This Iconic American Brand Is Going Back to Basics

Ralph Lauren is undoubtedly one of the most widely-known names in fashion. But recently, it seems as though the brand has cast its net a little too wide. Over the years, the brand has created a number of sub-lines including (but not limited to) Polo Ralph Lauren, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Ralph Lauren Collection, Purple Label, Ralph Lauren Collection… you get the picture. Despite all of these brands falling under Ralph Lauren’s umbrella, however, it seems as though this is a classic case of a brand being spread too wide and too thin.

According to Business of Fashion (BoF), Ralph Lauren’s “sales have fallen steadily as shoppers moved on to casual wear, fast-fashion or even upstart preppy brands.” The prestige that the brand’s name once carried seems to have waned as the brand kept branching out beyond its original aesthetic. What was once recognised as a preppy brand with high-quality basics has become a jumble of mismatched collections. Though ranging far and wide from black-tie attire to children's clothing, these lines don’t necessarily speak to the brand’s American East Coast aesthetic that made it famous in the first place.

Despite all the new iterations of Ralph Lauren, however, the classics persist as some of the key money makers for the brand. Among the brands best-selling items are the classic polo shirts and jeans: Wardrobe staples that people have come to associate with the label over decades.

In an effort to tap back into this brand identity, therefore, Ralph Lauren has refocused. Aiming to encapsulate the prep allure that first launched the brand’s success, BoF reports plans of Ralph Lauren to “[leverage] symbols and logos from decades past.” With a growing market of vintage fanatics, this strategy surely seems like a worthy one.

In addition to a resurrection of past logos, BoF also reports that we can expect a number of capsule collections aimed at generating hype around a return to the brand’s classic style. In fact, the brand has already launched Snow Beach: A reissue of the popular 1993 collection. By recreating its prior successes, hopefully Ralph Lauren can reclaim the name that has become muddled by its forays into too many subcategories at once.

Ralph Lauren has a classic, timeless style, and the numbers prove that this is what they should focus on. Ralph Lauren will always be associated with Herringbone and pressed collars—but that’s the way we like it. With the brand capitalising on what it does best, we look forward to seeing what the future of Ralph Lauren looks like. We are patiently waiting for more excuses to leave the house looking like a 1960’s Ivy League student, so hopefully the brand delivers.

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