In love with Lacoste

Ugg boots may come and go and Von Dutch is already last season, but Lacoste is here to stay — well, on the Princeton University campus, at least. For 70 years, the brand that defined the pique polo has epitomized the cross between sportswear and prep wear.

For some students, an affection for Lacoste stems from practical reasons.

"Lacoste is classic," Marques Highland '04, an admitted fan, said. "It never goes out of style, so I don't have to worry about keeping up with fashion. Maybe I'm just lazy."

The association between Lacoste and Princeton is prevalent on and off campus. In an April 2003 Yale Daily News column titled "Princeton: Seduction, Betrayal and Punch Line," the author pokes fun at the popularity of Lacoste.

"Previously, I had underestimated the amount of Lacoste left in the world. Ever wonder where the little alligators went? I can tell you — Princeton kidnapped every single one of them and they are now living in captivity at the eating clubs," the author wrote.

A cute jab. But, as most Princetonians could probably tell you, "they're crocodiles, not alligators," Lori Piranian '06 said.

As later confirmed by Bob Segal, President of Lacoste-USA, "there are no alligators in France."

Sorry, Yale.

Can you really blame Princeton for its extensive familiarity with the crocodile? After all, the current president of La Chemise Lacoste, Bernard Lacoste (son of the company's founder, Rene Lacoste), was a fellow tiger, Class of 1956.

But it's not just Princeton. Now, America is catching on to what Tigers discovered years ago — there's nothing wrong with a man in a flamingo-colored polo.

"I personally think boys in pink polos look good and are very in touch with their manhood," Piranian said. "But they may get beat up outside of the gates."

In the past two years, according to Segal, there has been a huge resurgence in the popularity of Lacoste.

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In the late '70s and '80s "Lacoste was seated at the head of the prep trend," Segal said.

However, after its heyday, the brand fell into a sort of dormancy (across the country, at least) that lasted for 15 years.

But, "with the recent development of the new stretch pique polo for women," Segal said, "in the last two years we've become a very trendy and inspirational brand."

To stay ahead of the market, Lacoste is still working hard to strike the balance between its classic quality and a modern, trendy sensibility. The result for this spring is a fun new line that is fit for any college student.

Take one step inside the US-Lacoste headquarters on Madison Avenue in New York and it's hard to ignore how the brand's identity saturates the interior design. Each item epitomizes the new face of Lacoste: a convergence of classic and trendy with a strong emphasis on color. Intense colors of every hue imaginable punctuate the crisp, hyperwhite office space. Bright billboards from the spring 2004 campaign proudly display the new threads, while piles of clothes are strategically arranged to fit in with the décor.

In the lobby, the first door on the left is the showroom: the ultimate candy shop for any prep connoisseur. Like a gigantic walk-in closet, there are racks of samples from the upcoming lines. Everything from pants to jackets to polos to hats are separated by line and displayed in every possible flavor. In fact, according to Daniela Radvany, Vice President of Marketing, this spring there will be 33 basic colors for men and 16 basic colors for women.

What are the predictions for the season's hottest colors?

"Fashion wise, all the hottest colors are pop colors for women," Radvany said. "The top three colors will be Rose Madras (a hot pink), Azurine (a turquoise blue) and Pomelos (a neon yellow)."

For men, the perennial favorite, according to Radvany, will still be the Flamingo Pink. Fanion Blue (a bright medium blue) is a close second.

Each line Lacoste puts out revolves around color. The prints and colors of each piece are created in order to coordinate with the color scheme of other pieces. With only six permanent colors, the color palette is also constantly changing with the start of each new season.

Proving that it takes color seriously, Lacoste also utilizes "one of the most unique dying techniques," according to Segal, in order to create "colors unlike any other in this world."

Besides a new color palette and a variety of polos, Lacoste fans will also have an assortment of new styles to choose from. In stores now, there are a number of terry cloth coordinates (shirts, skirts, etc.) in bright bubblegum colors (of course, showcasing the top three colors). For men, there are woven shirts in pastel colors and vertical stripes. In terms of accessories, marketing predicts that the most popular item will be the pique baseball cap that sports a larger-than-average (4.0 centimeter) crocodile emblem on the front.

The current March line is appropriately called "Campus" and is a return to denims and vintage style. Many of the seasonal lines are influenced by locations, such as the Aspen, Vermont, Cape Cod and Boston programs for the fall. Meanwhile the spring lines refer to more resort-type locales for inspiration.

In April, the company will officially introduce the Silver Grey Crocodile line in the United States, according to Jackie Harrigan in Sales Operation. The Silver label is a higher-end line that will feature fine Italian fabrics, including cashmere polos.

The tradition of prep meets sports will continue in Lacoste's fall line for 2004. Men can look forward to the reintroduction of the retrofitted pique polo, a polo with a longer back shirt tail. The style was retired in the 1980s after a very popular run, and for its reprisal, the retro-polo will come in 10 of the company's bestselling colors.

For women, Lacoste has also created many retro-inspired pieces. There will be a Boston line featuring stretch, striped rugby shirts in colors such as sturgeon khaki and pumpkin. There will also be an assortment of corduroys in various cuts. Corduroy skirts, jeans and blazers will be featured in muted fall colors such as old rose, aquarium blue and sturgeon khaki. Lacoste will also introduce new beanie hats with the crocodile logo this fall.

Even as Lacoste continues to develop as a brand, it still plans on sticking to its original formula.

"Our roots are in sportswear and we're never going to go away from that" Harrigan said.

Zoe and Smith Brothers sells Lacoste in town (polos start at $72), but for a greater selection check out their two Manhattan stores at 543 Madison Avenue and 608 5th Avenue.

Still can't get enough of Lacoste? For those who want to take their love for everything Lacoste to the next level, the marketing department accepts about three to four interns each summer for college credit.