The Beginnings of Tennis and Polo Shirts 0
The Beginnings of Tennis and Polo Shirts
A tennis shirt or also commonly known as a polo shirt or a golf shirt, is a type of with a collar, typically with some buttons down a slit below the collar, two small slits on the bottom of either side, and an optional pocket. These shirts are usually made of knitted cloth especially pique cotton or, less commonly, silk, merino wool, or synthetic fibers.
During the nineteenth to early twentieth century, tennis players usually wore long-sleeved shirts, trousers, and ties Attire suitable for office work in our modern society. These formal clothes presented several problems for ease of play and comfort on the court. The French 7-time Grand Slam tennis champion René Lacoste felt that the stiff dress shirts and ties of the day were simply too heavy and uncomfortable for the tennis court. He began his own line of apparel, named Lacoste after his namesake and designed a loosely-knit pique cotton shirt with an un-starched, flat protruding collar and a longer shirt-tail in back than in front. The function of the thick pique collar was to protect the neck from being sunburned by the sun. Preceeding Lacoste’s 1929 invention of the tennis shirt, polo players normally wore thick long-sleeve shirts made of Oxford-cloth cotton. It is interesting to note that this shirt was the first to have a button-down collar, which polo players invented in the late nineteenth century to keep their collars from flapping in the wind. Still, those clothes presented a discomfort on the field, and when polo players became aware of Lacoste’s invention in the 1930s they readily adopted it for use in polo.
Before long, the design of polo shirt and tennis shirt became the same. By the 1950s, polo shirts were deemed as part of the standard tennis attire in America. It was highly sought after. In fact, the tennis players also cite their court uniform as a “polo shirt”, although in reality, the was initially designed for tennis and was only taken on by polo players a good many years later.
Then Ralph Lauren started a new line of polo shirts and incorporated it into his existing collection called Polo, in 1967. As a result, polo shirts became even more popular. Lauren’s polo shirts were not really designed for the game, but its design was similar to what the polo players were wearing at that time.
Before long, golfers became aware of the advantages of Lacoste’s tennis shirt. As a result, when golf’s customary wear grew more relaxed and informal some time in the twentieth century, golfers did not think twice about adopting the tennis shirt. Until today, most golfers wear nothing else. For the ladies, they can have their tennis shirt custom made in colors that they like. The only difference is that the monicker “golf shirts” have various golf cuts necessary to incorporate into the standard tennis shirts. Today, the tennis shirt’s popularity is so widespread that it has a line of fashion of its own. Most of the main clothing producers have a version or variation of Lacoste’s tennis shirt since it is worn extensively by both men and women today and not necessarily for athletic purposes. Tennis shirts are regarded as smart casual wear. Many semi-professional and retail workers wear tennis shirts to work because round collar are considered too informal and yet business suits are too formal.
Its rough and ready style also makes it a favored shirt for those working outdoors, such as field guides and labourers. During the 1990s, the tennis shirt became the standard business informal/casual attire for the high tech industry and then spread to other industries. Company logos are often printed on these tennis shirts to be used as custom corporate apparel. Some government officials in India wear tennis shirts as standard work attire.
Tennis shirts are without doubt very fashionable in sports. Officials such as caddies, some retired golf professionals, umpires and sports announcers wear tennis shirts on a regular basis. Besides that, tennis shirts are also popular in many schools, especially junior schools. Both boys and girls wear tennis shirts as part of their compulsory uniform to schools. Because tennis shirts are closely associated with sports, they come in all sorts of light colors. The most typical color is white.
The modern tennis shirt has a special feature called a “tennis tail”. This design is taken from the original Lacoste, whereby the back is cut a few centimeters longer than the front so that when the tennis player leans forward, the shirt will still stay tucked properly in his shorts. In addition, a tennis shirt’s collar can be easily upturned to protect the player’s neck from the sun.
The tennis shirt or polo shirt will continue to occupy a niche in the fashion industry, regardless of the changing trends and times. It has become an essential wear in our daily lives.
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Alternative Rock and Its Beginnings 2
When music isn’t pop, rock, country, folk or classical, what is it? It could actually have many names but most refer to it as “alternative”. So how did this name come about?
There are many theories or ideas about how “alternative” became a term used so commonly today. Some say it stemmed from the DJs and promoters of the 1980s who were playing music beyond the top 40 rock radio formats. With freedom of song selection, new bands began making a presence and becoming more requested. From here, college radio grabbed on to the sound, dubbing the music with terms such as new post-punk, indie, or underground music. The use of the term “alternative” gained further exposure due to the success of Lollapalooza, where festival founder and Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell coined the term “Alternative Nation.”
By the late 1980s, the American alternative scene was dominated by styles ranging from quirky alternative pop (They Might Be Giants and Camper Van Beethoven), to noise rock (Sonic Youth, Big Black) to industrial rock (Ministry, Nine Inch Nails). Simultaneously, grunge bands emerged in Seattle, Washington, which included synthesized heavy metal and punk rock. These bands included Soundgarden and Mudhoney. By the end of the decade, a number of alternative bands began to sign to major labels.
In the UK, alternative rock was making a scene at the same time but often called indie. While a few bands achieved commercial success and some mainstream recognition, most alternative rock artists were considered cult acts that were recorded on independent labels and whom mostly received their exposure through college radio airplay and word-of-mouth.
Alternative bands developed underground followings and toured constantly. This was followed in the early 1990s by an industry that recognized the commercial possibilities in these bands. Major labels actively began seeking out these “alternative” bands and signing them. Nirvana found great success in this time and with the release of the band’s single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” along with the constant airplay of the song’s music video on MTV.
Commercial radio stations saw this success and began allowing heavier alternative bands play time. The New York Times declared in 1993, “Alternative rock doesn’t seem so alternative anymore. Every major label has a handful of guitar-driven bands in shapeless shirts and threadbare jeans, bands with bad posture and good riffs who cultivate the oblique and the evasive, who conceal catchy tunes with noise and hide craftsmanship behind nonchalance.”
By 1992 Soundgarden’s album Badmotorfinger and Alice in Chains’ Dirt, along with the Temple of the Dog album collaboration featuring members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden began selling thousands of albums. Rolling Stone magazine began labeling Seattle ‘the new Liverpool’ and major record labels signed most of the prominent grunge bands in Seattle.
With the death of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain in 1994 and Pearl Jam’s lawsuit against concert venue promoter Ticketmaster, which in effect barred the group from playing many major venues around the United States, by the end of the 1990s, alternative rock’s mainstream prominence declined.
This decline shifted again and alternative rock again began gaining popularity with artists such as Creed and Matchbox Twenty becoming some of the most popular rock bands in the United States.
Today “alternative” music is almost mainstream and synonymous with quality music. What does the future hold for alternative bands? It is hard to tell, but from its current history, it appears that there will be a continuation of a market for unique expressions of artistry and sound for time to come.
Jeff Bachmeier is owner of 977music.com, an and online radio station network providing live streaming channels with music from the 50?s thru Today. Users can also choose to create their own customized on demand playlist through their own social media profile. For more information please visit .