The Lacoste logo shows a crocodile, inspired by tennis player René Lacoste’s nickname.
Lacoste received the nickname “the Crocodile” because of his persistence on the tennis court and a famous wager involving a crocodile-skin suitcase. The nickname became associated with him during his playing career in the 1920s.
The embroidered crocodile became one of the earliest visible logos placed on the outside of clothing. René Lacoste and André Gillier founded the company in 1933, initially producing tennis shirts made from a lightweight knitted fabric.
People sometimes call the emblem an alligator because the animals look similar, but the brand’s official identity is specifically a crocodile. The logo also differs from a generic reptile symbol: its connection is biographical, linking the clothing company to Lacoste’s sporting persona.