While you may have worn a wholesale polo-shirt before. you may never have wondered how it came to be and how it got the name 'polo-shirt'. In fact, the story of the polo-shirt is an interesting tale dating back to the 19th century. From the British Military altering their polo shirts while stationed in India, the Polo went on to represent warring youth cultures, to being high jacked by a brand that made it the choice of Presidents, to the multi – purpose, versatile garment we know it as today.

1800's 

The exact origin of the polo shirt is unknown, but its widely recorded début came in the late 19th century in the birthplace of Polo - Manipur, India. After British Soldiers witnessed a match while stationed in Manipur, they set up the first polo club of its time. 

The sport grew in popularity with the British Army and British tea planters in India becoming regular players. Attention soon turned to their polo playing kit with traditional attire of the time consisting of thick, long sleeved shirts made of cotton. Unhappy with these uncomfortable shirts, they attached their collars to their shirts with buttons to stop them flapping while galloping on the field. The sport was introduced into England in 1862.

End of 1800's 

At the end of the 19th century, John E Brooks, grandson of the founder of the Brooks Brothers firm in the US, came to England on a European buying trip. While watching a polo game he noticed something peculiar about the players collars; they were buttoned down so as to prevent them flapping in the wind. 

Impressed, John took the idea back to the Brooks Brothers where they applied button-down collars to dress shirts. 

This shirt was introduced in 1896 and became the iconic Button-Down formal shirt, changing the face of menswear forever. The shirt is said to be 'the most imitated item in fashion history' and the Brooks Brothers still call their shirts the original polo-shirt. 

The next significant event in the history of the polo-shirt came in 1972 when Ralph Lauren wanted to give his new casual wear company a brand name that portrayed sophistication and timelessness. He named it after the sport of the wealthy and the Royals - Polo. He included the 'polo-shirt' as a prominent part of the Polo line which boosted its popularity further. 

The 1980's became the decade of the polo-shirt as Lacoste and Ralph Lauren battled for the cash of Americans coast to coast. Lauren's. With superior branding and Lacoste over saturating the market Polo won the battle. It instantly became an American classic with the shirt itself developing iconic status as the embodiment of Polo lifestyle. 

1990's 

During the 1990's the polo shirt became part of the standard informal business attire for the high-tech industry and then spread to other industries. Often as part of a uniform, companies recognised the benefits of branding a plain polo-shirt with their own name and logo.