Ralph Lauren’s ‘smart’ Shirt Is The Ultimate Preppy Tech

This blazer is soft, slouchy, thoroughly worn-in, and makes the idea of shelling out a whopping two grand for a piece of tailoring that didn’t originate on Savile Row seem downright reasonable. There are two conflicting trends here – product personalization is a huge trend that I believe is only going to grow as technology improves and costs come down for one-off production. On the other hand, I can’t remember the last time someone my kids’ age (20s-30s) ralph lauren t shirt actually wore a polo style shirt. For most consumers, polo shirts are something you buy at Target for $15 when you need a collared shirt for an event. One of the most iconic staples in the Ralph Lauren collection are collared polos, but if you’re looking for something a little more casual but equally stylish, a Ralph Lauren T-shirt is just what you need. Combining preppy classic style with contemporary colors and patterns makes the perfect blend.

A spokesperson told me the company hadn’t heard of this issue before but that it will be looking into my particular module. After the initial awkwardness of my first gym session, I start to feel OK in it. Yellow emblems and print make it look more like a workout top or sports jersey. The classic fit polos are relaxed fit t-shirts, perfect for every day. Now is the time for customization – as was last year, the year before, etc.

ralph lauren t shirt

And just in case you need the little emblem for reassurance or brand exposure, the T-shirts come with the easily recognizable Ralph Lauren logo. If you’re going out to the beach or just a stroll down the boardwalk in the evening, a Ralph Lauren T-shirt is an excellent sartorial choice. Layer up with a Polo Ralph Lauren hoodie, then top it off with a coat or jacket and you’ll be ready for any weather. Pair a down vest with a Polo Ralph Lauren hooded t-shirt for an exhilarating fall hike or sport a cotton t-shirt on the boardwalk during the summer.

Pre-washed for extra comfort and then garment-dyed to get that lightly toasted color, it’s more breathtaking than any foliage you’ll encounter scrolling mindlessly through the ‘gram—and a heck of a lot less played out. Try wearing it with one of the brand’s best-in-class striped shirts and a scuzzy tie, or over fine-gauge cardigan and a beefy T-shirt. Think of it as a seasonal purchase you don’t need to justify, but one that’ll help you look exponentially more put-together all the same. Balenciaga’s cotton-jersey blazer is a tour de force of contemporary menswear touchstones, courtesy of the most zeitgeist-y brand in the industry.

Where every single transaction is personalized, customized, and fits the customer’s exact specifications. By taking a page out of the DTC strategy playbook, Ralph Lauren could certainly drive a new business model, and resonate with a customer who wants to drive their own experiences. In the effort to be unique and authentic, Ralph Lauren and other mass merchandising retailers should embrace the personalization operating model ralph lauren t shirt and capitalize on this emerging segment. A mass customization model is a win-win for both the consumers and for the DTC retail brands. The customer controls the journey and decides the level of customizations they would like. In parallel, Ralph Lauren’s manufacturing on-demand operating model, while initially costly, will mitigate the sheer amount of inventory they will need to carry once the economies of scale kick in.

While personalization initiatives are scattered across the CPG spectrum, personalization-at-scale remains the Holy Grail. Amazon’s Made For You, Walmart’s recent acquisition of Zeekit, StitchFix’s curated wardrobe model, and now Ralph Lauren’s mass customized polo shirts are all leading to that goal but from different angles. Through personalization initiatives, consumers are not only sharing their preferences directly with CPG companies, but they are also putting skin in the game by purchasing the product. I’m only suggesting that the range of customization might want to have some boundaries. If I’m a high profile brand there are words, logos, emojis, etc. that I would not want stitched next to my own logo.