A couple months ago I discovered the Polo Ralph Lauren fall/winter 2020 lookbook over at Vogue, which was shown originally in March, right before coronavirus threw things into disarray. When I saw the images it was the height of summer heat, and I really envied the fuzzy flannel, tweed, and suedes on display all modeled against the backdrop of sumptuous leather and wood paneling.
The collection is now live on Polo.com. The landing page shows much of the lookbook, with links to individual product categories. Some products shot in the lookbook are not available (like the suede wingtips), so either there’s more to be released, or they cheated in their styling a little bit.
Either way, the collection is comforting to me. I’ve been thinking about what it is that I try to write about here on Menswear Musings—Italian tailoring? #menswear? I’ve long said my audience is “me 10 years ago” but that’s not really a mission statement—and finally realized what I aim for is pretty straightforward: A trend-proof wardrobe.
And that’s what these clothes feel like to me.
Every 5-7 years, GQ/Esquire writes about some brand or other that’s reviving Ivy/prep style. These days those revivals typically infuse the aesthetic with newer influences like skater culture or streetwear style. Which is all fine and good, but it almost never appeals to me. Maybe I’m not adventurous enough, or maybe I’m a little too rooted in some non-existent platonic ideal of good taste, who knows. I always appreciate fresh takes on old ideas, and sometimes you just have to try something and see what sticks. So no shade on any of that. But usually the funkier stuff fails for me and reminds me of this Moe quote from The Simpsons.
Balancing classic with contemporary is necessary because otherwise vintage is all you’d ever need to buy. But while vintage has its place, I crave the better textiles, improved construction and worldly styling contemporary clothes have. By default, it’s nearly impossible to buy clothes off the rack that will never show their age. Lapel widths and gorge heights in particular tend to date a jacket easily; jacket length can also indicate age if it’s either super long or super short. Trouser cut, whether super slim or super full with tons of pleats do the same. So there is never a truly ageless look.
But some do last longer than others. And the fall/winter Polo collection this year strikes me as one that’ll look smart for a good long while. Of course in typical lookbook fashion there is a lot of over-dressing and combining items that would be awkward or uncomfortable to combine (like a down parka over a suit), which are often done simply to give people an idea of new ways to wear clothes. Pre-distressed and logo’d clothes make their fair share of appearances, too, which aren’t my speed so much. But pre-distressing does communicate something critical: that the clothes are meant to be lived in. Sure, it’d be better if we all wore our raw jeans enough to give them a bespoke fade, wore out the elbows on our jackets so we had to patch them, and patched our favorite chinos after wearing them into the ground—but I’m A-OK with the pre-distressed stuff (up to a point, anyway).
Check out the lookbook and then see the collection online at polo.com.
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If you’re just getting into tailored menswear and want a single helpful guide to building a trend-proof wardrobe, buy my eBook. It covers wardrobe essentials for any guy who wants to look cool, feel cool and make a good impression. Formatted for your phone or computer/iPad so it’s not annoying to read, and it’s full of pretty pictures, not just boring prose. Buy it here.
I love Ralph Lauren!