Lacoste

Lacoste began in France in 1933, when tennis champion René Lacoste put a crocodile on a shirt. It was his nickname on the court, and the polo shirt has looked much the same ever since: piqué cotton, ribbed collar, two button placket, and more colours than you strictly need.

Sportswear function sits at the heart of it. Lacoste has grown beyond the polo into knitwear, tees and trainers, and the crocodile turns up on those too. It's a good place to start if you want clean, casual pieces with a French sporting background, and the polo is the one to try first.