The Polo Bar reopened in late October and it’s been packed every night since, save for Sundays and Mondays, when it’s not open for dining. Ralph Lauren’s pre-spring collection, arriving in stores now, was designed for a back-in-business New York City. Omicron might slow the city’s roll, but nobody wants to go back to the sweatpants and slippers of the early lockdown.
Sensing that, Lauren swapped out the soft neutrals of his pre-fall and fall collections in favor of bright pops of color. Emerald green, royal blue, and zesty yellow added verve to his iconic tailoring—verve that he amped up with a flourish of soft ruffles spilling down the front of a blouse. A classic navy blazer, meanwhile, was enlivened by a pair of slim paisley-print pants, a paisley that also appears on a handkerchief-hem skirt and a reversible bomber jacket.
For a night out at the Polo Bar, there’s a bustier trimmed in gold buttons (sartorially sexy), a strapless cocktail dress woven with a proprietary metallic thread, and an emerald silk number with irregular pleats that evoke Fortuny. Sure, Lauren does sneakers—he’s not blind to the way the pandemic is reshaping our day-to-day wardrobes—but his high-tops are handcrafted in Italy. Their tawny brown leather is a perfect match to his new Welington cross-body bag.
