Ralph Lauren announces the celebration of its most iconic product – the Polo Shirt – alongside Ralph Lauren’s Polo Shirt, a new coffee table book published by Rizzoli International. This quintessential, singular piece of clothing is ubiquitous and has served as the canvas for the lifestyles and worlds that have inspired Ralph Lauren since 1972.
At the centerpiece of the campaign, Rizzoli International will publish Ralph Lauren’s Polo Shirt, which is a fascinating look back at the history of the enduring wardrobe classic. With beautiful photography, an introduction by Ralph Lauren, and an afterword by David Lauren, the book shines the spotlight on the shirt, itself. Embodying a chic casualness that is uniquely American, the Polo shirt is a cultural symbol, worn by everyone from movie stars and presidents to athletes and artists. As stated within the first chapter, “The Polo shirt is to Ralph Lauren what Mickey Mouse is to Disney or the Empire State Building is to New York City.” Whether worn with the collar popped up, open and untucked, or dressed up under a suit jacket, the Polo embodies the optimism of American style. For over five decades, the Polo shirt has journeyed everywhere, creating memories for all who have made it part of their lives. It became not only a
canvas for Lauren’s artistry, but a backdrop and inspiration for many dreams, hopes, and ambitions for people all over the world.
As Ralph Lauren, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation,
states in the introduction, “I wanted the shirt to become part of the life of the person who wore it.
I never knew that after fifty years it would become such a personal icon all over the world. What
I do has always come from the way people live. It’s honest and from the heart and hopefully that
is what touches the diversity of people who wear my Polo and all my clothes.”
This 544-page compendium celebrates and documents the iconic style and influential impact of
the Polo Shirt, which has never been defined by the latest trend. A juxtaposition of modernity
and heritage, tradition and individuality, refinement and ease, it always endures and continues to
evolve in innovative and sustainable ways. As seen through historic imagery and told through the
personal stories of celebrities, politicians and presidents, royals, world class athletes, as well as
everyday people, the book showcases various individuals who have made the Polo their own and
inspired others to follow suit along the way. From the classic white to the weathered Polo, from the Earth Polo to the US Olympics, the US Open, and Wimbledon Championship collaborations,
this unique volume celebrates the full spectrum of the Polo, making it a collector’s dream.
American Filmmaker Ken Burns sums it up best in his foreword, “When you wear a Polo shirt
you’re instantly engaged in a profound irony between being unique, but also—because so many
others in the world wear it—belonging.”
