No Lacoste Crocodile

Green crocodile under red no symbol on white background.

The well-known Lacoste polo shirt and its crocodile logo were developed in the 1930's by French tennis great, Jean René Lacoste. Its association with the “yuppie” movement later in the century was initiated after it gained preference by country club members and Ivy League college athletes of the 1970's and 1980's. The Official Preppy Handbook which was published in 1980, declared the Izod polo to be "the sport shirt of choice" for anyone who considered themselves prep school elite. With the brand’s French origins and sizing, as well as its historic associations with wealthy pastimes such as tennis, golf, and sailing, the crocodile-clad clothing became an instantly recognizable symbol of the well-to-do. 

However, there was also a push, especially on college campuses, to abandon the "preppy" style of Lacoste and its associations with wealth and class privilege. By the end of the 1980's, the Lacoste polo and its famous crocodile declined in popularity owing in part to an oversaturation of the market and therefore a loss of its "elite" status.