Styling Hacks From the Ralph Lauren Show

Use them now with pieces you probably already have, plus a brief history of Ralph Lauren

Ya gotta love Ralph. No one stays truer to his MO over all these many years. He has built a huge business playing to the voyeur in all of us on how the uber-rich dress up and down. In his idealized world, beautiful multiracial families effortlessly traverse halcyon days of sailing, riding and whatever other one percent activities require catchy clothing, up to black tie evenings.

While the clothes have remained consistently classic over the years the mixing of genres keeps it fresh, like wearing ripped jeans on bottom with the formality of a tuxedo on top (and some NY Yankees merch thrown in for good measure). Somehow it works. Hey, they’re rich and beautiful, they can do whatever they want. Ralph is the first to admit that he built his empire on the dream of the good life. To drive that narrative home he has on occasion taken us to the natural habitat of his avatars, in the case of Spring ‘25 a horse farm in Bridgehampton.

Ralph Lauren is the great American success story on a Gatsbyesque level. His parents, Frank and Fraydl Lifshitz, immigrated to the US from Pinsk, Second Polish Republic, now Belarus. In 1939 Ralph was born, the third of four children. Born and raised in the Bronx (as was Calvin Klein), Ralph developed an interest in fashion from an early age and the dream of a better life. Both passions have served him well over the years, his business was born from the heart.

In 1967 he developed a line of men’s ties under the name Polo. He was the first to produce wider ties that were to become the norm in the 1970’s. Following the success of his ties he obtained a loan for $30,000 to expand his business and eventually added a menswear collection. In 1970 he launched a line of women’s suits based on classic men’s styles. The now iconic polo pony and rider logo emblazoned on the classic polo shirt made its debut in 1972 in an array of 24 colors. In just five years Ralph’s dreams and vision gave rise to the empire we know today. 

Let’s give credit where credit is due. With over five decades in business Ralph Lauren Corporation has grown to include men’s, women’s and children’s clothes; from luxury to mass market, home furnishings, fragrances and restaurants. All this without diluting the prestige of his name. He has over 300 stores worldwide and a personal fortune of over 6 billion dollars. As I mentioned in my recent post, Is NYFW Still Relevant, American fashion in the eighties was dominated by Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Donna Karen and Anne Klein. Of the big four only Ralph has survived fully intact and thriving.

The show he presented last Thursday, September 5th, was quintessential Ralph which leans heavily into styling tried and true American classics.  For our purposes I’m breaking down the appealing styling hacks that you can implement into your transition wardrobe right now.

Ralph knows the power of a little silk scarf to elevate the simplest crew neck sweater, button down shirt or tee. Just fold the square in half on the diagonal and fold it lengthwise a few times until the width is roughly two inches. Then tie it around the neck, tucking in the ends. A scarf can add color, pattern and interest. This UK company on Etsy has a fantastic selection of 100% silk scarves in the 20 x 20 inch size I prefer. Note that if the scarf is too big it becomes bulky. The price makes it easy to have a few key colorways in your arsenal to break up a monochromatic look or add to a layered look as shown on the Ralph runway.

As evening wear evolves to have a less formal feel, a useful trick is to put a sporty, more masculine jacket over a fluid, silky evening look. I find this works best when the value of the colors are similar, as seen above. Avoid heavy contrast in color, the tonality helps to marry the disparate elements into a cohesive whole. An oversized, masculine jacket works best over an unconstructed, fluid dress or skirt in one color.  Balance is very important here, use the three examples above as your guide. Play in front of your mirror, you’ll know when you get it right.

This is an easy hack you can employ right now with pieces you probably already own. Stripes instantly lift an outfit and add a sporty element. The shirt should be unbuttoned to just above the waistband, immediately giving the staid button down a more relaxed air. Don't be afraid to go bold with the colors of the stripe or even clash. Try it under a classic suit to give it more edge and a less corporate vibe. To mix it up even more add a scarf at the neck as discussed above, or add multiple necklaces. If you have a long sleeved stripe tee try rolling up the shirt sleeves above the elbows, exposing the stripes on the forearms.

Tee suggestions clockwise from top left: J. Crew, Cos navy and white, Cos black and white, Molly tee, and two long sleeve Kule tees.  

Any way to make a blazer and shirt feel less uptight is a good thing. Try leaving the shirt cuffs unbuttoned and hanging past the sleeve of the jacket. This works best with french cuffs, but if the sleeves are long enough any cuffs will do. This also works with a sweater over the shirt as long as the width of the sweater sleeves are wide.

Christy Turlington is becoming a regular on Ralph’s runway, this time joined by Naomi Cambell.  At 55 Christy is gorgeous as ever, but what struck me most is she appears to be embracing age without aid of the needle or knife. No judgment here, it’s a personal choice. I’m no stranger to the needle myself, though I haven’t done anything in three years. I question the toxicity of fillers and botox and how long and how much is too much. As I continue my personal debate on the subject it’s nice to see the rare celebrity who is truly aging gracefully. I would love to hear your thoughts on this issue!

Ralph takes his bow with wife Ricky. At this point he’s an American institution fully enjoying the good life!

Thank you for reading, I hope you picked up an idea or two. Don’t be afraid to experiment, but make some time to do so. The morning rush when you have to get out the door is not ideal, though sometimes that’s when happy accidents happen!

Until next time,

xxx Jolain