An Ode To My Favorite Designer

    For my final blog post I thought it was only fitting to pay tribute to my favorite fashion designer: Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren (and the polo horse) have become synonymous with classic American style. Is the brand always the most on trend? No. Not by a long shot. But that's what makes it so special, a Ralph Lauren wardrobe will always be in style. So now, a little history on my favorite brand and the man behind it.

Ralph Lauren: New Kid On The Block

Ralph first started designing clothing back in 1967 with a line of neck ties. From there, he went on to create an entire men's collection unlike the lines that have been seen before. What really put Ralph on the map was his 1972 release of the polo shirt. These first polos that were released 50 years ago are still the exact ones in production today, which is why I personally feel that the brand is the embodiment of 'timeless'. 

After his success with his mens and home designs, Ralph branched into making an entire women's collection. The pieces were not all that different from the men's line featuring similar patterns and silhouettes. Ralph went on to win awards for his work with women's fashion and has yet to look back and making collections for both women and men.

One of my favorite uses of high end fashion in a film is the Ralph Lauren outfits worn in the 1974 version of The Great Gatsby. If I haven't yet convinced you that the brand is classic, these looks came straight from a current Ralph Lauren line and blended in just perfectly to a movie set in the 1920's. I feel as though you could drop a Ralph Lauren collection in any decade and it would make itself right at home.

Ralph Lauren: Stronger Than a 90's Trend

By the time the 90's rolled around, Ralph Lauren was as popular as ever. He remained true to his classic style of clean lines and simple colors, but managed to be on (and dare I say ahead) of the trends. Every working person who had an interest in fashion was wearing something Ralph Lauren, or at least Ralph Lauren inspired, on the regular. If you look at any Ralph Lauren fashion show from the 90's, it looks like the 

exact type of thing a character from

Friends would be wearing, and I mean the guys and the girls. The thing is, you could look at these runways and I think it is the exact thing you saw a dozen people wearing on the streets of New York this morning. Many 90's and early 2000's trends were huge for their time but could never be considered a classic look. Some trends are meant to just be trends, enjoyable for a moment but not something you want around forever. Not Ralph though. The trend cycle might be moving faster than ever, but Ralph Lauren will always be in.