In the Italian fashion capital, the label delivered a symposium on American style.
Picture American menswear without thinking of Ralph Lauren. Hard, right? This is a brand where Ivy League-infused prep, polished workwear, and knife-edge tailoring all come together under the same vibey American umbrella
Last night, the label went back to its roots for its Spring/Summer 2027 menswear collection, housed in the brand’s Milanese headquarters, only the second time it has staged a runway in Milan following a more than 20 year hiatus. “When I began designing menswear, my inspiration came from the ease and transitions of collegiate style and the gentleman athlete. It was about character and camaraderie, a timeless style they made their own,” read the accompanying collection notes, carefully placed on the palazzo’s padded seats that could be plucked from the cushioned outdoor furniture of a coastal Hampton’s mansion.
This return to the brand’s origins was split into two chapters. The first, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, arrived with slick, navy double-breasted suits and single-breasted patch-pocket jackets worn with waistcoats, knitted field jackets and beige and cream tailored separates. Some wore expensive-looking leather jackets – this Ralph’s most premium sub-line after all – and carried folios under their arms. If these were the collegiate sportsmen of Ralph’s roots, they had an air of well-lived refinement about them – perhaps they’re in their final years of school, or they’ve returned from their high-flying internship on Wall Street, because they’re big dogs now and need to show it. But as later tuxedo looks layered with biker jackets and bombers proved, they still like to freak things up a touch.
Images courtesy of Ralph Lauren
There were faded blue pleated trousers and worker jackets paired with Western belts, too. In the context of Ralph Lauren, a designer known for his love of high-low pairings and immaculate dream building, it’s an example of how these clothes will live on the athlete as they go through life. The clothes still look good with age, and ooze with the timeless personality of those college-going muses.
But there’s not one way to live life. Polo, the show’ s second chapter, delivered a run of prep-infused bangers. Double-breasted jackets were paired with madras shirts and hooded pull-overs, field camo trousers with evening slippers, and waistcoats layered with denim jackets, which served as a precursor to frat party afters-style looks that softened slick blazers worn with jeans and sporty speed-style sunglasses. Denim, tailoring, and sportswear are all men’s fashion bread and butter, but here it’s fun, dressed down, and unfussy and it’s a style lesson show guest Colman Domingo took from Lauren himself. “[Don’t] take yourself too seriously. Always be willing to pair something down and pair it up at the same time,” he told Man About Town ahead of the show. “I love the idea of a tuxedo jacket with some great jeans and a vintage neckerchief. I love the idea of being ready for day and night at the same time.”
Images courtesy of Ralph Lauren
A special mention here has to go to the styling, which helped glue contrasting elements together wonderfully, be it the partial cuff of a blazer, the roll of a shirt sleeve, or the stacked Western watches with bangles. The scale of opposing materials and patinas gave each look a punchy demeanour, and removed any feeling of uniformity to double-down on a sense of personal style and ease.
Ralph Lauren’s latest outing was right on the pulse of how guys are dressing in 2026. Currently menswearheads are mad for Celine, which has been injected with a USA-meets-Paris prep (the brand’s creative director Michael Rider used to work at Ralph Lauren). Jonathan Anderson’s Dior has also borrowed striped ties from the Ivy League uniform, ballooned-up cargo shorts and dished up epaulette-emblazoned polos. But Ralph Lauren is the label that amplified the wardrobe of the well-heeled American athlete to the world. And today’s show felt like a victory lap that presented not just clothing, but a vision of how those clothes should live.
