In the history of clothing, where countless masterpieces have been created, the polo shirt "L.12.12" is written in bold letters. Did you know that the tasteless list of numbers was the deep thought of the founder, René Lacoste?

The petite piqué, the "first" and "second" most important design for Lacoste, and the short-sleeve design, the "second" most important design for Lacoste, took 12 prototypes to complete. "12" times. The "L" in the initials of Lacoste was added to the "12" to complete the design.
So "L.12.12" is the addition of "L.12.12".

So, why did you choose an alligator for your emblem? Well, as you know, the emblem comes from the fact that the French team's playing style is like that of a crocodile: once it bites you, you don't let go. Before a match against Australia , the captain of the French team said to René: "If we win, I'm going to wear a crocodile-skin suit. If you win, I'll give you a crocodile-skin suitcase. Unfortunately, the French team lost the match, but a newspaper reporter who found out what happened wrote, "Although he didn't get the crocodile as a reward, René fought with the same tenacity as a crocodile.

René was a tennis player who won seven of the four major tournaments and was once considered one of the Four Musketeers of France (Roland Garros, the site of the French Open, was built to commemorate the Four Musketeers' victory over the Americans, by the way).

Why did such a man enter the apparel industry?

René retired at the young age of 25, reportedly due to tuberculosis. Signs of it had been there since his working days, and he frequently caught colds. René attributed it to his thick, long-sleeved shirts, which were not at all suitable for playing and became clingy and heavy when he sweated. So in 1933, four years after his retirement, he founded " Lacoste " with André Gillier, who was running a leading knitwear manufacturer in Troyes.

This is also famous for its polo shirts, which were inspired by polo player's wear, and have kept the Trois Maides recipe since its inception.

This is a bit long, but enough preamble, and I would like to take the time to introduce the craftsmanship of the artisans who carry on the spirit of René Lacoste.

As soon as the cityscape broke off, the train window showed an endless expanse of a dreary sky and faded grasslands that seemed to melt into the sky. The train ride northeast from Paris took 1 hour and 30 minutes. The station where I got off the train gave me a somewhat dreary impression. In the center of the town, which is designated as a historic preservation area, colorful wooden frame houses built in the 16th century stand shoulder to shoulder.

. stockings, socks, undergarments . Troyes once flourished as a textile town. It was Henry II of England who started it all. At the beginning of the 20th century, more than 300 knitwear factories were competing with each other. At the beginning of the 20th century, more than 300 knitwear factories were in operation, and it is said that three-quarters of the women living in Troyes worked in the knitwear industry at that time. Today, however, only Lacoste and Petit Bateau (children's clothing) are world-renowned brands," said the director of The Lacoste Conservatory.

What is it about Lacoste's craftsmanship that makes it stand out from the almost non-existent knitwear industry in Troyes, which still maintains a world-class position in the industry?

Lacoste polo shirts are made entirely here, from spinning to shipping.

The knitting floor, which we first visited, was so vast with endless rows of huge machines that we lost all sense of distance. The number of machines is said to be as many as 80. About 100 craftsmen work 24 hours a day in two shifts.

The raw material used by Lacoste is Supima cotton, a cotton with a fiber length of 35 mm or longer, which is supple and has a silky sheen. Supima is a coined word from "Superior Pima," and is literally the king of cotton. It originated as a traditional industry of the Pima tribe, the indigenous people of the United States, and is now grown mainly in Arizona and other parts of the country. It is said that Supima cotton accounts for only 1% of the world's cotton market.

The technique used to maximize the potential of this fabric is a luxurious one that is rarely seen in other companies: two strands of sweet-twisted cotton yarns are knitted together.

Lighter twisting preserves the original elasticity of cotton yarns. Lacoste has succeeded in creating a lighter weight yarn by not only using a low-twist technique, but also by using a pulling technique (knitting multiple yarns side by side without twisting), which increases the bulk of the yarn.

And then there is the knitting fabric. Although it is not well known, the polo shirt's standard "fawn knit" was invented by "Lacoste". In the U.S., the knitting method is called "Lacoste" in honor of the origin.

Lacoste's "fawn knitting" is characterized by the deep bosom of the knitting machine's needles and the strong curve of the fabric. . This gives the surface of the fabric a distinctly uneven appearance. This reduces contact with the skin, keeping the wearer cool even in hot weather.

If René had worn this shirt while playing, he might not have contracted tuberculosis, but then "Lacoste" would not have existed, and fate, as they say, is an irony.

Lacoste's dyeing process, which involves loading 100 kg units into a machine and adding color over a period of nine hours, is not only an extraordinary production volume, but also a method of dyeing all parts at the same time. This is because it is inevitable that individual differences will occur if the body and sleeves are dyed separately. The fact that the finished product varies even with the same recipe is said to be the difficult part of this job, which deals with natural materials.

Its dyes are a cross between reactive dyes, which are popular in Japan, and a dye called Suren. Reactive dyes are superior in coloring, but inferior in fastness. This is compensated for by the use of a selenium dye. However, the Suren dyes are technically complex and costly. Lacoste is said to be the only company in the knitwear industry that uses this dye (because it is particularly difficult to fix the dye to knitwear with uneven surfaces). Then, there is the Formulizer treatment. This process, which stabilizes the shape of the fabric, is also a Lacoste specialty.

Many of the well-known brands in France have integrated production. . such as Paraboot and Aigle. All of them manufacture their own rubber, the material that is the face of the brand.

Generally, secondary industries are labor-intensive industries. When a revolutionary factory emerges, factories that manufacture peripheral materials follow in its footsteps. Thus, a complex and intricate production area and the people who work there create a town.

France was one of the first countries to move production to a new location, and in an industry that is going downhill, integrated production that is not influenced by other companies is probably the strongest option. If the number of trading companies is small, the risk of a chain reaction bankruptcy can be avoided.

Lacoste, which had established an integrated production system, was able to sharpen its own unique taste.

The next floor we visited was the cutting and sewing floor . The floor is as spacious as the spinning floor, and, if one were to ask, there are as many as 100 people working here as well.

Lacoste's fabrics, which never wear out or fade, and the placket, which maintains a three-dimensional silhouette, are the two main reasons why Lacoste is so highly praised by its loyal customers.

The secret lies in the fact that the lining is 2 mm larger than the outer lining to provide a firm foundation (the lining that peeks out from underneath is called "peeking" by craftsmen). ) Because of this firmness of the front, the form of the garment does not collapse. The stitching with tubular knitted parts, not flimsy tapes, is another ingenious idea to keep the collar beautiful (you can see this at a glance when you observe them side by side. (These are obvious when observed side by side. Summer clothes are probably in the back of your closet right now, so please compare them with other brands when you change your clothes).

The difference is immediately apparent when comparing the two shirts, but Lacoste's polo shirts hardly feel loose. This is the result of the thin seam allowance structure. . However, this structure is less durable than usual. To solve this disadvantage, Lacoste uses a core yarn familiar to denim for the sewing thread. This is a polyester yarn wrapped with cotton yarn, which has outstanding strength compared to ordinary polyester spun yarn.

Lacoste's design cannot be described without mentioning the chochin sleeves, the "2" in the model's name. The construction of these sleeves, which fit snugly around the arms, prevent flapping, and also prevent perspiration, was created for tennis players, along with the slits in the sides. The slits, needless to say, are a device that does not interfere with the movement of the lower body.

As the team proceeded to the back of the factory, they noticed a space that was different from the production lines they had seen before. There were tables and chairs that could seat several dozen people, and an elderly woman was watching the women working diligently at their sewing machines.

. it is not easy to find workers, even for Lacoste. We have set up an educational institution called the Manufacturing Academy to preserve the skills we have cultivated for future generations. We will recruit about 100 people through job fairs, etc., and have them spend two years learning Lacoste's craftsmanship. The instructors are retired craftsmen.

A new initiative we would like to highlight is custom-order polo shirts.

Based on the standard model "L.12.12," this service allows you to choose your favorite body, collar, sleeves, and sleeve ribs from 12 colors, crocodile emblems from 5 types, and buttons from 2 types, which is popular in Japan as well as Europe.

The total number of staff assigned to this department is around five, but it is surprising to learn that an average of 200 garments are sewn each day at Nissan, and 400 at the most. Lacoste stocks an enormous amount of work-in-progress, which is strictly controlled by computer to ensure efficient operations.

Of course, this is only possible with skilled craftsmen who can faithfully carry out their mission.

What impressed me when I visited the Lacoste factory was the window at the entrance of the factory and the showroom that leads from it. The window displays the same new products that are displayed in the Paris store on a weekly basis, and the showroom displays the archives of past collections. This was a way to motivate people to work at Lacoste.

Speaking of archives, the Reference Room, which was built in 2008, deserves a special mention. The room is filled with 67,000 items from the Lacoste archives dating back to 1933. Lacoste designers can browse this valuable archive at any time.

The order form to André Gillée on December 29, 1932, and the early polo shirts . The array of framed portraits of VIPs and the 80th anniversary collection of collaborations with local brands such as Hermès, Boucheron, and Goyard were also a must-see. The team's eyes were especially drawn to a number of products that, at first glance, seemed incongruous for a polo shirt reference room.

The practice ball machine that fans know (the one we saw was a replica; the real one is on display at Roland Garros), the world's first steel racket that became the template for today's rackets, the vibration-absorbing parts that attach to the racket, the uneven ball designed for distance .... (He was also the one who started taping the grips of his racquets.) ) The exhibits took my breath away, and it is no wonder that he answered "I am an inventor" when asked what his profession was.

But it is simply wonderful that both artisans and designers can work in this environment surrounded by the archives. As the self-appointed keeper of the lighthouse in Troyes, the city of textiles, Lacoste knows that tradition is the best fuel to keep the lighthouse burning.