Opening Ceremony Brings The Polo Back (& Makes It Cool) With This Collab

We're always looking for the next iteration of athleisure, especially when its got a less off-duty, more polished vibe. We've got the three-part uniform down, and even managed to sneak the aesthetic into our accessories. We've also exhausted all the possible ways to wear leggings every single day. However, there's one particular silhouette that's been waiting for its fashion comeback moment for quite some time now — and it just got a huge vote of confidence (and, perhaps, the coolness quotient it's been missing) from Opening Ceremony. Today, the NYC-based retailer announced a pair-up with Lacoste on a summer collection that's inspired by the French brand's tennis heritage, and the polo is basically front and center. We've seen the trend crop up once again with the fashion set's endorsement — a response to the rise of athletic-as-day-wear and seemingly unquenchable thirst for a good sartorial throwback. Being the cool kids that they are, however, Opening Ceremony didn't simply release the same-old buttoned-up top seen at your local country club. For one of the capsule's styles, the brand reimagined the traditional silhouette, introduced by René Lacoste in the early 20th century. OC's interpretation features a contemporary neckline that combines two very on-trend details: the mock neck, and the zipper.

"We were really feeling for the classic, iconic Lacoste polo with a signature OC twist," Jesse Hudnutt, Opening Ceremony's director of men's buying and special projects, told Refinery29 of those zip-up collars. "We're big summertime bike-riders, so [it] felt like a cool wink to that." The goal of the project, he says, was to create the perfect polo to wear all summer long with Lacoste. For polo purists (or Lacoste enthusiasts), there are some styles that stay faithful to the tried-and-true shape. Two different T-shirt styles are also on offer — there's a navy-striped cream option and also a white version with red color-blocked sleeves — and both styles will retail for $80 a pop. (The polos will range from $95 to $110.) All the tops in the capsule are unisex. There are also two polo dresses, priced at $130 each, featuring the revamped zip-up neckline available in women's sizing.

The polo silhouette itself is unmistakably retro — and the teams at Opening Ceremony and Lacoste played on that sense of nostalgia via '70s-inspired detailing, colors, and stripes. (Hudnutt highligths the white-painted ring detailing on the zip-up collar as a favorite ode to the past in the collection.) Plus, for this very special occasion, even Lacoste's iconic crocodile got a makeover: The pieces in this collaboration are festooned with a gold, glittery version of the critter. So, are you ready to give polos another chance? If so, go take the plunge at Opening Ceremony right now.