Lacoste and Lacoste L!ve

Bonjour mes amis. Ca-Va?……guess where I’ve been on my holibobs?

Yep. Turkey.

No, only kidding. The home of Bardot, Baguettes and Bon Bier; Crap Radio, Dubious Queueing Etiquette and provincial towns that haven’t changed since peace was brought to Western Europe. Yet still I get excited every time I go to France. Not just the cheese, cheap booze and passive smoking, but something else.

Something they do dead well. Something the old boys with their laid back cool, competitively chucking a Petanque boule across the grit covered square whilst sipping on a pastis, get.

Le Croc.

Lacoste.

Now I know that with globalisation and all that it brings, every 2 bob city across the globe has a Lacoste store. But for me walking past one in France makes me feel young and excited. See, I remember when Lacoste shops were only found in Europe. So French camping holidays for me were always about Croc spotting. Either people wearing it, shops stocking it (we’re talking old school InterSport shops, concessions in the larger Hyper Marches, and if you were really lucky a Lacoste shop itself) or adverts for it.

I once bought a pair of reduced sweat bands, in pink cause that was the only Lacoste my saved holiday money could afford. I was gutted to discover that only one of the bands had a croc on. And it was miniscule. No way my mum could sew that on a shirt and me get away with it.

Fact we can get hold of Lacoste in loads of places doesn’t diminish the power of Le Croc. Times change, and so have the brand…bringing in their more youthful L!ve range, which is often bang on the money style wise.

But if you want classic cool, a staple that any Gauloise smoking French man would be proud of, get yourself a long or short sleeve polo, preferably in a pastel shade, and shine up them boules.

La belle vie, innit.

Loads of Lacoste and Lacoste L!ve  at Pavilion Clothing and Oi Polloi now.

Twitter: @HiltonShoegazer