Ralph Lauren (the man and the brand) has been in the business of fashion for over five decades. The brand initially forged a reputation for luxury, though the introduction of various sub-labels throughout the years led to more affordable offerings as well.
The most expensive label from Ralph Lauren is the Ralph Lauren Purple Label. This label features premium quality materials and top-notch construction, with attention to tailoring and timeless, classic styling.
While the Ralph Lauren Purple Label is the brand’s premium menswear offering, it also offers luxurious womenswear in its Collection line.
Ralph Lauren Purple Label
There are various labels associated with the Ralph Lauren brand, but for those who are seeking the ultimate Ralph Lauren luxury, the Purple Label offerings are ones to check out.
Purple Label features Ralph Lauren’s most premium offerings and often creates those offerings in smaller batches than other labels. The label started in 1994 offering premium men’s apparel and takes inspiration from Savile Row, with tailored styles and luxurious construction.
Additionally, Purple Label offers refined takes on some of Ralph Lauren’s classic pieces like the polo shirt. There is very little or no branding on the clothing apart from the purple label, though it may occasionally feature Ralph Lauren’s Polo bear branding or an alternative version to Ralph Lauren’s traditional polo horse branding.
Clothing produced under the Purple Label is constructed in Italy by expert tailors and suitmakers.
Ralph Lauren Collection Line
While the Ralph Lauren Purple Label focuses on menswear, the Collection line offers luxurious womenswear, with many of the pieces made in Italy. There’s a focus on premium materials, tailored styles, and statement pieces with fashion-forward aesthetics in this line.
Polo Ralph Lauren
While the Ralph Lauren Purple Label is the most expensive, arguably one of the most well-known labels is Polo Ralph Lauren which was started in 1967. The Polo label offers a variety of clothing, from sportswear to work clothes, Ivy-League inspired apparel, and more, while also offering homeware items such as tableware and bedlinen.
Polo clothing usually has a blue label featuring white or gold lettering, with the majority of manufacturing taking place in countries including China and Indonesia.
A salute to Americana
The RRL label (known as the Double RL label) nods to Americana and heritage workwear and often incorporates denim in its offerings. Ralph Lauren’s Colorado ranch also serves as inspiration for the label.
Founded in 1993, the Double RL label spans both men’s and women’s clothing and generally offers high-quality pieces, though not as exclusive as the Ralph Lauren Purple Label.
Lauren Ralph Lauren
While Ralph Lauren does offer luxurious womenswear pieces, it also offers more affordable alternatives as well. The Lauren Ralph Lauren label provides a variety of womenswear offerings, from clothing to bags and shoes.
The label’s offerings are more affordable compared to pricier pieces in the Collection line or certain pieces in their Double RL line, though the quality of this label is inferior to other Ralph Lauren labels. It’s aimed at discount outlets and lower-end department stores and is sometimes referred to as the Green Label due to the color of the clothing tag.
Polo Golf and RLX Golf
Ralph Lauren offers a variety of clothing tailored towards golfing enthusiasts. The offerings span two labels, Polo Golf which is more formal clothing, as well as RLX Golf which offers more technical features.
The RLX label began in 1998 as a range of technical sportswear, from running to skiing and more. Today the most technical RLX pieces tend to be offered as capsule collections (separate to the likes of RLX Golf), with a focus on performance and an increasing nod to more sustainable construction.
From luxury to ubiquity and back again
The Ralph Lauren Corporation has had its ups and downs over the past few years. Initially positioned as a luxury brand, the expansion into more affordable offerings to increase growth saw the luxurious prestige being diminished and a devaluing of the brand name.
However, since 2015 the company has been attempting to reverse this decline in prestige, hiring two CEOs between 2015 and 2017 and implementing various measures to refocus its offerings and raise its brand value. While these measures are slowly working, there is still work to be done if the brand as a whole wants to reclaim its former luxurious reputation.