Updated May 20th, 2026
There are a lot of fake Lacoste items for sale on the internet, so how do you ensure you are not buying a counterfeit Lacoste polo shirt? Your best method to ensure that you are really buying an original Lacoste polo shirt is to buy it from the Lacoste Store. However, if you are buying a Lacoste polo shirt from someone else, you should look for a few obvious signs of fake merchandise. Here’s some quick methods to detect whether the Lacoste shirt you are about to buy is real or counterfeit:
1) Check the logo – Most fakes have cheaply made crocodile logos with badly defined body parts. The crocodile should be a deep, dark green with obvious individual teeth and claws. The top jaw is smaller than bottom and is angled slightly upwards. The tail will be rounded and be pointing in the same direction as the jaw rather than at the crocodile. The logo should be on a white background, and stitched on from inside the shirt. You should see no stitches on the front of the shirt.
You should also see neat stitching inside the shirt outlining the crocodile. Messy stitching inside is a clear sign of a fake. On the original Lacoste polo shirts, the logo is held on with 1,400 stitches.
Unfortunately, Lacoste has been confusing the issue recently by using multiple versions of the logo in different materials, so if your item’s logo doesn’t look like the classic cloth one pictured above, you should check it against some of the newer versions shown on my Lacoste Crocodile Logo page. While the colors differ, the quality of the logo and its stitching are still good indicators.
2) Check the sizing – Lacoste uses numbers for sizing, not small, medium and large
3) Check the Logo Alignment – The Lacoste Logo lines up with the second button of their polo shirts. It never lines up with the bottom of the placket.
4) Check the Fabric – Most fakes are made with much thinner cloth than genuine Lacoste shirts. If you put your hand inside the shirt, and you can see it through the cloth, then it’s almost certainly a fake. You can also check the weave to see if it matches Lacoste’s exclusive “petit pique” pattern
5) Check the Buttons – Real Lacoste buttons are usually mother-of-pearl. The shape is flat and slightly saddle-like in the middle. There are 2 holes for needles (on the upper and lower parts). There is usually no writing on the button. A genuine button will have a clearly defined rim around it.
6) Check for Elevations – Men’s T-shirts have small side elevations.
7) Check the Label – On a new Lacoste shirt with an ironed on label, the Lacoste label will look like the example shown below. Most fake Lacoste makers don’t do a thorough job on the label. In particular, the lettering and logo are usually have blurred edges.
8) Check 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.
Other Resources
If you are interested in authenticating a Lacoste bag, check out my article on detecting fake Lacoste bags. I’ve also written a detailed article on detecting counterfeit Lacoste items if these instructions are not good enough.
