I finally found a video of the full interview that Ralph Lauren did for Oprah this last spring and while some of the narration is a bit soft in a few parts, it is very inspiring. Several great views of the picturesque Double RL Ranch are shown as well, and in another related video there is footage shot from a small aerial drone by Oprah’s production crew.
Tag: Ralph Lauren (page 1 of 3)
There is a new ‘Holiday Tartans‘ section on RalphLauren.com for all things plaid, and it also includes these made in the USA moccasin boots and loafers that I haven’t noticed before:
The ‘Holiday Dressing‘ section has some great looking jackets as well.
Apparently TIME magazine has a public archive of old articles on their website and it was fun searching through them for familiar topics:
Manhattanites in plaid flannel shirts and crepe-soled leather boots are hiking down Fifth Avenue. Students in goose-down vests and baggy sweatpants are trekking through Harvard Square. Dudes in lumber jackets are hanging out in Beverly Hills. Few of these folks have a clue how to swing a fly rod or an ax. But they do know that outdoor gear designed for the backwoods has come in from the cold for wear everywhere.
That was written in 1976, but reads like it could have been from yesterday.
Here Comes the Preppie Look, written in 1980. The quote from the Cable Car Clothiers manager is great.
Out with the baggy jeans, the chinoiserie, the gypsy queen regalia. In with the snappy blue blazers and tweed hacking jackets, button-down Oxford-cloth shirts and Shetland sweaters, khaki slacks and tartan skirts. This summer and fall, the fashion-conscious woman will be wearing exactly what the fashion-unconscious woman has been wearing for decades. It is currently labeled the Preppie Look, though the style has also been known as Ivy League, Town and Country, Brooks Brothers or—in England —County. Mother would approve…
…The vogue is not tied to any individual designer. Indeed, in some ways it represents a rebellion against duds that bear big-name labels. Says Armond Suacci, manager of Cable Car Clothiers in San Francisco: “Preppie people do not need designers because they already have taste in clothing.”
A Ralph Lauren piece from 1986 – Selling a Dream of Elegance and the Good Life. He was on the cover of that issue.
Fashion Designer Ralph Lauren grew up a long way from all the things he really admired: hand-tailored clothes, manor houses, sports cars, fine horses and manicured lawns. But call it a yearning process: as an outsider to that world, Bronx-born Lauren dreamed up his own brand of gentility and style. Now he has managed to create an image and a company that have nearly cornered the market for supplying today’s would-be Gatsbys. Shunning hipness and flamboyance, Lauren cultivates the up-and-coming customer’s appreciation for things and dreams that last.
A profile on L.L. Bean (the man himself) in 1962 – What No One Else Has As Good As
Wives v. Boots. Founder and autocratic boss of this Down-East Abercrombie & Fitch is L. L. (for Leon Leonwood) Bean, 90, a crusty Yankee who is more woodsman than businessman. Bean still works vigorously each day in a glassed-in office amidst the production line, is proud of the fact that he has bagged 35 deer in his lifetime. (“That’s a lot of deer, son. You can get only one a year, you know.”) He personally edits each entry in the Bean mail-order catalogue, and his spare, disarming style has been used in advertising textbooks as exemplary of what direct-mail selling should be. Sample: “Most hunters and fishermen smoke. For a long time we searched for an outstanding pipe. This pipe is the result.”
Some other interesting pieces:
– The Brick-Red Look
– Back to Braces
– The Regimental Tie
The wool challis tie is perfect for this time of the year and pairs well with tweed and corduroy jackets for when you want to add a different texture. The fabric is made with a sturdy but soft simple weave and is a good alternative to the more expensive cashmere tie. Classic options can be found at the bastions: Ralph Lauren, O’Connell’s, Paul Stuart, J.Press, and Cable Car Clothiers. The grey challis tie above is one of mine from Franco Bassi, an Italian maker.
A Ralph Lauren Polo ad featuring a challis tie in dark green.
From now until October 11, you can get 25% off of your purchases at RalphLauren.com by using the code RLGIVE2010 during checkout (the discount is also in effect at Ralph Lauren and RRL stores, see the fine print for details). As part of their promotion, they’re also donating 10% of each sale to the Pink Pony Fund, a philanthropy group founded by Ralph Lauren to aid in breast cancer research and treatment.
Along with an auction (if I had the money lying around, I would bid on the tour of Ralph Lauren’s personal car collection), the company also invited popular bloggers to model Pink Pony branded shirts to help spread the word.
From some older Ralph Lauren ads. Of course they’re over the top and should not be copied head to toe, but there are elements of each that are useful as a guide now that black tie season is starting up.
Earlier this year, Christian over on Ivy Style showed previews of what to expect from Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers for this fall and I’ve had some of those tweed jackets on my mind ever since. The natural shoulders on a few of them is what appeals to me the most I think – never minding the technical merits of shoulder construction, jackets without heavy padding are more comfortable to me and only because they don’t feel like I’m actually wearing something formal that needs to be fussed over.
Ideally I think I only need two types for now: one in a grey herringbone tweed and another in navy (perhaps that J.Crew jacket being sold later this year will do alright). When I’m older, I can then look for something in brown and another in green. Seeing how long these sorts of jackets last, I could probably do pretty well with just a few.
On a side note, I do worry about how difficult it will be to purchase some of this. Often it seems the more interesting items like these never make it into the normal retail distribution chains, save for a few flagship stores (and hardly ever available online). Here’s to hoping that they don’t mess it up.
It needs a good polishing, but I finally got around to getting a new belt for this sterling silver slide buckle that I’ve had lying around unused for the past few years. Made in England like the best of them, it was purchased from J.Crew of all places back when they attempted to sell a small selection of high end goods under their own name. An engraving will come next.
Below, an example of one being worn from Ralph Lauren. These types of buckles are usually very small (about an 1″ or so in height), but they provide a nice visual break for your clothing when worn. The other benefit to these is that the leather straps can be easily switched out with other colors/materials.
A few buckle options available to purchase online:
– Sid Mashburn, $175. Also available in a lesser expensive brass.
– Brooks Brothers, $228.
– Tiffany & Co, $215.
– Ralph Lauren, $150.
Both Brooks Brothers and Sid Mashburn sell the needed 1″ leather belt straps.
About 2-3 times a year, online discount shoe retailer Grapevinehill will get in shipments of Ralph Lauren branded shoes where you can sometimes find great deals (50% off retail, and better). Skip the made in Italy ones, and go straight for the pairs made in the USA and England. Use the code BIGRL for 15% off until April 13th.
Ralph Lauren Peering Oxfords – made by Edward Green
Ralph Lauren Garran Monkstrap Boots
Ralph Lauren Gifford Ankle Boots – made from shell cordovan
And some made in USA loafers. I’ve got a couple pairs of these and they’re a great value.
In 1995, Sotheby’s hosted an auction for a large collection of antiques and fine art that was used by Ralph Lauren to showcase his clothing lines throughout his stores, showrooms, and advertisements. If you’ve ever visited the Ralph Lauren mansion in NYC, or the store on Michigan Ave in Chicago, you definitely can get a feel for how he sells everything by also selling the perception of a having a certain lifestyle. From the introduction to the book that accompanied the auction:
This remarkable group of antiques and furnishings , which were bought in both the United States and Europe, embrace a diversity of styles and cultures through grand and casual, rugged yet sophisticated. In addition to such high-style furniture as the Louis XV ormolu-mounted tulipwood and kindwood parquetry bureau plat from the mid-18th century signed by Pierre Garneir, the collection also includes a large number of whimsical and traditional decorative pieces, such as the 19th century English carved rocking horse, the pair of 19th century Codestone garden urns, needlework pillows, tea caddies and andirons.
My favorite piece shown in the book is a chair and ottoman set made from tusks and alligator leather, and only because it’s so tacky and politically incorrect by today’s standards.
