Ralph Lauren: The Man Who Made Polo Shirts a Power Move

If you’ve ever worn a polo shirt and thought, “Yeah, I look like I own a yacht—even though I drive a Honda,” you’ve got Ralph Lauren to thank. The man didn’t just create clothes; he crafted an entire lifestyle—one where leather smells like money, and your weekend “casual” look still turns heads at the country club.

Born Ralph Lifshitz (yes, really) in the Bronx in 1939, he didn’t exactly grow up with silver spoons and equestrian hobbies. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Belarus, and while other kids were saving up for bubble gum or baseball cards, young Ralph was buying ties. At 12. On purpose. This was a kid who looked at the world and thought, “I can do better.” Spoiler: he did.

Lauren didn’t attend fashion school. He wasn’t trained in Paris or Milan. Nope—he studied business at Baruch College (briefly), served in the Army, and then took a job at Brooks Brothers, where he learned the ropes of menswear. But Ralph wasn’t built to just sell suits. He was built to reinvent them.

In 1967, at the age of 28, he started selling wide, colorful neckties out of a drawer in the Empire State Building. Wide ties. In the late ‘60s. It was a bold move in a skinny-tie world—but Ralph had vision. The kind of vision that says, “Men want to look like James Bond on horseback.”

Soon, he launched his own brand: Polo. Why polo? Because nothing says preppy prestige like men in tight white pants galloping around on expensive animals. That logo—tiny, embroidered, and unmistakably posh—became the mark of a modern gentleman. By 1972, Lauren released the now-iconic polo shirt in a rainbow of colors, and guys everywhere suddenly looked like they belonged at the Hamptons, even if they lived in Hoboken.

But Ralph wasn’t just about shirts. He designed a world. Think mahogany desks, vintage convertibles, double-breasted blazers, and a golden retriever by the fire. His clothes weren’t just stylish—they told a story. You weren’t buying a sweater; you were buying into a lifestyle. And every man wants to feel like the protagonist of a rugged-yet-refined adventure novel.

The ‘80s and ‘90s were Ralph’s golden age. He dressed presidents, movie stars, and athletes. He outfitted The Great Gatsby (1974) and Annie Hall (that was his tie on Diane Keaton). His brand became a status symbol for everyone from Wall Street brokers to hip-hop icons. Yes, Ralph Lauren was the rare designer who could make both a banker and a rapper feel like royalty—and somehow, it worked.

Beyond fashion, he’s a master of branding. Ralph Lauren Home? Gorgeous. Paint collection? Yes, the man literally decided he could improve the color beige. Restaurants? You bet—he’s got a steakhouse in Chicago that’s as well-dressed as he is. And he didn’t just slap his name on things. He curated them with the same meticulous detail as his suits.

Today, Ralph is worth billions, but he still feels like that kid from the Bronx who just wanted to look sharp. He’s kept his company under tight control, stayed stylish without being trendy, and aged like a well-worn leather briefcase—classy, dependable, and always in fashion.

So what’s the legacy of Ralph Lauren? He proved that style isn’t about wealth—it’s about imagination. He showed us that every guy, no matter his zip code, could live a little better just by buttoning up the right shirt. He didn’t just dress men—he gave them aspiration, one Polo player at a time.

In other words: Ralph Lauren didn’t just build a brand. He built a lifestyle. And he did it all with nothing but a dream, a drawer full of neckties, and the swagger of a true gentleman.