Deciphering The Information on a Genuine Lacoste Price Tag

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If you buy a legitimate Lacoste original polo shirt, it’s price tag should have a model number or code that is made up of four different parts.

For men’s shirts, the model number should begin with a code representing the design. For the original, cotton polo shirt, that design code should be one of the following:

  • L1212 – short sleeve pique
  • L1312 – long sleeve pique

For women’s original, cotton pol shirts, the model number should begin with one of these design codes:

  • PF168 or PF168E – short sleeve stretch pique
  • PF368E – classic long sleeve pique

For Lacoste items other than the original polo shirts, there are multiple other design codes, but they are all generally being with one or two letter combined with a number.

The next part of the model number  is a two digit number representing where the shirt is manufactured. In the US, it is almost always 51, meaning the shirt was made in Peru.  There are different numbers for India and Europe.

The third part of the model number is a three digit or three letter code representing the color. Some examples of colors are:

001 – white
031 – black
166 – navy
107 – yellow
240 – red
132 – green
476 – bordeaux
TO3 – flamingo
NSX – lawn green
TO1 – till blue
8LX – pearl
NXU – coastal blue
CBK – aegean blue

It’s important to realize, though, that there are numerous color and color combination codes, so this list is far from complete. For example, the DWW color code shown in the label above stands for black/white, white and graphite pattern on a color-block polo.

Lastly, there is a two digit code representing the size, as follows:

T3 – XS
T4 – S
T5 – M
T6 – L
T7 – XL
T8 – XXL

Thus, for example, a Men’s short sleeve, pique yellow, made in Peru, size small polo shirt label should read: L1212 51 107 T4

Some examples of tags are shown below.

Lacoste Tag

Editors Note

I’ve updated this article for 2021, since it is so popular. For detailed information on how to detect counterfeit Lacoste, see my posts on detecting fake Lacoste polo shirts, detecting fake Lacoste bags, and detecting fake Lacoste sneakers. I also have a page with more general tips on detecting Lacoste knock-offs.

The Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt

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Polo by Ralph LaurenAlthough I’m a Lacoste fanatic, I’m still interested in other brands of Polo Shirts. In particular, I’ve always had a weakness for Ralph Lauren polo shirts. In my mind, they are the only real rival to original Lacoste polo shirts. So, I’ve written this post on the history of Ralph Lauren polo shirts.

As the Ralph Lauren site puts it:

An American style standard since 1972, the Polo shirt has been imitated but never matched. Over the decades, Ralph Lauren has reimagined his signature style in a wide array of colors and fits, yet all retain the quality and attention to detail of the iconic original.

The then twenty-eight year old, Ralph Lauren founded his fashion line, in 1967. Reportedly, he named the brand “Polo Ralph Lauren” because it sounded more English. In 1969, the brand had its first major success when Bloomingdale’s gave Polo Ralph Lauren its own shop within the store. This was the first designer shop within a Bloomingdales. Three years later, in 1972, Ralph Lauren launched the iconic polo shirt in twenty-four colors.

Although it is available in synthetic fabrics now, at the time of the polo shirt’s launch, Ralph Lauren was reportedly adamant about the superiority of cotton polo shirts and “open about his love for the patina of a well-loved garment, something that polyester couldn’t really offer.” This focus was reiterated in the Polo Ralph Lauren’s launch tagline “it gets better with age.”(1)

By the 1980s the brand was going head-to-head with Lacoste. As one observer put it, “The 1980’s became the decade of the polo-shirt as Lacoste and Ralph Lauren battled for the cash of Americans coast to coast.”(2). By the middle of the decade, in the United States, the Ralph Lauren polo shirt had equal status with Lacoste, although it had much less success in Europe.

Emblazoned with the iconic polo-player embroidered motif, the polo shirt has remained Polo Ralph Lauren’s most popular product for nearly fifty years. It’s truly a worthy competitor to Lacoste’s original polo shirt.

Lacoste Opens New Store At The Icon Outlet At The O2 in London

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Lacoste MasksUpdated 12/04.2020

Lacoste announced that it is opening a new store at the Icon Outlet at the O2 in London. For a limited time, to celebrate the new store’s opening, they are offering a chance to win “one year’s supply of iconic Lacoste polos.”

Here’s the press release:

Icon Outlet at The O2 has announced international designer brand, Lacoste, is the latest retailer to sign for its newest outlet store at the destination.  As one of the leading shopping destinations in the capital, Lacoste is set to join Icon Outlet’s robust retail offering of over 60 brands including, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s, GAP, Nike and adidas.

 

Lacoste will open its latest 1770 square foot store on the upper level adjacent to Ted Baker and Calvin Klein, from 10am on Wednesday 2 December. The store will stock Lacoste’s apparel lines, accessories and fragrances for men, women and children, and the brand remains an official partner of the Nitto ATP Finals which recently took place at The O2 behind closed doors due to the national lockdown.

 

Jamie Givens, CEO for UK & Ireland at Lacoste, commented: “We are thrilled to have signed for our latest space at Icon Outlet. At Lacoste we have always been committed to designing products that combine innovation, quality and elegance. Icon Outlet embraces these notions across their retail portfolio and we look forward to showcasing our premium range of unique and original lifestyle offerings for women, men and children.”

 

Marion Dillon, leasing firector for Icon Outlet, added: “Lacoste is a fabulous addition to our international brands here at Icon Outlet … Lacoste is an anchor brand and their signing is evidence that Icon Outlet remains attractive to international brands interested in reaching our diverse customer base.”

Janine Constantin-Russell, managing director of Icon Outlet, added: “We are delighted to be reopening again with Lacoste now joining our family of  brands.”

See the complete press release at Retail Times UK, or for more coverage see Retail and Leisure International or Fashion United UK.

Lacoste Un Crocodile Sweater

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I love the Lacoste Un Crocodile Sweaters. but they are long gone from the Lacoste Store. Now, I’m keeping an eye out now fo see if I can find a used one somewhere on Ebay. Or, you can just look at all the other Lacoste Sweaters.
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As Lacoste puts it, “All the signs of Lacoste are condensed into this fine wool sweater with flat ribbing and a tongue-in-cheek Un Crocodile design, as seen on the runway.” They feature:

  • Crew neck
  • Relaxed fit
  • Ribbed finishes
  • Premium Ribbed Wool
  • Tone-on-Tone crocodile branding

You used to be able to find them in the Lacoste Fashion Show store.