THE CROQUET SHIELD ICON

Since Day One, we’ve made jackets for both men and women in our house Croquet Stripe — designed in Microsoft Paint and based on a vintage Jaques croquet wicket — and now, for the first time, the pattern in featured in a new Rowing Blazers motif: the Croquet Shield, part of the new Rowing Blazers Polo Program™.

From our founder, Jack Carlson: “The world of fashion and menswear is full of faux heraldry: fake English-looking ‘crests’ or coats of arms. It drives me crazy because it’s meaningless — other than trying to look vaguely British (or ‘upper class’?) in the most ham-handed way. I studied heraldry, and growing up I even worked at a place called the College of Arms in London — the British institution in charge of designing coats of arms (it also features prominently in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service!). That was sort of the beginning of my design career in fact.

I wanted to turn this trend on its head by creating an emblem that isn’t masquerading as anything. This tongue-in-cheek little shield is clearly *non*-heraldic: no lions or griffins or fleurs-de-lis. It’s a simple, hand-drawn little guy, composed of our signature “croquet stripe” colors. Look for it on our organic cotton polos now, and a few other things coming soon.”

The Rowing Blazers Polo Program — including the Croquet Shield Icon Polo — is available now.