It could be that after a decade of meat-market health clubs, golf courses are becoming the singles bars of the ’90s. It could be nostalgic baby boomers seeking a fast preppy fix. It could be Lacoste’s mass-market revival of its logo’d knit shirt -you know, the one with the signature green crocodile with red tongue. Whatever the reason, today’s fashion message is: Polo, anyone? Actually, polo shirts. Polo minidresses, too.
For youthful female trendoids, the must-have on or off the greens -is the midriff-baring minipolo top. Ralph Lauren’s, $49 with the familiar mallet-swinging equestrian logo, comes in cotton in about a dozen colors. Anne Klein’s, $135, comes in silk in a rainbow of pastels.
“The polo is one of the hottest-selling items in America,” says David Wolfe, creative director for the Doneger Group, a trend forecasting service in New York. “It’s probably the most perfect symbol of what’s going on in fashion, which is a return to sensible, classic clothes.
“It seems to satisfy so many needs at once. It’s classic and classy, it’s a little retro, it’s a little “Forrest Gump.”
Judi Baker, marketing director for Jazz Sport, a junior line in Vernon, Calif., outside Los Angeles, has other ideas.
“Blame it on the Newt,” Baker says. “”Along with a resurgence of the Republican political environment, we’re seeing more conservative looks, more ladylike fashions. It’s cleaned-up Ivy League attitude.”
Body-hugging is the secret word. Like Nicole Miller’s tight, stretchy polo bodysuit, $125 in black, white or navy.
How to accessorize? No baggy Bermudas or roomy khaki chinos here. Pick a sexy, shiny, satin mini or a teeny pleated tennis skirt. A narrow belt can cinch the waist. Then bypass the cordovan penny loafers for strappy high-heel sandals or Mary Janes on a rubber sole.
The polo is a shirt of many moods.
Ralph Lauren makes them in terry cloth for sailing, $95, and in sequins for dancing, $1,735. Chanel goes for luxe with polos in one-ply cashmere, about $1,000 in July.
Jazz Sport offers poly-and-cotton polo shirts, $18 to $24, some cropped or with gingham or argyle collars.
Then there are polo dresses, which look like shirts stretched to near the knee. Like Ralph Lauren’s short-sleeve, A-line polo dress, in shiny cream silk charmeuse, $795. Or DKNY’s knee-length white cotton-pique sleeveless dress with navy-trimmed collar, $155. Or a black, cotton blend from All That Jazz, about $25.
The J.Crew summer catalog offers a white pique polo minidress for $48.
The point is, the polo isn’t just for the station wagon set anymore. So say the makers of Lacoste, who are bent on giving Ralph Lauren’s polo pony a run for the money.
Lacoste launched a comeback last spring after years of dwindling sales due to cheap imitations. The Lacoste family bought back the brand from its American licensee and has revived all 40 original shades. The generous cut continues, though the longer tail in back has been replaced by an all-over slightly longer length.
“Two years ago you couldn’t even find a Lacoste shirt at a reputable retailer because fine stores didn’t buy them,” says Ari Hoffman, president of Lacoste in New York. “”And now we can’t keep up with demand.”
Introduced in 1933, the classic, French-made polo was created by debonair tennis ace Rene Lacoste, nicknamed Le Crocodile by the American press for his ruthless court maneuvers.
The humble swamp mascot is said to be the first logo to appear on the outside of a garment.
So confident is the present company that it jacked up the price for its basic shirt to $65. Five years ago, the same Egyptian cotton, pique short-sleeve shirt was $40 for men or women.
Lacoste is banking on a generation of businessmen who need a wardrobe for casual Fridays. Under a blazer, the polo is a natural. Besides, it looks terribly trendy.
“There’s a void in the market that is ripe for clothes for an active weekend lifestyle,” says Hoffman.
