The authentic and timeless world of Ralph Lauren
October 2025
RL/Women

The Icons: Western Stars

Polo classics to wear now and forever.
Men Women
The Patchwork Jacket & Sweater
A heritage technique gets a sturdy update with wool plaids, intarsia knits, and nods to cozy cabin life.
Patchwork has taken on many forms at Polo, from preppy and coastal madras to moody, Japanese-inspired indigo pieces. “To me they were an expression of our American heritage—clothes that were authentic and had a one-of-a-kind sensibility and character,” Ralph has recalled of the technique, which also references New England quilting traditions. This season, patchwork takes its form in plaids to deliver that unique duality of rusticity and warmth that has long defined a mountain way of life. This women’s patchwork coat found inspiration in a barn jacket that first appeared in the Fall 1990 Collection, using its relaxed silhouette and telltale corduroy collar as a framework to create a charming tapestry of hardy wool plaids in barn red, hunter green, cobalt blue, and tweedy neutrals. Each coat is pieced together by hand with an exaggerated zigzag stitch. A handful of men’s pieces, meanwhile—trousers, shirts, sweaters, socks, and scarves—echo a similar patchwork theme, this time in a mélange of vintage-inspired wool plaids paired with classic buffalo check, Fair Isle snowflakes, paisley bandannas, and even the Polo Bear on skis. The sum of all its parts? That cozy, mountain lodge feeling.
The Fringe Jacket
One of our personal favorites, the Western-inspired jacket, is reinvented, from rustic to refined.
It was at the St. Regis hotel in midtown Manhattan, of all places, where Ralph decided to debut his Fall 1978 Collection—a landmark ode to American Westernwear. Among the pieces on the runway was a women’s jacket in tan suede fringe, worn with a blue plaid flannel shirt, pantaloons, and a rodeo belt buckle. It soon became a signature look for Ralph himself, who wore a similar jacket and a pair of jeans in the inaugural campaign for the Polo Western label the same year. The look—denim shirt, bolo tie, silver buckle, well-worn cattleman’s hat—was rooted in American history: part Native American practicality (the fringe helps repel water), part Davy Crockett buckskin, but without the caricature. “I think I understand what makes it romantic, what makes it macho, and what makes it sensitive,” Ralph said at the time. “It is a natural look compared to something that’s very fashion—something that’s sensitive and wild at the same time.” This fall, the suede fringe jacket goes back to its Polo Western roots, but with a modern twist: For women, a dropped shoulder and an oversize fit are coupled with a full-grain nappa finish in the lining for a more refined feel. For men, black and tan styles are uncomplicated, with a notch lapel and sweeps of fringe across the yoke, pockets, and sleeves—the perfect answer to creative black tie.
The Polo Play & Polo ID Bags
The bold shopper proves its status as a new icon through clever nods to Polo’s history, joining the Polo ID as a timeless classic.
For more than 50 years, the Polo shirt has been the symbol of the spirit and verve of Polo Ralph Lauren: part sporty, part preppy, entirely playful. Translating the iconic shirt’s DNA to a handbag was no small design feat, but a few key components make the connection while also referencing other Polo pieces—and, as it turns out, the utilitarian simplicity of the humble greengrocer sack with its easy-to-grab handle and generous opening. The Polo Play (above) has a U-shape scoop that also echoes a classic Polo Sport tank top (that one from the ’90s emblazoned with “USA” in navy letters) and strap handles anchored to the bag as a single piece of curved leather, each end of which is cut in the diagonal shape of a men’s necktie. The handy straps define the bag’s versatility, crisscrossing each other atop the slouch of a soft, deconstructed body, which comes in Italian leather, supple suede, or sturdy canvas. What captures the true spirit of the Polo shirt is the bag’s range of colors: bright hues that echo the palette of the season, from peppy primaries of red, cobalt, and yellow in the spring to warm, textured neutrals in the fall. It’s all a welcome addition to a collection of handbags that also includes the Polo ID (opposite), a quintessential piece inspired by the English saddle. Its crescent shape, stitching, and rich patina all channel this mainstay of equestrian life, while the traditional ID bracelet influences its signature hardware: a long, weighted brass pendant engraved with the cutout silhouette of the instantly recognizable Polo Pony. Made with sleek Italian calfskin, pebbled leather, practical canvas, exotic raffia, classic denim, or this season’s highlight, suede, the Polo ID stands out for its ubiquitous ability to channel all of Polo’s moods and dress codes.