DOUBLE (RL) Trouble!

[ABELnyc]

One of my all time favorite lines from Rizza-Ralph Lauren is back...DOUBLE RL! The kings of the old school Americana shit. Not sure if they will be producing in Japan or US only, but I bet they come with the great denim, sweats that surpass Rogan's masterful approach, buttery tees (in texture and design), dope leather and corduroys, and just all around sick pieces. They are the kings of durable vintage steez.

For those that missed the first run (90's) keep your eyes peeled.

peace

~multiflavored RodLavers~

http://abelnyc.com

ALPHA/BRAVO/ECHO/LIMA

[superslim]

Let's hope so. That was one of my favorite stores in NY. Do you know what their distribution will be like? Will they open another store? Will they sell out of RL on B way? Will it be a wholesale business to be found in the demon of all stores Macy's?

Where is your info coming from?

I don't want to get my hopes up...

XOXO

[denimmademedoit]

love the line as well, but for some reason they have never been able to sell it well, if I had to guess I would think the initial distribution would be all verticle, no other stores but their own.

[ABELnyc]

i don't know what happened to the RRL on Mulberry, that place was nice but yeah i don't think it was doing very well. it would do them some good to open something more west side-ish downtown. (wealthier traffic, maybe? who knows)

not sure where they'll be selling, out of the West Broadway store or not...but i got a peek at the new line at Polo.com

~multiflavored RodLavers~

http://abelnyc.com

ALPHA/BRAVO/ECHO/LIMA

[justaname]

can i get a little history about RRL please? yes? no?

?

[rhythmandsound]

none of the clothing items on the site are lookin too interesting yet, and stuff is crazy expensive! but yeah, a lot of the past stuff i've seen is cool...

[stickykrylon]

can someone hook up some pics?

dig.

[rhythmandsound]

http://www.polo.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=1983277&cp=1983263&nav=lhn

[cw]

any thoughts on the rrl selvage jeans? fit? quality?

[urban sprawl]

in the meantime you can get rrl stuff @ bleecker st polo store. they will open 2 stores this fall in nyc. cant say where!;p

the production is from both - usa and japan for denim. very nice fabrics.

[teejayess]

I have a pair of rrl vintage five-pockets and they are lovely - one of my favourite pairs of jeans.

[ABELnyc]

The vintage 5-pocket was, and is still, a great denim. As with all denim, wear it 90 days before washing. Pref'bly longer.

As far as those seeking a history, etc. it's sorta tough to give a comprehensive one.

It was around 1993 or 1994, and Ralph Lauren decided to launch RRL, a brand to rep the "Ranch of Ralph Lauren" I believe. He was always into that old frontier look, i.e. the early settlers, the early worker uniforms, the durable cottons, utility pieces from the rancher era. Thus, his logo resembled a brand, i.e. a logo you might see on the back of a horse's ass, that kind of 'brand'. The logo is eye catching, and the pieces were remarkable. Also note, he did this waaay before Madonna et al tried to make fashionable the 'cowboy' look etc.

They had terrificly soft cotton shirts, with an otherwise unmatchable attention to vintaging clothes. Nowadays, those techniques are oft mimicked by various other lines. But around the early 90's, he was one of very few delving into that market. At that time, the only people making big money were the large-logoed prints and sweaters evoking a more uppercrusty lifestyle (sailing, golfing, polo, cricket). This success was had not only by Polo, but Nautica, Tommy, and Timberland as well.

So when he started RRL production, it got a lot of press and developed an instant cult following. The clothing was expensive, sure, but with chinos that good (and looked like they'd been lived in for years, without the contrived fraying aspects etc.), tees that soft, sweaters with true repro style of the old American settlers, it was hard to beat.

I was in high school during this launch, and was good friends with a guy who's mother did photography for Ralph, e.g. the big Tyson Beckford one, holding a medicine ball, it was a bus ad all over the nyc metro area. Anyway, part of the benefit of working in her capacity, she and her family (and thus my boy, her son) was allowed to, once every couple months, literally sift through thousands of pieces of unsold or sample items etc. For this reason, my friend always came in with heavy wool (but soft as hell) $800 sweaters that he'd gotten for free. Mule jackets. Corduroy coats. Sheepskin leathers. Utility cargos. Painters pants. Overalls.

Believe me when I tell you that every piece looked almost to be a work of art. Not just lived in, but with a fascinating attention to detail.

Some years into it, RRL started production in Japan, where quality seemed to slip a bit. If you surf eBay and can find pieces from the Made-in-USA-only era, you will not be disappointed (keep in mind, sizes ran a bit large for button downs, tees too, sorta like Polo. Made for the fat American consumer). Still the quality was good though. They opened a giant room in the Polo store uptown NYC for just Double RL, and it too was successful.

Years later, when Polo on West B'way opened in downtown Manhattan, Ralph continued his (and his buyers') affinity for vintage Americana denim etc., and sent buyers all over the country to loot every road sale, flea market, auction, and goodwill store to find all the best old Levis, BigBen, OshKosh etc. pieces and sell them at a huuuuge markup, what with all their tags still on them, but sold them out of this Polo space.

I'm talking old Levis for $1800. It would have the Levi's leather patch etc., and everything else intact, but a great cut in a popular size, and a Ralph hangtag attached. I laughed when I first saw this. But then when you see Bon Jovi or Bruce Springsteen come in and buy those jeans, you realize how he could get away with this.

RRL started to fade from view with the launch of other lines, and there were probably some money issues...business had probably started to dwindle because of the limited market and high pricing. After all, being able to sell your line to rich New Yorkers (and other New Englanders) just isn't enough for a global brand sometimes. He focused more on RLX, Ralph Blue label (and always savvy Purple), the women's Ralph Lauren line, Chaps and Polo

[neawts]

Thanks for the background.

[jo3 b]

the RRL line has been up on polo.com since a while ago. in fact all of the stuff is currently on clearance.

i picked up a really nice sweatshirt. its up there too. i love it.

[Blanc0]

store on Prince will open in September