste logo, a stitched alligator sewn onto the left breast, was originally ironed on. Sergio Tacchini later fostered the polo-style tennis shirt with cutout yokes but essentially the knot polo shirt design. Many people enjoy the design and associative glamour of tennis, golf, and polo playing by wearing the shirts, even if they cannot access the sport.