Florida Sports

Posts Tagged ‘Polo’

Summary 

The term “Polo pony” is an expression for a horse or pony that is used in the game of Polo.

Polo ponies are not a registered breed but a type of horse or pony that possess intelligence, bravery, speed, strength and masses of agility as the polo pony has to gallop and turn around and halt rapidly on demand. On the Horsewizard website you’ll find many Ponies for Sale suitable for the sport of Polo. Polo is considered to be one of the fasted games in the world; sometimes reaching speeds of around 30 mph, relentless galloping and quick changes of direction can put massive amounts of stress on the polo pony’s body. Polo ponies must have good confirmation to help with the rigours of the game.  

Confirmation

A strong muscular body is needed; this will help when being bumped by others.
A deep sloping shoulder, this will allow for the rigors of “riding off”.
A deep and wide chest giving ample room for the heart and lungs, this will help with stamina.
Well defined withers to keep the saddle in place as the rider will make a tremendous amount of movement.
Ample room between the point of hip and the stifle, combined with a well let down hock to permit the utmost power from the hind quarters.
Pasterns can be more upright than normally acceptable to reduce the strain on the tendons.

Polo pony turn out 

Polo ponies are traditionally hogged.This is a practice where the mane and forelock are shaved off, this is to prevent the mallet from getting caught up in the mane.

Polo ponies have their tail taped up during practice and in competition.This is to stop the ponies tail from getting in the way of the polo mallet which could potentially harm the pony, also a tail down may obscure the ball from vision.

Polo ponies legs are always bandaged and the ponies often wear protective boots to help protect their legs from the rigours of the game and to give their legs as much support as possible. 

History and development

Argentina is the largest exporter of polo ponies. They have created some of the greatest polo ponies on the planet. This has been done by crossing the native Argentine Criollo horse with the Thoroughbred horse.

When polo was first discovered in India by the British the ponies used stood around 12 hands, only ponies could be used in the game until 1919 when height limits were brought to an end.

Hence the term “Polo pony”.  

If you are interested in Horses for Sale or more information about popular breeds and types of Horse and Pony visit the Horsewizard website.

The Volkswagen Polo is one of the elder statesmen of the Supermini market; remaining stoic in its refusal to disappear from forecourts across the land. After over 30 years on our roads, the Polo is still seen on every high street the length and breadth of the country. It’s available in hatchback, coupé and estate variants so everyone is catered for. However, as Bob Dylan once perceptively announced, the times they are a’ changing. With so many young pretenders snapping at Polo’s well-trodden heels, how is it going to remain a petrol head favourite?

No longer the baby of the Volkswagen fleet (following the introduction of the Lupo in 1998 and then the Fox in 2004), the Polo now sits in a slightly odd position in between the entry level model and the higher spec Golf. New drivers will opt for the lower end models, whilst the more adventurous will jump straight to the Golf. It would appear to the untrained eye that Volkswagen are putting the squeeze on their own product. Are VW struggling to find a suitable niche for the Polo?

Let’s take a look at the competition. The sporty-looking Seat Ibiza skips into view like a Spanish waiter with itchy under-garments, the Vauxhall Corsa stalks nearby like a Huntsman Spider and the ever-present Ford Fiesta reinvents itself more than Madonna does. That goes without mentioning the Fiats, the Toyotas and the Hondas, all of which are turning heads and gaining notoriety within the Supermini circles. To stay afloat the Polo will have to keep well ahead of the curve.

In a purely aesthetic sense, the Polo doesn’t disappoint. The evolved looks cannot hide the treasured Volkswagen lineage, the curvy body updated to keep up with the Joneses whilst remaining distinctly ‘VW’. In relative terms the Polo is akin to an aging aunty with a keen desire to look 17 again; perhaps a nip here and tuck there and she’ll nearly be there… nearly. But would you want to be seen with her? Well, as a matter of fact, yes you would…if she was a Polo…which she’s not…but you understand what I mean…sort of. The point is that the Polo has retained the understated good looks and style that have maintained its popularity since its 1975 inception. The favourite chunky, boxy body has been smoothed out for modern taste, but is still unmistakably the ‘Volkswagen Look’.

Performance-wise the Polo is never going to reinvent the wheel, but no present or prospective Polo owners would expect it to. The whole Volkswagen shtick is reliability, sturdiness and a bit of oomph occasionally. The Polo E’s punchy engine is extremely responsive for a base model and is backed by excellent handling and an intuitive suspension system that will iron out the bumpiest of city streets or pot-hole ridden country roads.

The tired old cliché of efficient German engineering will be trotted out here, but there isn’t a single nuance of frivolity to be found on the whole car; everything is functional, because if it wasn’t it wouldn’t be on the car. A simple/basic concept has been applied to the designing of the Polo, ensuring that quality takes a huge precedent over quantity. Apply this logic to German beers if you will; never the tastiest of beverages and often more expensive than the other beers, but you always seem to get drunker quicker if you choose the Bavarian way. That, my friends, is efficiency.

The real feather in the Polo’s cap is the way it has effortlessly straddled and conquered the most pressing social issues of the day. The Polo’s extremely low running costs combat the current economic burial pit we find ourselves in, whilst remaining kind to the environment with impressively low Co2 emissions. So whether you’re a financially doomed merchant banker or a earth-loving hippy, you’re unlikely to be annoyed by seeing this car on the road.

The future looks uncertain for the VW Polo; the competition is mounting like a hungry pack of wolves, but for the time being it remains near the top of the supermini pyramid in both popularity and performance stakes. Whether it stays there for much longer is another matter.

Volkswagen’s Polo. There’s something just that little bit special about it. Those clever men and women behind such iconic and era defining vehicles as the Beetle and the Golf GTi certainly have a knack for making compact cars. When the air-cooled engine of the beetle became superseded by more modern, water-cooled powerplants, and when the Golf began to grow bloated and put on weight with each successive iteration, the engineers at VW found themselves once again with a supermini-shaped hole and without a supermini-shaped peg to plug it with.

Cue the Polo. Legend has it, marketing chiefs at Volkswagen chose the name ‘Polo’ because, like ‘Golf’, it is a sport widely associated with a social upper-class; and while the original Mk1 Polo may have looked up rather than lived up to those lofty connotations, I can happily inform you that the opposite is in fact true of the current model.

I don’t mean to imply that the new Polo has suddenly appeared, well-built and sophisticated, after so many years of mediocrity within an oversaturated market. Rather, the car before us today is the product of those many years devoted to refining the original car.

That’s not to say that it’s been an entirely plush ride either: the engineers from Wolfsburg seemingly ignored some of basic principles of automotive design and construction when they built their third sub-compact car, however today’s Polo stands testament to both the successes the marque has enjoyed, and also to those failings suffered over the course of its lifetime. From the woeful build quality of the cars first off the production line, to the exhilaration of the record-breaking, supercharged MkII G40 variant; the current car really does feel like it has learned from every lesson.

My first ever experience of driving a car was in a first-generation Polo. I drove figure-eights in a good friends field and in spite of the fact that under my command the universal joint on the steering column failed, we remain friends to this day. Even with my youthful exuberance, I found it hard to find merit in the car. Most people, when asked to recall their first driving experience, talk of the liberty and exhilaration of the experience. I on the other hand, am more likely to mention the cramped interior or the sluggish 1100cc engine. Bear in mind these are the observations of a fifteen year old!

But each time the Polo had a makeover or a revision, the same Volkswagen engineers that had fumbled the ball during the car’s initial production, found ways to make up for their miscalculations. And they kinda over compensated…

The MkII G40 I mentioned earlier displaced just 1300cc but generated 115bhp. It reached 62mph in an impressive 8.1 seconds and could achieve a top speed of 122mph. Since the G40, Polo’s have been quick.

The MkIIIF had an entirely galvanised body and chassis mated with an over-engineered electrics and engine management system. I once installed aftermarket door speakers in a modern Japanese supermini, and the door cards were made of pressed plastic and behind them the door panel itself was made of what appeared to be wafer-thin tin. I did the same to my Polo GTi manufactured in the same year, and the corresponding door card was made out of a super-dense fibreboard with a plastic and fabric external covering and a medium-density foam internal filling to act as a sound dampener. Since the MkIII, Polo’s have been reliable and well built.

And now we’re on the MkIV, which is in fact approaching the end of its production cycle. With the next model scheduled to debut at the Geneva motor show later on this year, I wonder what we’ll say its contribution to the Polo legacy has been. Will we say ‘since the MkIV, Polo’s have been economical and environmentally responsible? The Polo BlueMotion would have it so. With a 1.4l diesel engine which returns up to 72mpg while outputting just 99 grams of CO2, it’s certainly possible.

One thing is for sure though, right now, with a new version on the horizon, there are some exceptional deals to be had throughout the current Polo range. From humble beginnings, the current Polo has evolved into a sophisticated and distinguished car.

In the history of mankind, many discoveries and inventions have been made by accident. People looking for one thing have made progress discovering something completely different. This is not something that can be applied to sports clothing, because many have been products of brilliant minds that have dedicated their time and effort to the improvement of sportsmen’s attire.

Take the polo shirt, a clothing item that has been introduced into many sports because of its advantages over traditional uniforms. Even though the popularity of the polo shirt has increased exponentially since its development, not many people know how it came to be.

For example, it’s not widely known that the development of the men’s polo had nothing to do with the sport we all know as polo. Its roots can be found in tennis.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a professional tennis player named Rene Lacoste thought the traditional tennis uniform of the day – a white long-sleeved, button-up shirt with long sleeves that were rolled up during competition — was too stiff and uncomfortable. So Lacoste came up with another version – a looser shirt, with an unstarched collar and longer back, which he wore during the 1926 U.S. Open.

Although it wasn’t known as a men’s polo shirt at the time, his creation quickly grew in popularity. Around the same time, a polo player named Lewis Lacey designed a similar product featuring the logo of a polo player.

The popularity of the name “men’s polo” grew quickly when American fashion designer Ralph Lauren released a collection of shirts that he called Polo Ralph Lauren. This helped spread the term widely enough that many tennis players continued to use the term “polos” for their shirts.

Fred Perry was also a tennis player who, with the help of the Austrian footballer Tibby Wegner, invented the wrist sweatband. After this development, they came up with the Fred Perry polo shirt.

From its launch at Wimbledon in 1952, the Fred Perry polo was a success. Featuring a laurel logo, this shirt was available only in white until the late ‘50s. When more colors were added, the popularity of the shirt design took off.

Today, there are lots of places where you can find polo shirts like the Fred Perry polo. Polo shirts are very popular and have served their purpose for lots of people, becoming more than just garments. They’ve become an iconic American fashion staple.

If you’re interested in purchasing your own Fred Perry polo or a polo shirt from one of the many companies that produce them — Nautica, Ben Sherman, Original Penguin and many more — the Internet is the best place to start and the first website you should visit is freshpolos.com.

Embroidered polo shirts, also sometimes called golf shirts or tee shirts, are popular promotional items not only in Tampa FL but in almost all cities around the world. Wholesale custom t shirts are sold and bought and embroidery is added depending on the company or institution they will be used for. T-shirts are common as uniforms and even as casual attire of men, women and children of all ages in Tampa FL and elsewhere.

The game called polo is very old and can be traced back to Persia in the 7th century. It spread to other countries and soon came to Britain from India. The name polo comes from the Tibetan word “pulu” which refers to the wooden ball used in the game. The earliest known “polo shirt” was originally a white long sleeved button down shirt with a collar, worn with white trousers. This was embroidered with the image of a polo player by Lewis Lacey in 1920. He was a Irish haberdasher in Buenos Aires who was also a polo player at the Hurlingham Polo Club.

Like polo players, tennis players used to wear white long sleeved button down shirts, too. These were worn with ties and white trousers, as well. The sleeves of the shirts were rolled up during a match.

In 1926, the French tennis player Rene Lacoste, who was a 7-time Grand Slam champion, adopted the long back tail of the polo shirt when he designed his own tennis shirt. It prevented the shirt from being easily pulled out from the trousers or shorts by the wearer’s movements. Lacoste’s tennis shirt was made of breathable knitted pique cotton, had more comfortable short cuffed sleeves, and had a soft flat collar with a buttoned placket. The collar provided additional protection from the sun when worn turned up against the nape. Unbuttoning the placket could also loosen the collar for more comfort. In 1927, Lacoste had the image of the crocodile embroidered on the left breast of his shirts It was a reference to his nickname in tennis, as “The Crocodile.”

Lacoste retired from tennis in 1933 and shifted his concentration to mass manufacturing and marketing his shirts with the help of Andre Giller. The Lacoste shirts were eventually sold widely around the world but they ironically came to be known more as “polo shirts” than “tennis shirts.” They have also been adapted for use in golf, giving rise to the term “golf shirts.”

Another factor that added to the polarity of the term “polo shirt” over the “tennis shirt” or the “golf shirt” though, was the entry of world renowned American designer Ralph Lauren in the fray. Ralph Lauren named his entire clothing line “Polo” and among his items of clothing in that line was the “polo shirt.” The polo shirt from Ralph Lauren is very similar to the Lacoste shirt, except that the polo shirt sports the image of a polo player instead of a crocodile on the breast.

Today, what is known as the “polo shirt,” “tennis shirt” or “golf shirt” is a short sleeved t-shirt with a soft collar and two to three buttons down the front, with or without a placket. There are times when a zipper is used instead of buttons.  The golf shirt usually does not have cuffed sleeves. A pocket is optional. The most common material used is still knitted cotton pique but synthetic blends may also be used, as well as merino wool or even silk.

This is how those embroidered polo shirts and golf shirts in Tampa FL and everywhere else came to be. These custom t shirts will surely be seen for generations to come.

In the middle of the thirteenth century, about two hundred years before the time of Columbus, a boy named Marco Polo lived in the city of Venice.

Marco Polo belonged to a rich and noble family, and had all the advantages of study that the city afforded. He studied at one of the finest schools in the city of Venice. This city was then famous for its schools, and was the seat of culture and learning for the known world.

When Marco Polo started for school in the morning, he did not step out into a street, as you do. Instead, he stepped from his front doorstep into a boat called a gondola; for Venice is built upon a cluster of small islands, and the streets are water ways and are called canals.

The gondolier, as the man who rows the gondola is called, took Marco wherever he wished to go. Sometimes, as they glided along, the gondolier would sing old Venetian songs; and as Marco Polo lay back against the soft cushions and listened and looked about him, he wondered if anywhere else on earth there was so beautiful a city as Venice. For the sky was very blue, and often its color was reflected in the water; the buildings were graceful and beautiful, the sun was warm and bright, and the air was balmy.

In this delightful city Marco Polo lived until he was seventeen years of age. About this time, his father, who owned a large commercial house in Constantinople, told Marco that he might go with him on a long journey to Eastern countries. The boy was very glad to go, and set out with his father and his uncle, who were anxious to trade and gain more wealth in the East. This was in the year 1271.

The three Polos traveled across Persia into China, and across the Desert of Gobi to the northwest, where they found the great ruler, Kublai Khan. This monarch was a kind-hearted and able man. He wanted to help his subjects to become civilized and learned, as the Europeans were. So Kublai Khan assisted the two elder Polos in their business of trading, and took Marco into his service.

Soon Marco learned the languages of Asia, and then he was sent by the khan on errands of state to different parts of the country. He visited all the great cities in China, and traveled into the interior of Asia to places almost unknown at the present time.

At length the three Polos expressed a desire to return to Venice. The great khan did not wish to part with them, but he at last consented; for he found that by going they could do him a service. The service required was their escort for a beautiful young princess who was to be taken from Peking to Tabriz, where she was to marry the Khan of Persia.

It was difficult to find any one trustworthy enough to take charge of so important a person on so long and dangerous a journey. But Kublai Khan had faith in the Polos. They had traveled more than any one else he knew, and were cautious and brave.

So he gave them permission to return to their home, and requested them to take the princess to Tabriz on the way. It was decided that the journey should be made by sea, as the land route was so beset by robbers as to be unsafe. Besides, the Polos were fine sailors.

They started from the eastern coast of China, and continued their voyage for three years, around the peninsula of Cochin China, and through the Indian Ocean to the Persian Gulf. Here they went ashore, and then proceeded by land across Persia to Tabriz. They left the princess in that city, and resumed their journey by way of the Bosporus to Venice.

When they reached Venice they found that they had been forgotten by their friends. They had been away twenty-four years, and in that time everything had changed very much. They themselves had grown older, and their clothes differed from those worn by the Venetians; for fashions changed even in the thirteenth century, although not so often as they change at the present time. It is no wonder that the Polos were not known until they recalled themselves to the memory of their friends.

One evening they invited a few of their old friends to dinner, and during the evening they brought out three old coats. These coats they proceeded to rip apart, and out from the linings dropped all kinds of precious stones—diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies. In this way these wary travelers had hidden their wealth and treasure while on their perilous journey. The visitors were astonished at the sight of so great riches, and listened eagerly to the accounts of the countries from which they came.

Soon after the return of Marco Polo to Venice, he took part with his countrymen in a battle against the Genoese. The city of Genoa, like the city of Venice, had a large trade with the East. These two cities were rivals in trade, and were very jealous of each other. Whenever Venetian ships and those of the Genoese met on the Mediterranean Sea, the sailors found some way of starting a quarrel. The quarrel quickly led to a sea fight, and it was in one of these combats that Marco Polo engaged. The Venetians were defeated, and Marco Polo was taken prisoner and cast into a dungeon. Here he spent his time in writing the wonderful book in which he described his travels.

The descriptions Polo gave of the East were as wonderful as fairy tales. He told of countries rich in gold, silver, and precious stones, and of islands where diamonds sparkled on the shore. The rulers of these countries wore garments of rich silk covered with glittering gems, and dwelt in palaces, the roofs of which were made of gold.

He described golden Cathay, with its vast cities rich in manufactures, and also Cipango, Hindustan, and Indo-China. He knew of the Indies Islands, rich in spices, and he described Siberia, and told of the sledges drawn by dogs, and of the polar bears. The fact that an ocean washed the eastern coast of Asia was proved by him, and this put at rest forever the theory that there was an impassable swamp east of Asia.

This book by Marco Polo was eagerly read, and the facts that it stated were so remarkable that many people refused to believe them. It stirred others with a desire to travel and see those lands for themselves.

Traveling by land, however, was very dangerous, because of the bands of robbers by which the country was occupied. These outlaws robbed every one whom they suspected of having any money, and often murdered travelers in order to gain their possessions. Sea travel, too, was just as dangerous, but in a different way.

You will remember why sailors dared not venture far out upon the ocean and search for a water route to the Eastern countries and islands. The time was soon coming, however, when they would dare to do so, and two wonderful inventions helped navigators very much.

One came from the finding of the loadstone, or natural magnet. This is a stone which has the power of attracting iron. A steel needle rubbed on it becomes magnetized, as we say, and, when suspended by the center and allowed to move freely, always swings around until it points north and south. Hung on a pivot and inclosed in a box, this instrument is called the mariners’ compass. It was of great importance to sailors, because it always told them which way was north. On cloudy days, and during dark, stormy nights, when the sun and stars could not be seen, the sailors could now keep on their way, far from land, and still know in which direction they were going.

The other invention was that of the astrolabe. This was an instrument by means of which sailors measured the height of the sun above the horizon at noon, and could thus tell the distance of the ship from the equator. It is in use on all the ships at the present time, but it has been greatly improved, and is now called the quadrant.

The compass and the astrolabe, together with improved maps and charts, made it possible for navigators to tell where their ship was when out of sight of land or in the midst of storm and darkness. This made them more courageous, and they ventured a little farther from the coast, but still no one dared to sail far out upon the Sea of Darkness.

Victor Kingwealth  is the is the author the No.1 Guide on How to Make Genuine Money Online. Read more about his book at http://makemoneyonline.vickywebworld.net/

Short sleeve polo shirts are a very versatile piece of clothing which can be worn at a variety of events, for sports, for work reasons and even just for casual apparel and the best thing about polo shirts is that they come in many different styles, sizes, colors and they can also be personalised with just about anything.

You can personalise polo shirts with company logos and mottos, names, slogans, images and so much more depending on your own specific needs. With so many types available, it can be difficult making a choice which is why I am here to tell you a little bit about why short sleeve polos are a great choice for your apparel. So if you are interested in acquiring the best clothing possible, then take a look at this article for more information to help you get started.

When it comes to short sleeve polos, you can purchase them not only for males but female polos are available. This makes putting together your company uniforms, restaurant uniforms, golf team uniforms or catering uniforms very easy for you as there is something to suit everyone. The good thing about choosing short sleeve polo shirts is that they are great for most weather conditions. Polo shirts have a way of keeping you comfortably warm when it is chilly outside and if you pick short sleeve polo shirts then they can also keep you cool when it is hot. One sport which you can really put a good short sleeve polo shirt to good use is golf. When you are playing a good game of golf, you want to keep comfortable and cool and you do not want your clothes to hinder your golf swings- which is why short sleeve polo shirts are a good choice for you. They will not get in your way, they will keep you felling cool for your whole game.

Short sleeve polos are also great for use in kitchen uniforms for general restaurant and kitchen staff. If you run a large restaurant or cafe of any kind, then it can be expensive clothing all of your employees in new uniforms, but with polo shirts you can run a professional looking business at half the price of a more formal look. Not only can you save money, but they are also unisex which means you do not have to worry about ordering different uniforms for men and women. They can be personalised with the restaurant name, and short sleeve polo shirts will keep kitchen staff cool and they are easy to keep clean as well.

Short sleeve polos are also good for casual, everyday wear and they are comfortable enough to wear every day. Polo shirts can look casual and you can also dress them up depending on the circumstances- the choice is totally up to you. So if you want to invest in some good quality, low price polo shirts for men and women, then take a look on the internet today for some of the best prices available.

For style and comfort every day of the year, a popular choice for a lot of people is the polo shirt. Polo shirts are practical and comfortable to wear and there are hundreds of styles, colors and designs available to suit almost everybody’s tastes. You can wear polo golf shirts for many different situations and events, you can dress them up to look smarter and you can also dress them down if you want to be casual. They are great as part of a uniform as well because polo golf shirts are very affordable and easy to personalise which is ideal for use in businesses, as well as sports teams and more. If you are interested in purchasing one or more polo shirts then take a look at this article for some helpful information to get you started today.

The polo shirt is a classical piece of clothing which can be worn by anyone, regardless of age or size. They come in many colors from egg shell blue to bright purple and you can even personalise your own polos. You can choose to have logos embroidered, names added, slogans and even images which is great for use in businesses such as kitchens as well as an excellent and affordable choice for sports teams because they are so easy and cheap to personalise. You can also get polo golf shirts with your favourite sports team names and logos on them so that you can show how much of a fan you are of baseball or soccer or basketball!

You can buy unisex polo shirts or you can choose to purchase a fitted polo golf shirt designed either for a man or a woman for added comfort. Choose from high neck to low neck, long sleeve and short sleeve, buttons or without, pockets or bare breasted, v neck or round neck… the choices are endless! You can also spice things up a little bit and choose stripy polo shirts or chequered polo shirts or maybe even zig zags, the choice is entirely up to you!

Another great use for a polo golf shirt is for bachelor and bachelorette parties where you can get the whole wedding party to wear a personalised shirt for the occasion. Perhaps add names or titles such as the groom, the bride, the best man, the maid of honour and the bridesmaid- what a great party favour and a reminder of the event. Or you can personalise polo golf shirts for family and college reunions which is also a great reminder of a fun event- personalise with the family name, or the crest of the college- it is up to you and your imagination!

Polo golf shirts are great for every day casual wear and they are also good for doing workouts because they are loose fitting and snug, you don’t have to worry about tightness or running material while you are pumping iron or doing your yoga- the polo shirt really is the most versatile piece of clothing yet!

The pique polo shirt is a traditional polo shirt which can be worn by men, women and children and looks good on anyone of all shapes and sizes. The best thing about the polo shirt is that it is lightweight and comfortable and very affordable- you should always have at least one polo shirt in your closet for all occasions! Another good thing about them is that they are so versatile that they can be used for many different situations, from sports to casual and formal wear, they can even be personalized! The polo shirt comes in many colors, designs and makes and if you would like to know a little bit more about where you can wear them, where you can purchase them and more; then take a quick glance at this article for some useful information to get you started.

For casual everyday wear, the pique polo is a must for comfort and designs. Featuring short sleeves, a v neck collar with buttons and made from soft cotton or/and polyester, the casual polo is a must for all wardrobes. You can lounge in comfort wearing a polo shirt and because they are so affordable you can get one for every member day of the week. Great for fun days out around town and you can even personalise them with the family name, a company logo or other design. If your family name is on teh garment, if your kids become lost, their shirts will let people know who to look for. What a great idea!

Traditionally the pique polo shirt is worn for sports such as golf, and with so many comfortable and breathable designs available, they are ideal for wearing during a relaxing game of golf because they will keep you cool all day long. You can choose from plain colors such as white and cream or why not choose something a little bit more elaborate such as stripes? You can even have your name or logo embossed onto your polo shirt to make them look unique and that little bit more professional. In addition these shirts have been found to be very durable and can withstand many washings.

The pique polo is not just designed for men; you can also purchase fitted designs for women as well, great for wearing while you are doing a class such as yoga or Pilates and even great for wearing everyday as a casual piece of attire. The pique polo shirt has many uses, many styles, colors and you can even purchase designer polo shirts for all of you designer lovers out there! So you can look stylish no matter what you are wearing- and what you are wearing can help make you feel better about yourself!

If you would like to know more about where you can find and compare polo shirts and more, then log onto a search engine and type in ‘pique polo’ for links and websites to some stunning designs. And remember, if you order in bulk then you can save yourself some money as well.

Almost everywhere you look in Tampa, you will spot people wearing the ever popular embroidered polo shirts, which others also call golf shirts or tee shirts. They are favourites as day to day casual t-shirts of men, women and children alike. They are also widely used as uniforms for companies, institutions and schools. Because of their popularity, the same companies often use embroidered polo shirts as promotional items, too. It is not surprising, therefore, that wholesale custom t shirts as well as embroidery services for t-shirts are also widely available in Tampa FL. But how did this phenomenon of embroidered polo shirts develop before they reached Tampa FL?

The term “polo shirt” is traceable to the game called polo which began in the 7th century in Persia. It was later brought to Great Britain by way of India. Interestingly, the word “polo” came from a Tibetan word “pulu” naming the wooden ball that is the focal point of the game.

In the early days, polo players wore long sleeved white button down collared shirts and white trousers, both made of cotton. In 1920, an Irish haberdasher based in Buenos Aires, named Lewis Lacey, added the embroidered figure of a polo player to his shirts. He was also a polo player with the Hurlingham Polo Club.

Similar long sleeved white button down collared shirts and white trousers in cotton, with the addition of white ties, were also worn by tennis players in the early days. They just rolled up their sleeves while playing a match.

This changed in 1926 when Rene Lacoste, a French tennis player who was a seven time Grand Slam champion, designed his own tennis shirt. He used the very breathable material of knitted cotton pique to make a t-shirt with a soft flat collar, a buttoned placket, short cuffed sleeves and a longer back tail that stayed tucked in his trousers or shorts even during the rigorous movements of a match. The main focus of Lacoste was comfort and practicality. He added the embroidered crocodile on the left breast of his tennis shirts in 1927.

In 1933, Lacoste retired from playing tennis and decided to direct his efforts toward the mass manufacture and marketing of his tennis shirts. They quickly became popular not only as sports wear but even as casual wear throughout the world. Interestingly, Lacoste’s tennis shirts became more widely known as “polo shirts.” Eventually, they were adapted by golfers, as well, creating the new term “golf shirts.”

Perhaps another reason why the term “polo shirt” still prevails over “tennis shirt” or “golf shirt” is because well known American clothes designer Ralph Lauren called one of his clothing lines “Polo” and it is actually dominated by his version of the “polo shirt.” This looks very much like the Lacoste shirt except that it features the figure of a polo player instead of a crocodile.

These days there are myriad versions of the polo shirt, tennis shirt or golf shirt produced by various manufacturers. Basically, they are short sleeved t-shirts which feature a soft collar with two or three buttons in front. A placket may or may not be included and a zipper sometimes replaces the buttons. For golf shirts, the sleeves are not cuffed. Pockets are sometimes added. Most versions still use knitted cotton pique but there are also shirts made from synthetic blends, merino wool or silk.

From this long history, the now ubiquitous embroidered polo shirts or golf shirts reached Tampa FL and the rest of the world. They will definitely remain as staples in people’s wardrobes in many parts of the globe.