Ah - Ralph's Great American Mythology- beautiful people, stunning surroundings, outdoor living, energetic, affable, stirring nearly patriotic music....

yep - I fall for it every time.

Well said, Maire. As the ad itself reads, "From the world of Ralph Lauren." I'm pretty sure that in HIS world the people, the clothes, the location do look like that ad most of the time.

He and his family will be on Oprah Wednesday. His wife is so gorgeous (of course) as are their children.

RL ads, print and television, are always beautiful. My favorites always include dogs, children and horses. As far as his clothing, I dislike the Polo line but wear a lot of the LRL clothes (mostly t-shirts, jeans, cords and jackets). His clothes are very well made and last for years... which in this case is a good thing, since classic styles don't go out of style. I also have a mix of his bedding on our bed - comforter, sheets, shams and blanket. You can't kill them either.

Having an older daughter that went FIDM, I have watched my fair share of runway shows online. His are always a favorite.

His homes have been in AD over the years and are always gorgeous.

Didn't know they were going to be on Oprah this week, stinky. Will have to DVR so I don't miss.

I like RL too, same style ads as Allison mentioned, or what reminds me of Hamptons/western vibe ones. Still kicking myself for not buying the most gorgeous bedding, it was being discontinued online and only had bits and pieces by the time I saw it. :/ It was a muted 'English cottage' floral print with rustic bed, in a rustic room, loved the whole display. I do have a couple of his quilts, tho. (All of it on sale with coupons from Macy's, which brought it down to a much more palatable price range.) My favorite pair of khaki's from him are at least 6 years old, still look new and still classic enough to wear. And due to my frustration in not being able to find simple, well made good quality cotton T's and tanks for summer, I've decided it pays to buy a few good pieces that last and expand on that rather than 5 or 6 of something that falls apart or has lost its shape by end of season. (Which has been my experience the past two summers).

Allison, after Thursday or Friday's Oprah show last week, a trailer was run advertising the Lauren family appearance on Oprah for this Wednesday. Now I go to her website and Wed. says TBA!
Maybe they'll still be on and maybe they won't! Strange.

The mix of textiles on your bed sounds so lovely. I strongly prefer a blend of patterns and textures than all matched bedding. Ralph was the first that I know of to purposely mix up his "bed in the bag" coordinates a bit!
So, if people couldn't get the hang of it like Allison, Ralph put the right floral with the right check together for us!

Moonshadow, RL's English cottage inspired fabrics are so gorgeous! I love the one he makes that has the chocolate brown background and wonderful blooming roses scattered all over. So romantic!

25 years ago I remember swooning over RL's blue and white ensembles and today he's still making bedding inspired by blue and white porcelain. So classic, and just beautiful.

Allison (& Co....)

Guess I've rarely seen AD! Never an occasion to look at it I guess?! Maybe I should, being somewhat in the "Paint Industry", and stocking/tinting RL paint!

I'd consider watching Oprah a sin, but for RL I'd do it!

We used to have a couple RL faux-finishing VCR-tapes that we'd loop on a TV. They described various techniques, etc.
The lead-in to the tapes was, of course, a 5 minute "Ad", much like the link I showed.
Clips from the fashion-shows, mountains & horses, the beautiful music, and all that stuff...

Maybe there's somethin' wrong with me, but I never got tired of watching it!

Guess we can't deny....the Man knows WTH he's doing!

Faron

Funny, I was just saying how fascinating the RL world is on another thread. I can't wear his clothing, but I love his bedding and have a huge collection of it, mostly gathered from eBay. I love to mix and match it throughout the different seasons. In fact, my bed dresses much better than I do. LOL!

I see Jim started an Oprah/RL thread on the other side. Someone has linked the latest AD RL story - mostly about the new RL NYC store. I don't watch Oprah either, but like Faron, will make an exception for Ralph. ;)

I so loved his rustic designs and olde English. They are tough to find now. His mixes of patterns and layering are always wonderful to me.

One of my favorites is the darn airstream trailer interior. Now sure how someone could live in it, constant dusting, but intriguing. Many ideas which could be recreated in a small home though. It sold complete for $150,000.

About 10 years ago I found the same blanket used in the trailer. It was really inexpensive. Of course now I wish I'd bought 2 or 3. They no longer exist from the searches tried.

Here is a link that might be useful: RL Airstream

I'll be the fish swimming against the tide--to me RL is a perfect example of a brand that has brainwashed America :). Really, there is nothing particularly outstanding IMO about his products. The 'ethos' of the lifestyle is what folks seem to embrace, even on this topic.

The fact is Ralph Lauren is actually a guy named Ralph Lipschitz from the Bronx, who managed to convince the world his product reflects the lifestyle of an *imagined* opulent old money strata of society. I admire his entrepreneurialmarketing flair without buying into it-literally.

Just my .02, worth what you paid to read it etc.

Ann

Ann, I think we all understand that RL's most brilliant creation is his lifestyle marketing strategy, not necessarily the actual products. That's what's so fascinating...to me at least!

OTOH, I take great joy in dressing my bed. After years of using all white, the patterns make my bed feel cozy and comfy. I'm not a minimalist, can you tell? LOL!

I occasionally buy DW some RL tops, slacks, blazer, etc.
She won't buy them herself!
I think she looks nice in them...

Say...Forhgtv-
Post some pics of your luxuriously appointed bed soon! I think It'd be fun to see your RL creations!

Ann-
Your post was VERY well written IMO.
Yes...I'm one of the voluntarily "brainwashed"! At least I realize it...I THINK...;-)

Faron

Faron, I can see it now, my very own scrapbook of RL bedding ensembles...LOL! Everybody else shares pictures of their pets or their grandchildren and I'm posting pictures of my bed. That might be just too weird, don't you think?

His floral sheets have been my favorites for many years. They wear like iron too. I recently bought a new set that I adored for quite awhile but they are so expensive! Even bought in pieces on ebay.

But I bought it- Belle Harbor in white- for our king bed, and everyday that pattern has made me happy.
I want a back-up set now!
I bought it from Macy's btw on sale, of course.

His clothes are ehh to me mostly, but occasionally he has something I love.

Really, there is nothing particularly outstanding IMO about his products.

They are outstanding to me since he uses a lot of blues and earthtones, so I can wear them. I am of Scottish decent (pale, blue eyes, brunette). I can't do black/white, pastels or vibrant limes/lemons, etc. This combined with the fact they don't wear out easily and actually fit properly. Many brands I try on just do not fit. I don't buy his clothes thinking I'll look like one of his models and I'm not deluded that I would fit in with his lifestyle, or be able to create his "world" around me. First of all, that's nuts.... and I would stick out like a sore thumb! ;D

I used to buy mostly Liz Claiborne casual. But then the company changed and I couldn't find a single piece in her lines.

As far as my comforter, I didn't want a duvet (sick and tired of keeping one fluffy in all the right places) and I needed something sturdy enough for the dog to sleep on in the daytime. It's reversible too (same fabric both sides) - huge plus. DS had the Indian blanket style comforter (very similar to the blanket someone linked above). It was denim-like. DS used it from JH through HS. Still looked new when we donated it before moving/building.

RL ads and runway shows are visually stunning and I am a very visual person. The Haute Couture shows by some (John Galliano and Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior and Givenchy, for ex) are usually interesting... even if not wearable.

So, imo, the designer Ann's posts would better fit is Tommy Hilfiger. His clothing is not as well made, doesn't retain it's shape and wears out all to quickly. Although DS did have one of his denim comforters that lasted through his college years.

The fact is Ralph Lauren is actually a guy named Ralph Lipschitz from the Bronx, who managed to convince the world his product reflects the lifestyle of an *imagined* opulent old money strata of society. I admire his entrepreneurial marketing flair without buying into it-literally.

It's marketing genius. And we all buy into it to some degree or other with products & goods we like or prefer to use. (I know I don't spend money on things I dislike, that clash with my lifestyle, taste, reflection of who I am, or that I associate with an unappealing-to-me advertising campaign.) So I guess RL's strategy can be applied to some degree across the board, whether it's a preferred car, brand of paint, clothing, even cleaning products. It's all essentially illusion, a picture painted. Either about how their product will improve our lifestyle (e.g. the Kelly Ripa Electrolux campaign aimed at busy working moms who can become even more efficient super women with Electrolux in the house.) Or the picture they paint reflects our taste, something that appeals to us and we're comfortable with that reflection of ourselves (from the type of car we buy, to what we wear, to what we dress our home with). If someone sat a Jeep and a Bentley in front of me and said "pick one", I'd go for the Jeep without a second thought. It doesn't matter if the engineer who drew up the plans lived in Detroit and never camped by a mountain stream or drove for miles on a gravel country road with his dog riding shotgun and a pair of hiking boots, a western saddle and a fishing pole tossed in the back. The Jeep reflects who I am, the Bentley does not. Something draws us to specific products in the first place, and quite often it's the influence of the marketing campaign.

Allison, well written. No comparison between Ralph and Tommy! Ralph Lauren has always been my "go to" for everyday clothes. Even in his most casual clothes, pair it with a LV purse and you look dressed up! I find his clothes easy and well made. I have always loved Ralph Lauren and can't wait to see him on Oprah.

Ralph Lipschitz? I think I knew that at one time, but had forgotten. I still know a couple of people who insist on pronouncing his name with some kind hoity-toity "faux French" accent: Ralph Lo-RENN. Please.

Well, who watched and what did you think? I think he and his family are some of the nicest people. I love the teepees, setting and horses. His house would be too cluttered for me, but it would be interesting to look at his collections.

My favorite part was when he said Ralph Lauren wasn't about fashion, it is about life. I think that's why it appeals to me - I'd rather go to the mountains than the beach. We had horses growing up and currently live in a horse community. We had a summer house in CO Rocky Mtns. The old, chippy, rugged look (in furniture and jeans) is more me than freshly pressed. Don't remember the last time I ironed. lol

I thought the same thing about the clutter, Allison! Their beautiful things are everywhere!

They are certainly living on a pristine, gorgeous, gigantic piece of land! So much natural beauty surrounds them.

I'm drawn to the mountains too, Allison. I need trees and greenery...never the beach, and I never iron either! I could happily reside in one of the teepees!

Talk about stirring a buzz over a wedding dress! Can't wait to see Dylan's! That whole discussion was very sweet.

I didn't get to see all of it but I liked what he had to say- he didn't seem the least bit pretentious, just someone with the means to live the life he wants.
I found everything to cluttery too and was amused that they have dinner at "the cookhouse".

As he has said, three minutes after his first runway show, he was thinking how was he going to do this again?
He hasn't achieved what he has without a lot of hardwork and perseverance, among other things!
He changed his name because it had the word sh*t in it.

Well -- I always enjoyed the marketing fantasy -- and the style -- clothes, home goods etc. And his car collection (which just moved to Paris! LOL!)

I still use the RL Sussex Gardens comforter/shams each summer -- and the it still has the softest, smoothest cotton covering. Love it! :)

I watched it last night and I am as impressed with him as I thought I would be! And, even at 71 years old, he is just so handsome to me, of course, he always was to me anyway. He seems to be very close to his family and I love the way the kids were very good at telling us their dad is a wonderful dad, but mom is the other half of the equation.

It's no accident that his first 'lifestyle boutique' opened in NYC in the mid-80s, the time of Dallas and Dynasty. Social climbers everywhere rejoiced. A fellow student in my graduate dramaturgy/dramatic criticism class wrote a paper on the performance-art aspect of it. I cringed -- having grown up stuck in a school of kids of serious old money (and shunned, since my mother worked [as a multiple-degreed physician] and my father was an immigrant [physicist], I know what they thought about the nouveau riche and their blatant attempts at conspicuous consumption.

Faron and the other folks who participated in this topic--I apologize for being snippy and dismissive. It's been bothering me since I posted!

Ann

Awww, that's so nice of you, Runninginplace! I don't think any offense was taken from your post, but I admire your humility and kind thoughts, as do others, I'm sure!

And Ann, I hope I didn't come across as snippy or lecturing or something in response. I quoted your words because it prompted me to think about how much influence "they" can have over "us", how we respond the "them", yadayada. :)

Flyleft, I'm sorry that you were subjected to an uncomfortable school experience. I think there are people at every social level that feel superior to others. Luckily, those who feel superior go out of their way to avoid socializing with those they deem inferior to them which is probably a benefit to everyone.

Also meant to add, I didn't know about David Lauren being engaged to Lauren Bush (G.W. Bush's neice). I guess if she takes his name, she will be Lauren Lauren, although the Lauren will be pronounced differently. Funny!

We own three pieces of Ralph Lauren furniture (a two piece china cabinet and two leather sofas) that I expect to hand down to the kids one day. All are beautifully made. I don't fault his marketing at all, since what he markets is fine and lasting. Also have two blankets, now in guest rooms, that belonged to the DSes as little boys, and the blankets still look new sixteen years later.

I buy RL oxford shirts so how come I haven't been invited to the Hamptons POLO club yet?! The closest I've come to that "society" is the neighbor kid rollerblading along the sidewalk with his mother's broom. ;-)