The black polo is by far one of the most used polo shirts in my closet. The sleek look allows it to be worn at a job function or when I'm out on a date. It also allows me to looked at differently. Whenever I'm present at my girlfriend's place of work, I always notice that all eyes are on me when I walk in. She works at a high-end hotel and me walking in with a hoodie, blue denim jeans, and some timbs don't really help me much when dealing with people cut from a different cloth. I'm a black male located 30 minutes outside of Austin, Texas and I'm usually walking in the door around 9 pm. Call it paranoia but sometimes I feel as though their is judgment when I walk in the door. Not because I'm an African American male but because of the clothes I wear. So what do I do when my favorite attire is no longer accepted. Do I move with the times or adapt to the climate? But in doing so am I losing myself? Do I lose what's hip hop, represents a grinder, and a thinking man at the same time by wearing clothes that represent that or am I stuck in a time warp? I've notice that the more I dress in what's considered commercially as "casual" with a Perry Ellis jacket or even a brim hat I get a better response. This journey has only just begun and I'm starting to notice already what's accepted and what's not.

Origins of the Polo Shirt

Rene' Lacoste




The polo sport dates back all the way to the nineteenth century where four men on opposite teams mounted horses and tried to get a ball made of wood or plastic into a goal. During that time the polo shirt was worn by many people who not only played polo but also golf and tennis. One tennis player noticed certain attributes about the shirt that made it uncomfortable for its players. That man was named Rene' "Crocodile" Lacoste who was the world's number one tennis player during 1926 and 1927. Lacoste and Andre' Giller got together and created a clothing line called Chemise Lacoste which we all know today as simply, Lacoste. Lacoste was the Michael Jordan, if you will, of the tennis game at that time. Not just in the skill of playing tennis, but also being a catalyst for the article of clothing that would later become world famous. Ralph Lauren would later pick up on the style and put his own spin on it and created a company named, POLO. He claims he wanted a more "waspier" look and added a placket (button up) to the shirt. These two are the pioneers of the article of clothing that we will explore and experiment with.



Ralph Lauren

A Little Bit About Me

I recently graduated from my new alma mater, Texas State University-San Marcos. I received my first degree in Econmics, then continued on to get a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration. I was involved in plenty of student organizations and I'm what you would call a grinder. My career aspirations involve running an independent record label. Most know me as Ha-Style, CEO/President of 2nd City Records. I've had success with my music career and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. But enough about that.... I'm originally from Houston, but I also grew up on the West side of Detroit, Schoolcraft aka 4 mile for those that want to know. I've always stood out from the crowd no matter how hard I tried to blend in. My aunt would say it was because I was raised by two parents who were hard workers and instilled being ambitious upon me, others would think it was because of all the traveling I did when I was younger. But I think its more than that, there has to be something inside you already to make you want to choose a different path from others. Something, that I think that people posse that makes them. . .special. And I'm not one to toot my horn, not anymore anyways, so don't take it as arrogance. The more and more I converse with someone I consider my personal image consultant, the more I start to understand that fashion is really about self-expression and so much more. I'm very big on the City Life and enjoying the fruits of one's labor. I'm ready to take this journey and discover the essence of fashion through polos.

Thank You for your time.

A New Beginning

Let me take this time to first thank you for viewing my blog, this has only been an idea for awhile and now I figured it was time to go forth with that idea. I wanted a blog that captured a market that seems to be overlooked by so many people, polos. Fashion isn't a trend anymore, its become a statement of one's individuality and people are now speaking on their experiences, beliefs, styles, and so much more in volumes. Polo shirts have become a staple in men's and women's fashion. Its the perfect article of clothing. Polo shirts can be worn at work, social events, a night on the town, in a relaxed environment and just about everywhere else. We're going on a journey to explore this fashion and see how far we can take it. See what ideas can spawn from focusing on the lifestyle of wearing and expressing oneself without having any opposition toward it. Ladies and Gents, I present to you the art and lifestyle of Living Outside People's Opposition.

Enjoy!