On the enduring appeal of the retro Ralph Lauren aesthetic

In 1983, Ralph Lauren – already established as one of the greatest fashion designers of the generation – launched his interiors collection. It was a natural move; the brand was known not just for their clothes, but for their ability to evoke a lifestyle. “We are all dreamers and what we wish for is a place to live in that is warm and comfortable and feels like us – and feels like home for our family and friends,” Ralph said of his homeware empire in his 2023 book, Ralph Lauren A Way of Living: Home, Design, Inspiration.

The products he continues to design – from furniture to fabric – are in the same language as the clothes he's been making since 1967: entirely American, with the star spangled banner as his logo and a recurring motif through his interiors, whilst also peddling coastal Mediterranean references. They are also deeply preppy and slick, but also eclectic and bohemian, heavily influenced by Western, masculine Cowboy culture, but at the same time often very feminine and romantic, with antlers mounted on a wall above a silky, frilly bed.

Both the homeware and clothes are always connected to a place, not only in their design references but also in the way they're marketed: a blanket might be for your log cabin in Colorado, while some loafers are for your home in Montauk. Perhaps it's the all-encompassing, enveloping nature of the brand that feels so engrossing? You're not just buying a cashmere blanket, you're buying into a lifestyle built on family, success and the great American outdoors. The whole brand projects an aspirational aesthetic that overtly connects the owner to the American dream – it's very fitting that Ralph Lauren was the official outfitter of Jay Gatsby in the 1974 adaptation of The Great Gatsby.

Because the Ralph Lauren lifestyle was so strong, its stylistic reach remains indelible. The nostalgic power means it's now even warmer and comforting than when it was conceived in the 1980s. A consumer consultant and analyst tells me that the aesthetic remains so adored because it makes us “nostalgic for a life you never lived.” The style is not dissimilar from the fire-crackling, blanket-swaddling warmth of the Nancy Meyers film sets, which are still growing in popularity across the generations.

The eclectic mix is hard to capture, described by Elle Decor as “one part Western cowboy, one part lord and lady of the manor, and one part Carole Lombard in My Man Godfrey”. It sounds like an erratic interior concoction, but it makes total sense. “I love contradiction,” said Ralph in his 2023 book, “the mix of old and new, raggedy and sleek, a penthouse that feels like a log cabin or a log cabin that feels like a penthouse.”

We've hunted through the archives to find the best examples of the Ralph Lauren look, which – at its best – includes layers of Persian rugs, plenty of tartan, weathered brown leather, quaint spongeware, chintzy florals and European nautical nods.