Ralph Lauren Celebrates 50 Years of Its Iconic POLO Shirt With New Coffee Table Book

Legacy fashion house Ralph Lauren has become synonymous with American wealth and luxury living – from custom suiting to home goods and accessories. But one of the brand’s most popular creations is perhaps its classic POLO shirt, now celebrating the 50th anniversary with an accompanying coffee table book release titled Ralph Lauren’s POLO SHIRT.

The RL company (which includes the namesake label Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Double RL, Polo Ralph Lauren and more), has announced the release of a 544-page tome – published by Rizzoli New York – that captures the cultural impact and style significance of the POLO shirt. It includes an introduction by Mr. Ralph Lauren, a foreword by Ken Burns and an afterword by David Lauren.

As a hardcover, the book measures in at 6.5” x 8.5” and comprises 400 color photographs with historic imagery and personal stories from celebrities, royals, athletes, and political figures detailing how individuals have made the iconic shirt their own. It also examines the origins of the shirt becoming affiliated with marquee events such as the US Open, Wimbledon and the US Olympics.

The label calls the book “a hefty, stylish compendium of everything you ever wanted to know about Ralph Lauren’s timeless icon,” and reflecting on the rise of the popular item, Mr. Ralph Lauren says, “It was never about a shirt, but a way of living.”

In addition to the book’s celebration, the company has opened a “Polo Shirt Concept Store” in Ginza and will open the second one in Berlin on May 18. The shop will solely sell the RL POLO shirt and will offer an extensive range of the item along with “Create Your Own” customization options for the family.

Ralph Lauren’s POLO SHIRT coffee table book is currently available – in different color cover options – and retails for $36.95 USD on the Ralph Lauren website.

Meanwhile, the CFDA and ‘Vogue’ revealed its list of 2022 Fashion Fund finalists.