Ralph Lifschitz, later to be known as Ralph Lauren, grew up in the Bronx. Ralph would very soon become familiar with the ready-to-wear universe as a glove salesman at famed New York clothier Brooks Brothers. He was 16 when, eager to put his name on his own creations, he began to design ties. Diametrically opposed to the style of the day, his chic attracted the attention of retailers like Brummell and Bloomingdale’s. The success was immediate. In 1967, Ralph Lifschitz became Ralph Lauren. Loyal to his initial ambitions, he would construct clothing with the same desire to produce quality products. Ralph Lauren creates a universe and then invites people to be a part of his dream. And so, in his West Coast boutique in Beverly Hills, the couturier developed a garment that would become the emblem of his brand throughout the seasons: the polo. The year was 1968, and in that very year he released a collection of short-sleeve polos for the first time, available in 27 colors and defining once and for all the sportswear identity of his label. But beyond a simple garment, Ralph Lauren develops first and foremost an idealized way of life, that of an America that is casual yet chic. Ralph Lauren himself became the embodiment of this way of life, a way of life who’s style is expressed through elegant and casual clothing, just like his sporty, elitist, and preppy universe.
The polo owes its name to the image of the refined and elitist sport. It was indeed the uniform of choice for players due to its turned-down collar that could stay put during matches, a popular form of chic that Ralph Lauren reintegrated into a buttoned-tip collar. He even borrowed his brand’s seal from the equestrian sport; the famous polo player logo would initially appear on the wrist of his shirts. By 1971, the cavalier polo player was as ubiquitous on Wall Street as it was in Harlem. That’s what Ralph Lauren style is all about: a mixture of luxury and casual that reinterprets the codes of the aristocratic Ivy League and revisits the preppy heritage of East Coast universities. But, ultra-light, it’s a piece that a man owes it to himself to keep in his wardrobe. No matter his social status because, easy to mix and match, the polo is timeless. Fabricated in order to preserve its initial proportions in the long term, the Ralph Lauren polo is undoubtedly durable. This is precisely the philosophy behind American living: the privilege of quality basics assuring casual elegance on the daily.
This year the famous Polo by Ralph Lauren is again honoured at Wimbledon’s tournament. On the one hand it invades completely the tennis courts and on the other hand Ralph Lauren sponsors Wimbledon 2017.
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