Tennis-Lacoste Patent T-Shirt

$28.00

See The Story of this design in tab, below.

Our original Tennis-Lacoste design is printed in full color on a classic pre-shrunk 100% cotton men’s/unisex t-shirt using an eco-friendly water-based ink process, in shirt colors as indicated. The large design is printed on the front only. Some element colors in the design change slightly depending upon whether it is printed on a dark or light shirt.

The Story

Frenchman Jean René Lacoste was a tennis star with over seven Grand Slam titles in the 20s and early 30s and was the world number one player in both 1926 and 1927. Nicknamed “the Crocodile” for his tenacity on the court, a stylized version of the creature later became the iconic logo of the Lacoste polo-style tennis shirt that he introduced in 1929.

In 1963, Lacoste created a whole new world of racket technology when he patented the first tubular steel tennis racket. It didn’t warp, was lightweight and had less wind resistance. Lacoste’s innovative idea of passing racket strings around metal wires looped to the frame finally solved previous problems with metal rackets— most notably the incompatibility of tensioned strings with the sharp metal edges of holes drilled in the tubing.

The Lacoste design was marketed in Europe, and in the USA as the Wilson T-2000. It was famously used by American tennis great Jimmy Connors through his major tournaments and, as late as 1987—nearly a quarter century after its initial patent was granted. The T-2000 is arguably the most popular tennis racket in history.

The recognized success of metal rackets in the early 70s encouraged competitors to experiment with other non-traditional materials, eventually leading the way to today’s carbon composites. These developments have in turn led to a wider variety of choices now in the special features which affect playing characteristics.

Sizing | Fit | Care: Unisex T-Shirt

A classic 100% cotton men’s/unisex t-shirt (except for Sport Grey, which is 90/10% cotton/polyester) that gives a rich and structured look and works great for layered streetwear outfits. The durable pre-shrunk jersey knit fabric maintains sharp lines along the edges and ensures your size is maintained throughout multiple washings. A classic fit style means it is not form-fitted at the sides.
Fit type: Classic. Primary brand: Gildan
NOTE: Dark color speckles throughout the fabric are expected for the color Natural.
  • 100% cotton (except Sport Grey=10% polyester)
  • 5–5.3 oz. fabric weight
  • Pre-shrunk jersey knit
  • Taped neck and shoulders
  • Tear-away tag

If you’re unsure about sizing, the best way to determine a correct size is to grab an existing favorite t-shirt, lay it flat, and then measure it.
To get the chest size, measure from armpit to armpit. To get the length, measure from neck/shoulder corner intersection to bottom of hem (see illustration). Double the garment width to determine the chest circumference measurement, and you’ll find it will generally fit.

USA/INCHES Sizes: Unisex/Men’s T-Shirt
1″ = 2.54 cm S M L XL 2XL 3XL
Chest (inches) 36 40 44 48 52 56
Width (inches) 18 20 22 24 26 28
Length (inches) 28 29 30 31 32 33
CENTIMETERS Sizes: Unisex/Men’s T-Shirt
2.54 cm = 1″ S M L XL 2XL 3XL
Chest (cm) 96 102 112 122 132 142
Width (cm) 45.7 51 56 61 66 71
Length (cm) 74 76 78 79 81 83.8

CARE:

Machine wash, cold, inside out, gentle cycle with mild detergent and similar colors. Use non-chlorine bleach—only when necessary No fabric softeners.

Tumble dry, low heat, or hang-dry for longest life.

Cool iron inside-out if necessary. Do not iron decoration or print.

Do not dry clean.

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