Encyclopaedia of the Ralph Lauren Universe From Polo Ralph Lauren to Purple Label, everything you need to know

Ralph Lauren. Preceded by "Polo" to make it sound more English and in reference to one of the designer's favorite sports, characterized by elegant gestures and the connection between man and animal, it is the first of many lines created by the American designer, who still remains the driving force behind his brand. A combination of the British preppy style and the American elite of the 1920s, à la Great Gatsby, offered to those who could never have afforded either of these lifestyles. The Polo Ralph Lauren line, launched in 1967 with ties and then with an elegant clothing line made from sporty fabrics, achieved enormous success in 1971, the year in which its female counterpart was born: a collection of shirts with a masculine cut, enriched by an embroidered symbol on the cuffs, the polo player logo. The very next year saw the birth of La Polo, the cornerstone of the line and the entire aesthetic of the American brand: a cotton T-shirt with a soft collar and chest opening closed by two buttons, offered in a single model available in 24 colors.

The versatility and constant appeal of the little horse line first found success among WASPs, White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, obsessed with families like the Vanderbilts and their pristine white estates. These customers did not have great financial means but wanted to feel part of that lobby. From the first advertising campaigns, the intent to represent a new idea of the American aristocratic family is clear, with garments priced in the average range, such as shirts and sweaters, set against backdrops depicting “classic” bourgeois families, luxury cars, and noble homes. The aesthetic quickly expanded, managing to enter the collective imagination of the American Ivy League, such as Harvard and Yale, and then arriving at New York private schools, Oxford colleges, and Wall Street. In the 1980s, Polo fashion reached the most elite neighborhoods of Rome, such as Parioli, and private high schools in Milan, like San Carlo High School. In less than a decade, Polo’s aesthetic became a true lifestyle, an expression of a new bourgeoisie that wanted to be as bourgeois as the real bourgeois, without being able to truly be so.

Polo Ralph Lauren from the 1980s to today

If the Chaps line, launched in 1978, represented one of Ralph Lauren’s boldest moves, it is because it brought the brand’s casual elegance and spirit to a much broader audience. Designed as an accessible offering for the American middle class, Chaps celebrated classic American style reinterpreted for mass consumers: button-down shirts, cable-knit sweaters, and sports jackets reminiscent of Ivy League campus atmospheres but targeted at a more distant reality. The line stood out for its ability to democratize Ralph Lauren’s aspirational image, positioning itself in department stores. However, this accessibility also represented its ambiguity: while Chaps embodied the American Dream, it also distanced itself from the exclusivity and prestige that the main collections sought to represent. Initially, Chaps was the best way to spread the brand and reach everyone, but over time, its excessive presence in mid-range stores and discount outlets compromised its positioning, transforming the Ralph Lauren signature into a brand perceived as more “entry-level” than aspirational. Today, Chaps operates under license by the OVED Group, offering casual and affordable clothing distributed primarily in department stores in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.