I’m a bit embarrassed to admit it, but this is the first Ralph Lauren shirt I’ve owned in about a decade. My first shirt was a Christmas gift from one of my uncles; it was a lovely dark green plaid that was consistently in my rotation during the holiday season.
Through a series of moves, I can’t track the shirt down. I can say, though, that my aversion to paying Ralph Lauren prices is that fickle little pony on the left breast. I just can’t do the branding… but this recent find at a thrift store may be enough to convince me.
Ralph Lauren Background
What can I say about Ralph Lauren that hasn’t already been said?
Started by the man himself, Ralph Lauren, the brand quickly grew from a small mens tie outfit into the definitive American style. Ralph got his start as a salesman for Brooks Brothers before hopping to Rivetz, a necktie company. At just 28 years old, he convinced the president to let him start his own line and the rest, as they say, was history.
Lauren named his first full line of menswear Polo in 1968. He worked out of a a showroom in the Empire State Building and made deliveries to stores himself. By the mid-1970s, Ralph sat at the center of the fashion world.
One of the most intimidating aspects of Ralph Lauren, aside from the price, is the expansiveness of the brand. The guides to Ralph’s diffusion lines are far from brief; at the risk of derailing this article here’s a quick rundown on the sub-brands and their associated quality:
- Chaps: Lowest-quality. Started early as a budget-friendly alternative to Polo. These days, Chaps isn’t associated with Ralph Lauren and is universally seen as a brand to avoid.
- Denim & Supply by Ralph Lauren: Focused on denim and workwear, this subband was decent but really only worth the price if bought on a good deal.
- Lauren Ralph Lauren: Like Chaps, this was a department store sub-brand for price-sensitive shoppers. Ralph lost control of the brand and his ability to take his name off of it. Like the others above it on the list, this is a brand to avoid.
- Polo Country: A short-lived brand in the 1990s, a bit more rustic/western. RRL now carries the mantle there.
- Polo Golf: A diffusion specifically for golf and activewear. Now known as RLX.
- Polo Jeans Co: Another mid-tier brand. Ralph bough the brand back to discontinue it in 2008.
- Polo Ralph Lauren: Now we’re getting to the good stuff. Polo Ralph Lauren is usually good quality, though as with many brands the quality these days is not the same quality of decades prior. Polo is often referred to as “blue label.”
- Polo University Club: A solid vintage offering of the 1980s, overall pretty darn good quality for the price.
- Ralph Lauren Black Label: It’s in the name: black label is widely regarded as some of the best quality stuff under the Ralph Lauren name.
- Ralph Lauren Purple Label: The cream of the crop. This is hands-down the best that Ralph Lauren has to offer with high-quality materials and the best tailoring.
- RRL: Stands for Rick Ralph Lauren (after Ralph’s wife), and also considered very high-quality. Most of RRL consists of vintage classics reimagined and western wear.
Initial Impressions of the Shirt
I’ve gotten pretty good at moving quickly through a rack at a thrift store and discerning what is quality and worth my attention.
My first impression feeling this shirt was “wow, this is a lot better than most of the other crap on this rack,” and it was not really a surprise to see the blue Ralph Lauren label and pony on the chest. Right off the bat, this is a solid Oxford shirt, plain and simple. The fabric is soft, yet burly and thick; the stitching is immaculate; and the construction is overall top-notch.
I’ve held a bit of a biased view towards Polo, given the ubiquitous nature of the brand and the numerous counterfeits, but this shirt converted me. I now get why people love Ralph Lauren as a brand and buy from it religiously.
This was a fun shirt to study and review, so let’s get to it.
Ralph Lauren Classic-Fit Oxford Shirt Review
Enough with surface-level impressions! You’re here for the nitty-gritty. I’m going to review this shirt from top to bottom, leaving no button or stitch unturned.
I’ll break down my review into the following sections:
- Labels
- Fabric
- Buttons
- Details and extras
- Construction
- Stitching
- Weight
- Fit
Labels
The classic Polo Ralph Lauren logo. Note: there are different variations of this label; one version has “Polo” spelled out while the other has the polo rider. These are the same brand, and either called Polo Ralph Lauren or blue label (though the brand refers to the line as “Polo” now).
Polo Ralph Lauren is often counterfeited. Based on the size tag and care instruction tags, I can tell that this is an authentic Polo Ralph Lauren shirt. But be warned for irregularities if you shop secondhand or on eBay!
Fabric
The Ralph Lauren describes the fabric they use for their Oxford shirts as “developed with a secret wash that gives it instant character, ease, and a heathered softness,” and I can attest.
J.Crew launched their “broken-in Oxford shirt” with the aim of capturing the quintessential Oxford broken in with years of wear. I bought one and returned it the very next day; the fabric was thin, weak, and not at all what I’d expect from a classic OCBD. I think it’s far to say that these Ralph Lauren shirts deliver on the exact promise J. Crew makes: this shirt is relatively new but is feels soft in the hand like it’s been worn for years.
Buttons
The buttons appear to be plastic, which is fair for a retail price around $130. That said, they're substantial: nice and thick and firmly sewn on.
Details and Extras
Three extra buttons are included should you need them.
And of course, the pony. While I’m not a fan of the logo on the shirt, I’ll admit the attention to detail here is incredible. I count seven colors between the horse and rider, and can even see small details like the horse’s hooves, reigns, and eye!
Construction
Now let’s get to the construction. I’ll examine the shirt’s measurements and stitching to give you a sense of how this shirt was made and how it stacks up against others in my closet.
Starting from the top; this shirt is the “classic” cut but is decidedly slim compared to some true vintage Oxford shirts. At 17” across on the shoulders, this shirt is similarly sized to my J.Crew Vintage Oxford.
On a slightly disappointing note, the Polo Ralph Lauren OCBD has a bit of a wimpy collar. At 2.5” on the points, this collar cannot give much of a roll when worn. Still, the shape is decent compared to many modern Oxfords which have minuscule collars that might as well not be there.
The shirt flairs out quite a bit at the chest. Note that there is a noticeable curve to the arm holes that contributes to this, giving this shirt nearly 23” across from pit to pit! While the shoulers are a tad narrow, the chest is ample and rivals some vintage Oxfords in my closet.
At about 10” across, this arm hole affords plenty of room. Due to the cut and the position of the arm hole, I find this shirt has better mobility than some of the other Oxfords in my closet. I’m actually able to raise my arms with relative ease, which is easy to take for granted.
There is a noticeable taper in this shirt down to the waist. A full 2” down to 21” between the seams. I actually prefer this; I have such a narrow wasit that a straight fit down tends to billow out a lot while this taper results in a better overall fit for me.
Another slight disappointment for this shirt is the length. It’s short. Not so short I can’t tuck it in, but at 28” down the front and 29” in the back, this is one of the shorter Oxfords in my closet.
While this shirt is a bit slimmer than most classic OCBDs, it makes up for it where it counts. The double-pleat in the wrists allows for just the right amount of material in the arms to provide room without billowing out like Jerry Seinfeld’s puffy shirt.
This shirt has a fairly slim yoke at 2.5” for a dressier silhouette. The yoke is split for added stretch and mobility on the bias (100% cotton will not stretch, but it can stretch a bit on the diagonal). With the box pleat in the back, this gives the perfect amount of mobility while still being on the slimmer side.
Stitching
Weight
I mentioned this shirt was burly, and it shows in the weight. At 305 grams, this shirt is the second-heaviest in my closet (only rivaled by the Trader Bay Oxford).
Fit
Fit is going to be subjective, so bear the following in mind: I am 5’10” and about 175lbs on a good day. I like to lift weights, and would say I have fairly broad shoulders with a comparatively narrow waist. Typically, my jacket size is a 40, and my collar size is 15.5.
Of the shirts in my closet, I felt this one fits me the best. Even with some of the gripes (slightly narrow shoulders, shorter collar points, shorter length), this shirt is darn-near perfect. It sits well on the shoulders, gives me a ton of room in the arms and shoulders, and tapers nicely at the waist. It’s one of those shirts I put on and feel sad taking off at the end of the day.
Ralph Lauren Classic-Fit Oxford Pros and Cons
We've covered a lot! I'll wrap things up here with a quick pros/cons list.
Pros
- High-quality stitching and construction
- Fits true to size and is tailored well
- Real Mother of Pearl buttons
- Classic fit in the shoulders and chest with a nice taper down towards the bottom
- Double-pleated cuff in the wrist for extra material in the arms without being billowy
- A generous amount of extra buttons
Cons
- Collar points are a bit too short to give a good roll
- A bit narrow in the shoulders
- No pocket
- A tad short
- That darn pony!
Are Polo Ralph Lauren Oxford Shirts Good?
In a word, yes.
Of the shirts in my closet, this has catapulted up to one of my favorites. Due to the cons (mainly the lack of pocket and the logo), I don’t see myself buying these retail for $100+, but I’ll happily thrift them or purchase them on eBay.
You can snap these up for $20-$30 a pop on eBay and Poshmark, and I think they’re an absolute steal at that price.
If those cons don’t bother you, it absolutely is worth the money retail. The fit, fabric, and construction are all top-quality, especially for retail these days where it seems most new clothing is generally poor quality.
