How Street Culture Claimed Preppy Polo Ralph Lauren

A brief history of one of America’s most recognisable labels.

In Brooklyn and Queens, the reputation of Polo Ralph Lauren varies wildly from that of the starched pastel shirts that have become the uniform of Sydney’s north shore.
Yes, stateside the label’s still commonplace in the country clubs – favoured for it's originally neat and preppy aesthetic – but but in stark contrast, the primary-coloured, heavily branded styles of the 90s are valued collectables among rappers and music producers.

Rewind to the late 80s when two Polo Ralph Lauren-fanatic Brooklyn gangs combined, calling themselves the Lo Lifes (Lo short for ‘Polo’) and made it their mission to accumulate as much of this aspirational brand as humanly possible. By any means possible.

@rackloracklo

It was an all-consuming obsession that became its own subculture. The gang would trade styles amongst themselves to become the proud owner of the pieces they most wanted. You wore whatever size you got. The 2017 hardback, Bury Me With the Lo On, documents their collections with polaroids from the streets of New York. True to the name, being buried in this most aspirational of brands was a sign of status.

Particularly acclaimed is the brand’s 1992 Stadium Collection, widely recognised as one of their most iconic. Ralph Lauren still makes an iteration today, describing “Olympics-inspired racing bib graphics from the 1992 collection are repurposed in a commemorative collage.” On eBay, styles still sell for hundreds of dollars.

@rackloracklo

In the 90s Raekwon wore a coveted ‘Snow Beach’-emblazoned pullover in Wu-Tang’s ‘Can It Be All So Simple’ video. Meanwhile in 1990s Australia, the skate scene was claiming ‘Lo as their own. “I had skater mates who used to wear those bear sweaters in the 90s,'' a colleague said recently, seeing the season’s nostalgic menswear buy. Their relevance has endured through the years. A decade later Kanye wore one in the shoot launching The College Dropout.

Kanye on set at the launch of The College Dropout

Still in the throes of nostalgia, like all iconic trends, these Polo classics are back for 2019/20. Cue Polo-bear intarsia knits and chalet-ready layers that somehow look more at home on the streets than on the slopes. Technical fabrics and loud, flag-printed separates that throwback to late 80s regattas.

Never has a brand had such universal appeal.