Ralph Lauren Style Guide: Classic, Custom & Slim

With such a prestigious brand come many styles and collections. Ralph Lauren has three distinct styles at Mainline Menswear and we are going to run the rule over Classic, Custom and Slim.

They epitomise the preppy American style we have all come to embrace in Europe for years and they are a classic sportswear brand with a strong association with polo, in particular, that’s why they go into great detail on fits, material and style. The polo shirt is an iconic silhouette and has been worked in these three styles.

To help you select the right one for your body type and style preferences, here is a bit more detail:

Classic

The classic aims to do just what it says on the tin and provide customers with consistency from season to season. It does this with a broad shoulder and chest measurement as well as featuring longer sleeves and shirt tails than the other two fits.

The long hems are perfect for an off-duty tucked-in look and the longer rib-knit collar and cuffs are characteristic of traditional polos albeit resisting the waviness that can develop after repeated washing in lesser-quality shirts. This is a perfectly proportioned polo that will last a lifetime.

Custom

Designed to achieve a much more shaped look than the classic fit, this loses at least a couple of inches on the arms and torso measurements on comparable sizes in the classic range. This is a style which is easy to transfer into fashion as opposed to the classic which is more functional.

Shortened in key areas, this style allows the shirt to sit much more attractively when left un-tucked and flatters an athletic physique. This is a great shirt to wear on a casual night out.

Slim

This is the newest fit by the Ralph Lauren designers and it takes inspiration from the European styles featuring the shortest front and back hems of any Ralph Lauren style to date and creating a fit which seems even more tailored than the custom fit. Having built their reputation on American heritage, this move shows they are looking to reward their loyal European following with an adaptation of their own tastes.

The slim fit has a more exaggerated sartorial edge than the other two fits and the fact it is a meshy fabric makes it a lightweight silhouette which is perfect for warmer climates and holidays in the summer.

Custom and slim-fitting polo shirts enjoyed such a significant uptake since they were introduced that the label has actually rolled them out onto other products too such as the classic shirts and crew neck t-shirts. You can find all of these style products on the Ralph Lauren page at Mainline Menswear.

Because each style has its own unique fit to the body, the brand has experimented with the fabrics to make sure they maintain the level of comfort expected from a classic Ralph Lauren garment. The new slim fits are invariably made from their new mesh material which has small woven openings to give the cotton extra breath-ability whilst maintaining a textured finish and a soft, lightweight feel.

The RL polo was introduced in 1972 and has become a symbol of the “preppy” lifestyle since then. Initially, it came in just one fit and 24 individual colours and although it now comes in three styles and new colours and limited editions each season, the signature polo still remains true to form and fits exactly the same.

Celebrities love Ralph Lauren’s products, how do you wear your polo?