Saturday, September 10, 2011

Wentworth Tradd guides you through the Ralph Maze

Popular American Designer Ralph Lauren has many different lines of
clothing and the quality and style vary from line to line. If you
are not familiar with them, many of the names sound similar. I offer
you a list (probably not exhaustive or geplete) of some of the Ralph
Lauren menswear labels.

Polo University Club. As far as
I know, this is the least expensive line from Ralph Lauren. It is, or
was, intended to be a Young Men's Line. Quality is about average,
nothing spectacular. Many okay sellers will try to pass
this off as "real" Polo, which it is not. (see below)
CHAPS. There was a time
when CHAPS was the bottom of the hierarchy, but no more.
CHAPS clothing has been made by GRIEFF, I believe, which is
a respectable manufacturer. I think the shirts were made by
Hathaway at one time. CHAPS tends to be conservative, in the All
American- Mid Market sense. You will see fewer stylistic risks, but the
quality is certainly acceptable.
LAUREN by RALPH LAUREN items
have been showing up more and more in discount venues and catalogues. I
believe these items, mostly tailored clothing (suits and sportcoats)
are made in China. The quality is good for the price, but my suspicion
is that almost nobody pays full price. I am not certain whether
this line is between CHAPS and Polo University Club, or just ahead of
CHAPS. My experience is that it is nicer than Polo U.C. While I
have seen it in PRL outlet stores, I do not see any of it on the
Polo.ge webpages.
RALPH LAUREN BLUE LABEL items
show up sometime, usually with the name of a high end department store.
This is not necessarily POLO, but the items are made of quality
fabrics. I have seen RL dress shirts and sportcoats. Construction seems
to be above average
POLO JEANS gePANY is an official POLO line, and can be seen on their webpage. This line is mostly sportswear.
POLO SPORT is another sportswear line, with emphasis on athletic wear, mostly for skiing and tennis.
POLO GOLF is also a sportswear line, though they may include blazers and sportcoats in Small-Medium-Large sizing.
BLUE LABEL POLO is the
original Ralph Lauren Polo tailored clothing. It has been made in
many different places and the sizing and quality will vary
somewhat. This line is generally nicer than anything mentioned so
far and may have highly original stylistic touches. Some Blue Label
tailored clothing (suits and sportcoats) is/are made in
Italy, probably by Corneliani.
RALPH LAUREN PURPLE LABEL. This
is the premium line. Purple Label suits have a distinctive
English look and feel, and have been made in the past by Chester
Barrie. I believe they have also been made by Saint Andrew(s), but I am
not certain where they are currently made. Look for such details as
button flies, adjustable tabs on trouser waists instead of belt loops,
etc.
POLO (or RL) BLACK LABEL. This is supposed to be the SUPER PREMIUM line.
DOUBLE RL/RRL. This is a
western/nostalgia inspired line that includes dressy casual jackets,
but probably no suits. These garments have a strong "retro" feel to
them.
RUGBY. This is a new young
person's line, sold only in RL Rugby stores. It is supposed to be Polo
with a strong edge. Many of the items have the Rugby skull and bones
logo on them. As far as I know, there are no Rugby suits and the
blazers in this line are pretty casual.

It is important to know that, in addition to the Polo flagship
store in New York and the Rugby shops, Polo Ralph Lauren also
operates (or at least licenses) a number of outlet stores, many of them
along US I-95. Demand for clothing at these outlets is so great that
some items are made specifically to be sold there. These items
may or may not be of the same quality as the Ralph Lauren/Polo items
sold in high-end clothing or department stores. In some cases, the
question is not so much one of quality as of formailty. A
specialty store may stock, for instance, tartan trousers that are
hemmed to fit the customer. The outlets may sell prehemmed tartan
trousers, which are necessarily designed to fit less precisely.
Some okay sellers will identify outlet goods, which may be useful in
your searches.


Ralph Lauren's name also appears on a wide range of formalwear. I
believe the broad categories above hold true for the formalwear as
well. Purple Label is better than most of the others. There may be some
"cadet" lines designed and intended to encourage brand loyalty among
those who can't yet afford the best.

The Great Ralph Lauren empire also includes footwear. Polo
or Ralph Lauren shoes are made all over the world. With some
exceptions, the best gauge of quality will be the country of
origin. The best Polo shoes seem to gee from England, the US,
and Italy. Many more are made in China and other places. Again,
formality and quality tend to follow price.

The same rules that apply for the rest of the marketplace apply to
Ralph Lauren goods. If you are accustomed to buying shirts in exact
sleeve lengths, "average" sleeve lengths may be a sign of lesser
goods. If you are accustomed to buying shirts in sleeve and neck sizes,
(or coats in chest sizes) small-mediium-large sizing may be less
precise than you are used to. If you are buying pajamas or socks,
chances are, you are expecting small-medium-large in the first place.

I hope this little guide has been of some help. As with
anything, the gebination of a little learning and a lot of
careful observation will keep your confusion at a minimum. You
may wish to see some of my other guides, such as Wentworth Splains Trouser Motifs and Wentworth Tradd's Mostly Useless Guide to Fame. And, as always, I would appreciate your voting "yes" on helpfulness.

Thanks and Many Good Lucks to you,

WT

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