How to tell if Ralph Lauren is vintage: Labels, Logos and Tips (2024)

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Since its inception in 1967 as a humble necktie designer, the Ralph Lauren brand has expanded across the globe and holds a dominant international position in mid-range luxury goods such as apparel, homewares, fragrances and accessories. Consequently, Ralph Lauren himself is considered as one of the truly great American designers that has shaped and exported Americana all over the world.

A key part of Ralph Lauren’s long term success as a fashion brand has been it’s ability to win over customers from a range of different demographics. Both older and younger generations agree that Ralph Lauren creates excellent products. Typically, older generations are drawn to its simplicity, and high quality manufacturing. Ralph Lauren has become iconic for younger generations due to well known figures in pop culture sporting the brand. The Polo Bear design was enshrined in fashion history by Kanye West. Other sub brands have helped maintain a versatile and dynamic range of clothing, such as Polo Sport, which became highly desirable in the 1990s, giving Ralph Lauren credibility when it comes to streetwear and youth fashion and culture.

Like most fashion brands, Ralph Lauren has ventured into sponsorships. They are particularly prominent as sponsors in professional tennis; however, they do not sponsor individuals. Ralph Lauren specialises in sponsoring entire events or teams, such as the US Open, Wimbledon, Australian Open or the USA Olympic Team.

How to tell if Ralph Lauren isvintage from thelogo and sub brand

Tracking the development of the core Ralph Lauren logo is incredibly simple. Simple in the sense that the emblem of a polo player has not changed whatsoever since its introduction. Whilst this makes spotting a Ralph Lauren item of clothing very easy, it doesn’t really help us identify the era of a vintage Ralph Lauren piece. However, Ralph Lauren has released a plethora of sub brands, and by assessing when these sub brands were in production, we can narrow down how vintage Ralph Lauren is.

Chaps

• Beganin 1978 in response to the counterfeit market growing around core Ralph Lauren products
• It lasted as Chaps Ralph Lauren until the late 1990s, and was then rebranded as just Chaps
• Chaps used aesthetics similar t other sub brands such as Polo Sport, using bold colours and graphics on many designs

Denim & Supply

• Launchedin 2011, Denim & Supply was discontinued just 5 years later
• Thissub brand generally designed unique bohemian and military clothing

Lauren Ralph Lauren

• Launchedin 1996 as an attempt to compete in lower cost department stores
• Thissub brand is generally associated with a lower quality and price

Polo Country

• Launched in the 1980s
• Theoriginal label and logo just said Country instead of Polo Country until the mid 1990s, and this can be a good way of determining the era of a Polo Country piece

Polo Golf and RLX Golf

• Launchedin 1990 and then rebranded as RLX Golf in 1998
• Thissub brand often used more lightweight fabrics and sportswear style materials
• RLXGolf is still running to this day, and if you have a Polo Golf piece it has to be from the 1990s

Polo Jeans

• Launchedin the mid 1990s, Polo Jeans was a fan favourite until 2006 when it was discontinued
• PoloJeans clothing was associated with a higher quality and bold designs

Polo by Ralph Lauren

• Launchedin 1968, just one year after the company was founded, Polo is still running to this day as one of Ralph Lauren’s most successful and sought after sub brands
• Brandingon tags has been almost unchanged since the inception of Polo by Ralph Lauren
• Inthe mid 2010s the tag and logo of this sub brand was updated to a slimmer, yellow font
• Becauseof so little change in the main tags of Polo, we need to use other clues to work out when a piece is from and generally the more wash tags and information that can be found on Polo tags, the more modern they are
• Someof the newer Polo items (mostly since the mid 2000s) also have production dates on the wash tags
• Modernitems typically use thinner, lower quality materials

Polo Sport

• Launchedin 1992 with stadium collection, Polo Sport was discontinued in the mid 2000s
• PoloSport has released many iconic pieces, particularly appealing to youth culture which gave Ralph Lauren credibility in the emerging streetwear fashion movement
• Afew reproductions of old Polo Sport lines were released in 2019 in limited quantities but can be identified for using modern tags and using slightly lower quality materials

Ralph by Ralph Lauren

• Launchedin the mid 1990s
• InitiallyRalph was aimed at younger market, with slightly lower quality and prices
• Ultimatelythis sub brand was sold in mostly in Canadian department stores

Ralph Lauren Black Label

• Launched in the mid 2000s, Black Label was discontinued in 2014
• Itwas one of Ralph Lauren’s premium sub brands, using high quality materials and this was reflected in the price
• Thiswas one of Ralph Lauren’s premium sub brands, using high quality materials and this was reflected in the price
• Black Labelclothing tended to be a slimmer and more modern cut

Ralph Lauren Purple Label

• Launched in 1994, Purple Label is still running to this day
• Thismythological sub brand was created to compete with high end product design and manufacturing powerhouses such as Gucci, Versace and others
• RalphLauren Purple Label products only use the highest quality materials and are usually manufactured in countries with a reputation for high end fashion such as Italy
• Thehigh quality is reflected in the price, making this Ralph Lauren’smost expensive sub brand, with prices regularly reaching the thousands

Ralph Lauren

• Launched in 1967, Ralph Lauren is the original brand, and still runs to this day
• Theaesthetic and fit of Ralph Lauren is very similar to Polo by Ralph Lauren
• Whilstit shares many similarities with Polo by Ralph Lauren, a slightly lower quality and price can be seen
• This legacy Ralph Lauren logo uses the ITC Fenice Font, however a passable alternative that's free to use is Vidaloka font

How to tell if Ralph Lauren isvintage from thecollection

WithinRalph Lauren’s sub brands, they have launched collections that have been both critically acclaimed and popular within mainstream fashion, cementing Ralph Lauren as the designer of the masses. These collections have often been time limited, and there are even more collections than sub brands, however two of the most notorious and sought after in the vintage marketplace are Polo Bear and Snow Beach.

Polo Bear

• Launchedin the 1990s under the Polo by Ralph Lauren brand, Polo Bear was discontinued in 2001, and then relaunched in 2015
• NewPolo Bear can easily be differentiated from vintage Polo Bear as they use the newer Polo by Ralph Lauren tags (as can be seen in the tags guide further down), and they are sometimes even printed on the inside of the item

Snow Beach

• Launchedin the 1990s under the Polo by Ralph Lauren brand, Snow Beach was discontinued in the early 2000s, however has been reproduced in recent years
• VintageSnow Beach has noticeably different wash tags that have pixelated text on a thicker fabric tag

How to tell if Ralph Lauren isfake or real from the tags

Establishing the authenticity of Ralph Lauren clothing can be a complex task, as counterfeiters have become increasingly adept at replicating the brand's tags and logos. However, there are some key indicators to look for when determining whether a piece is genuine or fake. First, inspect the quality of the tags, logos, and fonts, as authentic Ralph Lauren items will display consistent, high-quality stitching or printing. Examine the tags for any irregularities or discrepancies in the information provided, such as sizing and manufacturing details. Genuine vintage Ralph Lauren clothing will often have been made in the USA or Canada, while modern pieces may be manufactured elsewhere. Additionally, pay attention to the number of tags and the amount of information they contain – older items typically have fewer tags with less information, whereas newer items have more detailed tags. Familiarise yourself with the tag designs from different decades, as outlined in this guide, to help pinpoint the age of your Ralph Lauren garment. If you're ever in doubt, consult experts for advice or seek out reputable sources for purchasing Ralph Lauren items.

How to tell if Ralph Lauren isvintage from thetags

As previously mentioned, branding in terms of logos and fonts have remained pretty constant with Ralph Lauren, but slight changes in tags, and general rules can be applied to help you tell if your Ralph Lauren is vintage.

One of the first give always that a Ralph Lauren piece is vintage is if it was made in the USA or Canada. Ralph Lauren only started manufacturing outside of North America in the mid 1980s, so any piece made in the USA or Canada is bonafide vintage. Another good rule to apply to Ralph Lauren tags is this, the more tags and information included on the tags, the more modern the item. Like most brands, over time Ralph Lauren has included more and more product information within the neck and wash tags. The final clue to apply is that modern tags are printed on the neck instead of being on a piece of fabric. Most major fashion brands have transitioned to this as customers often found fabric tags uncomfortable.

After applying these rules, you can begin to compare your tags with tags from different decades of Ralph Lauren to finally get an approximate idea of how old your vintage Ralph Lauren is.But if you're still struggling to figure it out after looking at the below tags, you cansubmit your tags herefor us to have a look at and try and investigate.

1980s vintage Ralph Lauren tags

• Chapstags often varies a lot in the 1980s as Ralph Lauren tried to evade counterfeits
• Includingthe Ralph Lauren name, this tag is a navy square with sizing and material information included on it

1990s vintage Ralph Lauren tags

• Inthe 1990s, Chaps Ralph Lauren rebranded its tags, still including the sizing information on them
• RalphLauren Golf was also launched, and used a blocky font with the word golf in a slightly lighter font

• 1990sPolo by Ralph Lauren tags had the word Polo in a box on a navy tag, and often tags from this era had the sizing and material information

• 1990sPolo Sport tags use the blocky Polo Sport font, and some of the older Polo Sport items were even made in the USA
• Theyinclude the Ralph Lauren name and manufacturing and sizing information

• 1990sPolo Jeans tags have an extra piece lip of fabric that includes the sizing and manufacturing information

2000s vintage Ralph Lauren tags

• 2000sChaps tags reflected its distancing from Ralph Lauren, and stopped using the name on its tags
• PoloJeans tags from the 2000s varied a lot more and experimented with different fonts and configurations, however many of them included all the sizing and manufacturing information on one fabric tag

• 2000sPolo by Polo Ralph Lauren tags are mostly unchanged when compared to 1990s Polo tags, so we recommend using the washing tag method detailed above to determine its age
• 2000sRalph Lauren tags use the brand name, intersected by the Ralph Lauren polo player emblem and detail the location of manufacture on them

• 2000sPolo Sport tags are very similar to the 1990s tags, however the Ralph Lauren text is slightly thinner

2010s vintage Ralph Lauren tags

• 2010sChaps tags mention the founding date of 1978, however do not associate with Ralph Lauren
• Denim& Supply tags are all from the 2010s, and include sizing, material and car information on them

• 2010sPolo by Ralph Lauren tags used a new font, and many of these tags were printed on instead of being on a label, particularly for t-shirts and lightweight items

Vintage Ralph Lauren tags through the years - The history of Ralph Lauren tags

When it comes to vintage clothing, preserving your finest garms is always a challenge, to learn more about vintage fabric care, you can read our blog for a full range of guides, with our guide on how to wash satin being particularly useful for those high end retro pieces.

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