What type of shirt did Ralph Lauren popularize?

Ralph Lauren popularized the polo shirt. Although similar short-sleeved, collared sports shirts existed before his version, his Polo label helped turn the garment into a worldwide symbol of casual American style.

Lauren named his first full menswear line “Polo” in 1968, drawing on the sport’s associations with elegance, leisure, and traditional country-club clothing. In 1972, his company introduced its signature cotton-mesh Polo shirt in a range of colors, with the mounted polo player emblem at the chest.

The shirt was not invented by Ralph Lauren. Earlier versions were associated with polo and tennis, and René Lacoste had already helped popularize a similar knitted tennis shirt. Lauren’s major contribution was branding: he connected the garment to an expansive lifestyle image and made it central to the preppy look.

Another common mix-up is treating “Polo” as if it were only a generic name for the garment. In this context, Polo is Ralph Lauren’s brand, while “polo shirt” is the everyday clothing term used across many labels.