If anyone can find the allure in 50 shades of camel, it’s Ralph Lauren. The American designer made elegant neutrals a mainstay long before the latest wave of stealth chic fashion rolled in. With that in mind, his new see-now-buy-now Pre-Fall collection is well timed. All the outerwear classics—a strong-shoulder camel coat, a buttery leather aviator jacket, a sand-colored double-breasted blazer—are in the the new offering, mostly modeled on menswear Lauren has had in his own closet for decades. With its gently oversize and cozy proportions, the shearling toggle coat is a nice addition to that repertoire of familiar silhouettes. The designer has never been shy about leaning into his equestrian sensibilities, and for Pre-Fall he’s bringing back the jodhpur. This time around, though, the coordinating shoe isn’t a knee-high riding boot but rather the brand’s city-ready lace-up ankle bootie.
Lauren has a knack for transposing classic sportswear tropes for evening. The fashion world was given a showstopping reminder of that at the CFDA Awards last month when Jennifer Lopez wafted onto the podium to pick up her fashion icon statuette dressed in a coral crop top and billowing ball skirt. “I grew up in the Bronx, so of course I had to wear Ralph Lauren tonight,” Lopez said. “I know he understands a girl’s love for crop tops, ponytails, sparkles, and a little drama.” (Needless to say, the phone was ringing off the hook at the Ralph Lauren mansion on Madison Avenue with inquiries about the terrific look the next morning.)
Though there are no crop tops in the new collection, there are plenty of eye-catching, late-summer party looks to suit the needs of glamorous women like Lopez. The traditional American flannel shirt is given a radical makeover via a work shirt that’s cut from lamé. That shimmering plaid treatment works well on a floor-length slip dress too. It for sure makes the idea of grunge a whole lot more soigné, the kind of camel that looks especially good with a tan.
