Izod and Lacoste have been around for several decades. Since their respective launches, these companies have attained icon status in their varying menswear category. One item in most men’s wardrobes is the polo shirt. It doesn’t matter whether it is crisp and white or it comes with striking color and pattern for men who like to be noticed. The polo shirt is one of Izod and Lacoste’s things in common. However, these companies have many differences that we’ll explore in this Lacoste vs Izod comparison. In addition, we’ll provide information on whether these brands are good and how they stand out in the industry. Although there will continuously be varying opinions on which brand is better, this article provides you with an objective view to help you make your decision.

Lacoste vs Izod – Lacoste Story

Lacoste is a part of Maus Freres, a Swiss company today. Today, this company makes over 2 billion Euros in sales each year. However, we can trace Lacoste’s beginning to 1933. The Lacoste company was founded by a famous French tennis player known as Rene Lacoste. He founded the company in collaboration with Andre Giller, the owner of the most prominent French knitwear manufacturing company. 

Their first product was the famous tennis shirt Lacoste designed and wore on the tennis court. The tennis shirt had a crocodile logo embroidered on the chest. Additionally, It was dubbed the L12.12. The L stood for Lacoste, 1- because the shirt was unique, and 2- was the factory code for the short sleeve design 12 was because it was the 12th prototype selected. 

The fabric used for this shirt is known as petit pique meaning small weaving style. Apart from tennis shirts, Lacoste produced shirts for sailing and golf. The original Lacoste slogan was ‘attention au crocodile.’

Lacoste Post-War Expansion

The company began to branch from tennis white in 1951 and expanded into colored shirts. Izod and Lacoste became connected as Izod bought 50% of the rights to market Lacoste in America. Therefore, they advertised the brand as the symbol of a competent sportsman, tagging it Izod/Lacoste. The link lasted till 1993 and confused many people. However, after introducing this symbol, several weekend athletes like John Wayne, Bob Hope, and many more began to wear the shirts. 

They sold the brand sold to Brook Brothers in the late 1960s, giving it an upper-class aura. In 1963 Bernard Lacoste took the company’s management over from his father. At this time, the brand sold over 300,000 Lacoste products annually. There was significant growth in the company after Bernard took over. The company introduced other products like sunglasses, shorts, optical, deck shoes, watches, and varying leather shoes. Their release of a perfume line for men in 1968 was one of their most innovative ideas. 

The Prep Peak

This section of the Lacoste vs Izod comparison isn’t complete without mentioning the prep peak in Lacoste history. The brand’s products became the signature preppy item for most people. It was featured in the Official Preppy Handbook of 1980. The preppy look became mainstream, and many department stores had a different Izod/Lacoste shop that featured sweaters, jackets, and several other apparels from the brand. During this period, sales were up to $150 million for the shirt alone. Most people used Izod and Lacoste interchangeable because most Lacoste shirts featured the Izod/Lacoste branding because of Izod’s license. In 1985, the company ventured into footwear with the release of its now-famous M85 sneaker.

The Dark Decade of the 1990s

The preppy trend reduced in the late 1980s and the combined brand became too exposed. The polo shirt market contains many knock-offs, so the brands split up. Lacoste moved upmarket while trying to capture the elite status. On the other hand, Izod reintroduced itself as mid-range apparel. This move helped sales initially, but when the U.S, Licensee went bankrupt, they resold their 50% share of Lacoste back to the brand. This marked the end of the company’s collaboration in this Lacoste vs Izod comparison. The move gave Lacoste exclusive rights to distribute their shirts under their brand again. The brand’s overexposure continued to affect Lacoste throughout the 1990s.

The Resurgence of the 2000s

The 2000s brought Lacoste back to life with the entry of French designer Christophe Lemaire. He created a more modern and upscale look for the brand. By 2005, the brand solver almost 50 million products in 110 countries. In addition, the brand’s visibility increased because of its contract with several tennis players like Stanislas Wawrinka, Andy Roddick, and many more. 

Lacoste vs Izod – Izod Origin

Izod is an American midrange clothing brand that focuses on producing dressy-casual clothing. The brand also produces sportswear for men, accessories, and footwear. Although Izod is one of the leading menswear brands today, its story began in London in 1922. It started with a talented tailor, Arthur James Jack Izod, who opened the first Izod store in London West End. He started selling ties, hosiery, fine shirts, sportswear, and many more. In 1930, Izod got its big break when the Prince of Wales was impressed with Izod’s apparel and commissioned him to make shirts for the royal household. He also made shirts for King George VI in the 1930s.

While he was in London, a United States executive from David Crystal was intrigued by the Izod name, so he purchased the rights to it. David Crystal launched the brand in 1937 in the United States. Oddly, Jack Izod never designed a single item for the new company. Throughout the 2nd half of the 20th century, the Izod polo was synonymous with a preppy lifestyle and look. Students began to include the polo as a part of their everyday uniform. They also used layer collars and pop collars when necessary. Over the years, the Izod line has significantly grown beyond the initial signature polo. Today, it comprises different accessories, golfwear, and sportswear.

Lacoste Design and Quality

Lacoste design isn’t so different from Izod as we’ll be exploring in this Lacoste vs Izod comparison. The brand is known for its top-quality products and casual style. The company also has a firm background in the tennis industry. Lacoste shirts combined comfort with style to create a sporty-chic tone for its buyers. The brand’s shoe design also stands out in many ways. The croc is quite fashionable and comes in various ranges of colors. It comes with a vintage and bold design that makes it your next essential. The Lacoste polos also come with three different fits: classic, Paris fit, and slim. It also comes in 8 different sizes, from XS to 4XL.

On Lacoste’s website, you’ll find six different fabrics. The pique is their signature style which is durable and textured cotton. They also feature ‘the stretch,’ a pique fabric that’s more elastic and flexible for easy movement. Lacoste polo shirts feature the petit pique material. It offers more stretch and is flexible in all directions. This makes it more durable, and the color and shape will endure much longer than other designs. Lacoste is also famous for its environmentally friendly approach. The brand follows the principles of sustainable development. Therefore they avoid cotton, which comes from sources at risk of human rights violations.

Izod Design and Quality

Izod is continually trying to provide its target customers with comfortable, affordable, and fancy clothing. This is where the brand is similar to Lacoste in the Lacoste vs Izod comparison. The brand’s logo represents the confidence and timelessness of the brand. Additionally, their designs point to the elegance, seriousness, and quality of their approach to fashion. Izod includes traditional cotton pique knit polo shirts, fragrances, leather goods, shoes, underwear, watches, etc. The brand also offers jeans which are denim basics and weekend sportswear.

Izod also offers a saltwater collection that includes men’s clothing with relaxed fits. This line covers the brand’s oxford and chambray button-down shirts, relaxed-fit t-shirts, and many more. Also, the brand’s advantage is the SportFlex stretch fabric it features. It also uses a CoolFX moisture-wicking technology for its designs. Another design style of Izod that differs from Lacoste in this Lacoste vs Izod comparison is the Izod golf design. It includes pants, shorts, and shirts for both men and women. 

The SwingFlex fabric design is one of the best parts of Izod’s design. It helps to ensure a comfortable waist and fit that provides comfort as you practice your golf swing. The shirts are usually available in a variety of styles. These shirts come in different colors, and they use a top-quality fabric that absorbs swear without leaving dark patches. This fabric also ensures no wrinkling while you’re wearing it so that you can wear them for a long while.

Izod offers you a shirt that molds perfectly to give you a great fit while ensuring freedom of movement. It is ideal when you want to hit those golf swings. The shirts also feature a breathable fabric that’s soft to the touch. This feature keeps you cool when you’re playing under the sun. In addition, they’re pretty easy to wash and don’t fade over time.

Why Lacoste is a Good Brand

Lacoste is more than a brand name; it symbolizes leisure and comfort. Below are some of the reasons this brand qualifies as a good brand.

Classic and Modern Designs: Lacoste is famous for offering modern and classic designs. This design efficiently captures the brand’s attitude. Consistently, Lacoste takes elements from its past and reinterprets them seamlessly into something new while maintaining their appeal. You can see the brand’s classiness in its material and packaging. Most times, they use top-quality materials like suede or leather.

Precision: The brand designs each cloth with care. The process begins with patternmaking and then moves on to cutting the design. Each process is carried out with precision to ensure perfection before products are sold to customers worldwide.

Fashionable: Lacoste clothes are classic and trendy. They represent quality fashion in menswear. Each of their clothes goes through three production stages before being introduced to customers.

Why Izod is a Good Brand

Reasons why Izod is good, are essential in this Lacoste vs Izod comparison. Below are some of the reasons why Izod qualifies as one of the best sportswear brands in the world. 

Stylish Designs: Izod’s clothes are usually trendy and stylish. They also feature quality material to retain their color and shape for many years. Izod’s clothes are also quite comfortable when you wear them for extended periods.

Affordable Clothes: Another reason people choose Izod is because of its affordability. Izod offers buyers some great deals in their local stores and online platform. As a result, its customers usually don’t have to spend a lot to purchase their products.

Durable Products: We also find Izod a good brand because of its durability. Every Izod cloth is sure to last you for many years. In addition, buyers don’t have to worry about a replacement as Izod uses top-quality materials during production.

Final Thoughts

Lacoste and Izod are two brands with a sporty edge. While Lacoste is associated with the European class, Izod is a mid-to-low fashion brand. Izod is the cheaper option among the two brands, and it is fancy and comfortable. However, it isn’t as top-quality as Lacoste, which is truer in size than most menswear brands. This Lacoste vs Izod comparison helps you gain insight into the brand’s history, design, and affordability. We hope it enables you to determine which brand you find better.