So, I was on the lookout for a new polo shirt the other day. You know, just something casual, easy to wear. My first thought, like probably everyone’s, was that little crocodile. Lacoste. Can’t go wrong, right? A classic.
But then I got to thinking. Wasn’t there another brand, way back, that had a tiger on it? It kind of popped into my head. Le Tigre! That’s it. I remember people saying it was designed to be a bit like Lacoste, but with a leaping tiger instead. That must have been back in the 1970s, I reckon. It’s funny how you remember these things.
Then More Tigers Showed Up
And just recently, I saw that Tiger Woods is launching his own apparel brand. He’s calling it “Sun Day Red.” And what’s the logo? Yep, a tiger. This one’s got 15 stripes, apparently. They’re making a point of that. Seems he’s moving on from that old “TW” logo he’s had for ages. That TW thing started around 2000, if I remember right, just when he was winning everything.
All this tiger talk got me curious. So, I decided to actually look for a tiger logo polo shirt. Not necessarily the new Tiger Woods one – that’ll probably be everywhere soon enough. I was more interested in seeing if I could find an old Le Tigre, maybe for a bit of nostalgia.
- I started by poking around online, the usual places.
- Found a mix of stuff – some new Le Tigre things, some that looked properly old, “vintage” as they call it.
- The prices were all over the shop, too. Some cheap, some surprisingly not.
Eventually, I spotted a Le Tigre shirt on one of those second-hand websites. It looked like the real deal, an older one. The seller even said it came from his dad’s wardrobe, which sounded about right. It wasn’t asking for much money, so I thought, why not? I clicked and bought it.
My Actual Tiger Polo Journey
So, the package arrived a few days later. I opened it up. The shirt was… well, it was a polo shirt. The leaping tiger was there, clear as day. But the material felt a bit on the thin side. Maybe that’s how they made them back then, or maybe this particular one had seen a lot of washes and sunshine. It was definitely pre-worn.
The interesting bit happened when I wore it out. Just down to the local shops, nothing fancy. An older gentleman, probably in his late 60s or 70s, actually stopped me. He pointed right at the tiger on my chest and said, “Le Tigre! Wow, haven’t seen one of those in donkey’s years! I used to have a couple of those.” We ended up having a good ten-minute chat right there in the aisle, talking about old clothing brands and stuff. My ice cream was probably melting, but it was a nice little moment.
It’s a bit strange, isn’t it? You buy a piece of clothing, you think it’s just something to wear. But sometimes, it becomes more than that. It can be a little nod to the past, or like in my case, a random conversation starter. With this new Sun Day Red brand, they’re talking about how every stitch is about “meticulousness” and wearing it gives you “confidence.” Maybe it does for some folks. For me, this old, cheap Le Tigre didn’t magically make me a better golfer or anything. But it did get me an unexpected, pleasant chat with a stranger. And that’s not nothing, I suppose.
I haven’t really bothered looking for any more tiger polos since. This one’s fine. It’s tucked away in a drawer. Perhaps I’ll pull it out again if I’m feeling particularly nostalgic or want to see if I can strike up another conversation about the good old days. Ha!
