Izod was the American company that licensed the Lacoste brand in the 1950s.
The American arrangement began in the early 1950s, when Lacoste’s tennis shirt entered the United States through the David Crystal company and was marketed under the combined name Izod Lacoste. The licensing deal helped introduce the French brand to American consumers and gave the shirt a distinctly preppy identity.
The partnership initially faced a challenge: the shirt was relatively expensive for its time and had limited appeal beyond tennis. Vincent dePaul Draddy promoted it by giving shirts to well-known figures, including President Dwight Eisenhower, President John F. Kennedy and entertainer Bing Crosby. Their visibility helped turn the garment into a status symbol.
Izod Lacoste became especially prominent in the 1970s and 1980s, when department stores often displayed the line in dedicated shops. The license ended in the 1990s, after which Izod and Lacoste continued as separate brands. “Izod Lacoste” therefore refers to a historical licensed label, not a single company that still operates as one brand.