Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette! In today's video, we discuss one of my
favorite brands, Ralph Lauren, and what to buy and what not to buy from them. Ralph Lauren
is an iconic American clothing brand that was founded in 1967 and today, is a seven
billion dollar company. A lot of people ask us "Well, what do you buy from this
brand or what would you suggest we buy?" So today, we focus on Ralph Lauren but
before we do that, let's briefly look at the history of the brand. Ironically, it
was founded by Ralph Lifshitz who just decided that that was
not so marketable and went with Ralph Lauren. When he founded the company, he
was 27 years old and initially, he started with ties
because he was working for a tie manufacturer. Through the 60s, slim ties were
en vogue and so Ralph Lauren decided to go the opposite way and make very wide
ties. What really propelled his brand is when he had an in-store concept at
Bloomingdale's and that was the first brand or person to be able to get that.
He also had the first stand-alone single designer store on Rodeo Drive and he was
the first to win the Coty fashion award twice. Followng ties, he launched a line of
women's shirts under the Polo brand which became later synonymous with Ralph
Lauren. A few years later in 1972, he created the polo mesh shirt and it's a
hallmark staple of the brand to this day. With this
roaring success, Ralph Lauren was also asked to design the wardrobes for the
Great Gatsby at the time and Annie Hall. They went public in 1997 and today
has a bunch of sub-brands. So you have Ralph Lauren collection, which is a
women's brand, you have Purple Label which is their highest end brand, they
used to have black label which was more of a slimmer cut but I don't think they
have it anymore. They have, of course, polo which is iconic and still around then
they also have the double RL brand which is more 1930s vintage inspired work wear
but they also have suits that are quite cool, they used to have like RL X and
more like performance-based brands, I don't think they carry them anymore, they have
Ralph Lauren home which is all about home goods and really great for interior
design if you like his style. They also have sub brands like Chaps and
Club Monaco which are under the Ralph Lauren umbrella. You can also find
fragrances from Ralph Lauren, as well as the Ralph Lauren restaurants. I've only
been to Chicago and Paris but both are very nice.
Ralph Lauren is a brand that has began so popular that it's often counterfeited. So
if you buy used goods, beware that you don't get a fake. So what's Ralph Lauren's
style? If I have to break it down, I would say it's preppy Americana but they do a
really good job in using vintage inspired patterns and garments and just
tweaking them a little bit and putting them back onto the market. They also do a
good job in using different colors and patterns and fabrics. Apart from that,
there's still one of those few lines that offers a full range of men's
clothing and suits that is not just plain gray and navy but they have Prince
of Wales checks and nice stripes, they have seersuckers, sometimes even bold
Paisley, or velvet garments, and just over all, it's a brand that has the entire
spectrum of a classic men's wardrobe in a ready-to-wear segment. First, before you
go out and buy anything, keep in mind that everything they sell has a very high
retail ticket price. Often, it's discounted, especially at department
stores, but even on their website. So, if you don't need it right away and it's
not something that you must have immediately, it probably pays to wait
because you'll get a substantial discount. So what are the things from
Ralph Lauren you should buy? First of all, I would say sweaters and sweater vests.
Ralph Lauren is one of the few companies that offers really an extremely wide
range of knits; whether it's a cable knit or an aran sweater, maybe a fair isle, knit
vest inspired style, they have cool wools, they have cool styles with Shaw collars,
cardigans, and really everything under the sun. So if you're in the market for
any kind of cardigan, I suggest you check them out. Also, check out the vintage polo
sweaters. They can be really cool things to have at a very low price. The
second thing to look at is the double RL brand. It's not usually carried
in department stores, they are usually sold at specific stores; there's a great
one in New York, I think it's their flagship store. It's mostly vintage
Americana inspired work wear so lots of denim, lots of more casual garments with
vintage influences but their suits are also very nice, they feature usually a
nice belly and have this kind of vintage feel to it but it's not just distinctly
1930s that like is much slimmer and more modern; so it's just a cool kind of
garment that is hard to be found elsewhere. The next item I really like
from Ralph Lauren is swimwear. Probably my favorite swimwear items are from
Ralph Lauren, they are usually in classic patterns such as checks or they have
like bold stripes and it's very hard to find a tasteful classically inspired
pair of swim trunks from other brands. The fourth item that Ralph Lauren does
really well are overcoats. Probably the most iconic piece is the Polo overcoat
which works well with their name. It's kind of a camel hair coat and you've
probably have seen an ad from them. Ironically, it's not sold on their
website very often anymore so the best chance to find it is vintage on eBay or
other places. Be prepared to pay around $1,000 for a polo coat even though it's
used but it's a very nice garment and if you find other overcoats, chances are
they're made with really cool details out of really unusual fabrics. The fifth
thing you should buy are vintage Polo items. Today, Polo Ralph Lauren is much
more commercialized. It's mostly made in Asia, however, in the 80s, things were made
in the US or in Italy or in England and oftentimes, to a higher standard; the
yarns and the fabrics are better so they've stood the test of time. So if you
find something from the 80s or 90s that you like and it goes with your style,
don't be afraid of buying it, it's good stuff. Good items in this area are
corduroys or sweaters, ties, suits, or even seersucker. The
sixth thing Ralph Lauren does really well and you should invest in are shorts.
Men's shorts or Bermuda shorts are really great. To learn more about them
you can head over to our shorts guide here. but just in general, often they are
vintage-inspired, they offer bolder colors than other
men's brands, and they have little details such as coin pockets or just a pattern like a
real Indian cotton madras and to learn more about that fabric please check out
this guide here. The seventh item you can buy with confidence from Ralph
Lauren are dress shoes. In the past, they were often manufactured in Italy. Today, their
purple label shoe line is usually made by Crockett & Jones, Edward Green or Graziano and Girling
which are all high-end British makers. They have a very good
styling, they add the purple sole, and while the retail price is quite high, if
you find a markdown in store, at outlets, or on eBay, they're a very good buy. The
eighth item you should invest in are purple label suits and jackets. Back in the day, they
were made in England by Chester Barrry and crew and that's the suit I'm wearing
here right now. It's really nice, it has a very 30s inspired style with wide lapels,
it's tailored very softly so it's extremely comfortable just like a
sweater and even though today, most of purple label's items are made in Italy
and things have changed quite a bit, they're still at a high quality level
and I recommend them. Usually, those garments retail anywhere from $4,000-$6,000
or more. Now, I don't believe it's worth the retail price but
sometimes, you can score bargains on eBay or on outlets. For example, this suit here
cost me about two or three hundred dollars, I think on eBay, way back in the
day and to this day, it is the favorite suit of my wife. They also offer a great
range of dinner jackets in unusual patterns and colors, as well as cuts. For
example, double-breasted shawl collar jackets and stuff you won't easily find
from other brands, especially not off the rack. The ninth item to invest in are
Ralph Lauren home goods. They have anything from bed sheets to glasses to
decorative items and while generally, their stuff is not of the utmost quality,
it is good quality and it is a superb style, however, again, in a very
high price point. So if you can find it used somewhere or in a dead-stock, that's
the time to buy, unless, of course, you really like it, it works with your room
then just splurge on it and enjoy it. The 10th item I think Ralph Lauren is
great for are slacks. Especially, Polo has a range of corduroys for the winter that
are unusual, many different colors, they also have great chinos in shades
like Nantucket red or baby blue or just regular sand or khaki and so any type of
somewhat casual pant or medium formal pair of slacks, Ralph Lauren is a great
option for you. Apart from those, my favorite items include a seersucker suit
from Polo Ralph Lauren, a couple of suits from Purple Label, my shorts for the warm
summer months, as well as my vintage sweaters.
So with that being said, what should you not buy from Ralph Lauren? As I mentioned,
hardly anything is worth full price so skip that. Also personally, I am not a big
fan of their polo shirts anymore, I think they're priced quite high, they have
bigger and bigger logos in their chests that are very contrasting which I don't
like, and their collars are flimsy. To check out more about polo shirts and
what I prefer instead please head over to the polo shirt guide here. The second
thing I would avoid are dress shirts. In my experience, the fit is often awkward,
they also have like oxford shirts but they have all the polo pony which is
something I don't like on a shirt, and on top of that, they're rather pricey so
you're better off going made-to-measure somewhere else
where you get exactly the fabric you want in a color you want and in a fit
that works for you. Also, stay clear of anything that's obnoxious with logos.
There's a tendency to have a super-huge ponys on your clothing or the American
flag or the polar bear and all of these make you more look like a brand whore
rather than a well dressed person. Yes, you can be patriotic but when have you
ever seen an American president wearing a sweater with American flag? Never, right?
Well, there's a good reason, it's just obnoxious. Also, in my experience, stay
clear of Ralph Lauren activewear with wind proof stuff. I used to have a jacket
way back in the day and it performed very poorly especially compared to
other brands that focus specifically on outdoor stuff so I just stay clear of
that altogether. Likewise, I'd stay clear of their t-shirts because they're
simply overpriced and no one needs a little pony on their t-shirt. I also
think a lot of accessories that Ralph Lauren offers, such as their leather
goods, are simply not really super high quality, they just have a high price tag.
Other things though, like their pocket squares or ties, are much better. Overall,
I think all of the accessories just rely too heavily on branding. For example, look at
the polar bear quartz watch for $2,000. I mean really? Also there was a time when I
bought a lot of socks from them because they were quite colorful but they often
had their pony and they use a lot of polyamide or nylon in their socks
so looking back, it's
probably not something I would buy again. So in summary, Ralph Lauren has a great
range of products that you could buy from them when things are in sale or if
they're vintage they're exceptionally good buys otherwise stay clear of some
of the accessories some of their watches even though their horseshoe watches
are really really nice I don't think they're worth $25,000. That being said, if
you think they are go for it enjoy them. Overall, I think Ralph Lauren
is a fantastic brand. They did an exceptional job in bringing kind of a classic
English inspired Americana style to the average man and for that I truly thank
Ralph Lauren. in today's video I am wearing of course a Ralph Lauren suit it was my
first high-end suit that I bough off eBay it was made in England by Chester
Barry it has this really cool power style that is at the same time very soft
to wear it's a navy with a white rope stripe combined it with a white shirt
and double cuffs and a vintage Polo tie which is brown it's printed I think in
Italy and made in Italy but it's just very tasteful and as you can see it
is a wider tie because that's what Ralph Lauren used to do I think these days
they're more in line with what the market produces but when they started
they were super wide the pocket square is also from Ralph Lauren it's just a
simple polka dot Silke square my shoes are monk straps
with a full brogue pattern which is a style you often see from Ralph Lauren
it's usually classic but a little more eclectic and unusual for cufflinks I only
have one pair of Ralph Lauren which were made in England out of enamel in
turquoise and yellow and then it didn't work with the outfit so I chose the ones
from Fort Belvedere with a carelian red which go with my tie and my pocket
square and you can find them in a shop here if you enjoyed these videos I
suggest you check out our series is it worth it where we look at iconic
garments and see if they're worth your money or not