Home
>
Guide
>
Lacoste Polo Real vs Fake Guide 2024: How Can I Tell If Lacoste Is Original?

It contains affiliate links and Extrabux will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on Extrabux links.

Lacoste Polo Real vs Fake Guide 2024: How Can I Tell If Lacoste Is Original?

The polo shirt has been a year-round menswear favourite for over years. And the famous Lacoste crocodile is one of the most iconic logos in sporty menswear, and it’s typically associated with polo shirts (as well as luxury, in that regard).The original Lacoste Polo, arguably the best and an undeniable must-have item for any self-respecting stylish gent.However, with Lacoste’s high price point, there are tons of counterfeits floating all over the internet (and in thrift stores). So it’s important to know how to tell whether the Lacoste polo shirt you are about to buy is real or a knock-off. Then how to spot original Lacoste polo? How to check Lacoste polo? How can you tell a fake Lacoste polo? How can you tell the difference between real Lacoste polo and fake polo? Read on to learn the telltale signs of a fake Lacoste polo, so you can be informed about your purchase.

Cover Photo:lacoste.com

What About Lacoste Polo Shirts?

The Lacoste brand is known for having high quality garments with a smart casual style and a firm grounding in the tennis industry. Lacoste polo shirts blend comfort with style to set the tone of a sporty-chic silhouette. In the US during the late 1970s, Lacoste soared to new heights in popularity and became the typical 80s 'preppy' wardrobe item.

Source:lacoste.com

Today the Lacoste polos are as fashionable as ever and available in an extraordinary range of colors.Apart from the original and Paris polos, Lacoste offers a range of different collections, and they even have stuff like the National Geographic polo. They really have everything from standard stripes, solid geometric patterns, diagonals, prints, and animal patterns.Whether it's a tried-and-true fit, a vintage design, or a bold statement, discover the one that'll be your next essential.

Lacoste polos have different fits: Classic, Classic Fit, Regular Fit, Slim Fit. And comes in Paris Polo, Lacoste Movement Polo, Short Sleeve, Long Sleeve and sizes ranging from XS (2″) to 5XL (10″).

Where to Buy Lacoste Polo Cheapest?

The surest way to buy authentic Lacoste Polo is go directly to Lacoste"s website - lacoste.com , a Lacoste Authorized re-seller or a Lacoste Boutique. But pieces can also be found at online retailers such as below websites：

Money Saving Tip: If you like online shopping, don't forget to sign up at Extrabux！(What is Extrabux) , then you can enjoy up to 6% cashback when your purchase Lacoste Polo shirts on above website! Sign-Up Bonus: Free to join it & get $20 welcome bonus! Student Benefits：As long as you are a student at school, you can get a free whole year long VIP Card worth $199.

Extrabux.com cooperates with many merchants, such as:Sephora（4% -5% cash back)，Dior (Up to 6% cash back), Moosejaw (5% -6% cash back), LOOKFANTASTIC (Up to 10% cash back), Microsoft (Up to 7% cash back) and so on.

How To Spot Real Lacoste Polo Shirt?

1.The Fabric & Materials of Lacoste Polo Shirt

The Lacoste polo shirts are made with a fabric known as“petit pique”.“petit ” is French for small, while Pique refers to 'a weaving style, normally used with cotton yarn, which is characterized by raised parallel cords or geometric designs in the fabric' . It is not woven, which means it's, generally, more flexible and has more stretch in all directions, making it more durable in the sense that its color and shape is likely to endure long throughout wear and wash.
Some fakes use a hexagonal or honeycomb weave (you will clearly see the hexagonal pattern if you look) instead of Lacoste’s “petit pique” weave which is shown below.
Even fakes that use a weave close to Lacoste’s use much thinner fabric. So put your hand inside the shirt, and if you can see it through the cloth, it’s almost certainly a fake.

2.The Crocodile Logo

(1)The detailed features

The official logo features a deep, dark green crocodile with noticeable teeth and claws. When it comes to the croc’s mouth, the top jaw is slightly smaller and angled upwards from the lower jaw. The inside of the croc’s mouth is shaded red, and the teeth are clearly stitched along both sides of the jaw.
Also to note on Mr Croc,the croc’s eye should look more slit-like than rounded..
Some counterfeit Lacoste polos might have the word “Lacoste” embroidered on the shirt. Ironically, authentic Lacoste polos don’t have this feature.

(2)The stitching

The iconic Lacoste croc gets carefully stitched to each polo shirt—you won’t see any obvious stitching when you give it a close look.
To see if it’s a fake, look out for sloppy (and sometimes missing) stitches around the patch’s border.Check along the “wrong” side of the patch, too—fake Lacoste polos often have sloppy stitching on this side.
However, again, on a couple of brands such as the Vintage brand, the crocodile may be printed directly onto the shirt which may make differentiation a little harder.

When you turn the shirt inside out, you should be able to see the faint outline of the patch - barely visible at all. On a real Lacoste, there won’t be any colours, threads of obvious stitching. So, if the finish isn’t clean, it’s a fake!

（3）The crocodile logo alignment

On authentic Lacoste polos, the crocodile sits on the middle of the left side of the shirt. It’s stitched between the bottom stitching on the collar and the second button—low-quality fakes often align the crocodile with the bottom stitching.
Lie the shirt out flat and look at the crocodile patch from an angle. This might make it easier to tell where the patch lines up.

Tip:One thing to be aware of is that some (not very many) real Lacoste versions also align the crocodile with the bottom stitching so on its own this isn’t the most reliable observation!

3. The Lacoste Polo Sizes

As Lacoste shirts are made in France, they’re sized in numbers, not small, medium and large, which are placed above the crocodile on the label in a red number
If a Lacoste polo uses any words such as ‘Small, Medium, Large’ sorry, it’s a fake!
Nowadays, Lacoste also includes US sizes on some of their tags; however, they’ll always included the European sizing, too. If S/M/L is the only size indicator, the shirt is likely a fake.

4.The Button Details

On genuine Lacoste polos, each button has two holes with thread passing up and down through them (rather than side to side). One button sits at the top of the collar, while the other sits partway down. But the fake Lacoste buttons are usually sewn horizontally rather than vertically.
Lacoste polo buttons are made with mother of pearl. Mother of pearl buttons are all different—when you look close, you’ll see that each button has its own pattern and marbling. Plastic buttons, on the other hand, are mass-produced and look identical.
Touch the buttons on the shirt and see how they feel—in general, mother of pearl feels cool when you touch it, while plastic does not.
On genuine Lacoste polos, the buttons are stitched tightly to the shirt and don’t wiggle around. On fake polos, however, the buttons aren’t sewn tightly to the fabric at all and feel really loose.

5.The Hem of Lacoste polo

The hemline at the bottom of the Lacoste shirt is also worth checking.

Lay your polo shirt down a flat surface and you can find the hem on genuine Lacoste has no any slight high-low hem.
Some fake Lacoste polo shirt has 2 hemlines, while the original Lacoste shirt has one only.

6.The Collar Labels

(1)The crocodile on the Label

On genuine Lacoste polos, the crocodile is an olive green color and has noticeable claws, teeth, a red mouth, and white scales on its back. Make sure the crocodile’s outline looks smooth instead of lumpy. An authentic one also won’t have rough lines disrupting the coloring.[12]
High-quality fakes look similar, but study them closely—they won’t be quite as detailed. The crocodile may look a little squashed, and the white eyes and scales tend to look rough and too close together.
Some counterfeiters stitch a boxed outline around the crocodile on the tag.
Most fake Lacoste makers don’t do a thorough job on the label. In particular, the lettering and logo are usually have blurred edges.

(2)A second label (if the shirt has one)

If the polo has a second tag, it’ll rest under the first one. The first line typically says “Designed In France,” followed by a line that says “Made In” along with a country. If this tag lists any other country than “France” after “Designed In,” it’s definitely a fake!
Not all polos have this second tag. Many polos now have a wide tag with the logo, so use other methods to identify them.
Authentic Lacoste polos are often made in Peru.

7.The Washing Instructions

The Washing Instruction tag is on the bottom and inside the shirt. When you find it, you will first see “100% cotton” printed in seven languages.On the back, look for washing instructions with the word Devanlay (the company that used to distribute Lacoste products). No fabric should cover the letters on the tag.
Fake shirts may have the washing instructions on the tag’s front. The tags may also be roughly sewn in with threads that hang down or obstruct letters.
The tag may be above small triangle cuts on the side of the shirt. Make sure these cuts are small and don’t have loose threads hanging from them.
Check the inner tag on your polo shirt to see what the shirt is made of. Legitimate Lacoste polos are made entirely with cotton, while fake Lacoste polos might be made with 70% cotton and 30% polyester

8.The Tag

An authentic Lacoste shirt will come with tags like the ones below. Again, this an area in which most forgers don’t put in a lot of effort. If your item doesn’t come with tags like the ones below, then it’s not authentic.

9.Where Are Lacoste Polos Made?

Authentic Lacoste polos are often made in Peru.

They still have a factory in France. But, they also manufacture under a license. So most Lacoste polos are made in Peru, and some Lacoste polo also are made in France.

10.Lacoste Polo Price Points

If you just look at their retail price, $89.50 is their lowest retail price for a regular fit. But, you can get them on sale in their boutiques or their online shop, or at places like Amazon. Just make sure you don’t buy from a third-party vendor because Lacoste polo shirts are definitely faked.
For example, the regular shirt I got for just $53, the classic some got for $55, and a slim fit for $61. Their special knit with the stripe retail at $98.Their Paris polo with a hidden fly retails for $110.Their croc print or comparable, more out-there polo shirts retail for $135. Their Made-in-France polo retails at $175.
Lacoste has two main styles, the original and the Paris. The original comes in the classic fit, regular fit, and slim fit. The Paris comes in a classic and regular fit.

11.Buy Lacoste Polo From Reputable Seller

Many resale sites such as Leboncoin or Vinted are full of fake items sold at new prices, and some users may find themselves confused when they receive the products.
To avoid any inconvenience, it is therefore preferable to go to a store and ask a salesperson for advice, to buy products on the websites of the brands concerned or via legitimate, approved sellers. This is the only way to be 100% sure of the origin of your items and their potential lifespan.

How To Tell A Fake Lacoste Polo Quickly?

So that concludes this guide on how to spot fake real vs fake Lacoste Polo . Here are the top 4 signs to look for to distinguish between a counterfeit and a genuine Lacoste polo shirts .

Check the crocodile logo for detailed features and high-quality stitching, and make sure that it sits between the second button and bottom stitching on the front of the shirt.
See if the buttons look unique and feel cool to the touch. Lacoste polos make their buttons with mother of pearl rather than plastic.
Check that the sizing tag uses numbers (rather than solely S/M/L sizing). If it has a second tag, make sure that it says “Designed In France.”
Inspect the inner tag of the shirt to ensure that the shirt is made with 100% cotton (rather than a cotton-polyester blend).

Lacoste vs. Izod vs. Ralph Lauren vs. Hugo Boss: Which Brand is the Best? (History, Quality, Design & Price)

Fred Perry vs. Lacoste vs. Ralph Lauren vs. Perry Ellis: Which Brand Is The Best?

Tommy Hilfiger vs. Nautica vs. Lacoste vs. Guess: Which Brand is the Best? (History, Quality, Design & Price)

Brooks Brothers vs. Ralph Lauren vs. Men's Wearhouse vs. Jos A Bank: Which Brand is the Best?

Ralph Lauren Polo Real vs Fake Guide 2024: How Can I Tell If It Is Original?

Ralph Lauren vs. Polo Ralph Lauren vs. U.S. Polo Assn: What are the Differences?

(Polo) Ralph Lauren Factory Outlet vs. Retail: Differences, Quality & Price 2024

Calvin Klein vs. Tommy Hilfiger vs. Ralph Lauren: Which Brand is the Best? (History, Quality, Design & Price)

Indochino vs. Suitsupply vs. Proper Cloth vs. Men's Wearhouse: Which Brand is the Best for Suits?

Armani Exchange vs. Hugo Boss vs. Calvin Klein: Which Brand Is The Best? (History, Quality, Price & Design)