Playing tennis, golf or polo using an upper garment that has long sleeves and buttons all the way from the top to the bottom was very cumbersome and impractical. That was exactly what Rene Lacoste was thinking back in his heyday as a tennis champion. The French tennis star was a Grand Slam champion seven times during his illustrious career in the 1920′s. Just like other champions, Lacoste was never satisfied and always tried to find a way to improve his game. He identified the uncomfortable outfit as one of the things holding back the improvement of his game. So he set out to design the polo shirt. It had short sleeves and an unstarched collar made of loosely knit cotton. It was smart and comfortable, and it made playing the game a lot easier. Since then, different companies have taken Lacoste’s idea to make their own brand of polo shirts.