I visited the RL shop in Palm Desert a few days ago. First time in an RL shop in over a decade. Picked up a couple of polos. Beautiful colours. Washed and dried them right away. The XL was a bit smock-like on me when I bought it, but the dryer made it fit perfectly. I've been wearing BB polos for years, but, like everything BB, the quality has been in severe decline. Bought a couple of of Lacostes before I came out here. The shrank horizontally, so I now have some expensive halter tops. So, I'm old and exhausted, and may give RL a chance again, since everyone else has let me down lately.
I love my RL polo shirts. I have them in just about every color and when they do break, I use them for gardening or working on the boat. I also have polos from gant, Lacoste etc but i love the RL. i will be 50 soon and have been wearing them since i was a teenager. Only my barbour jackets have been with me longer.
Southern Tide makes a great cotton polo! Peter Millar and the Ralph Lauren RLX are made of the wicking sweat material that I prefer these days and they don’t wrinkle or shrink!
The RL polos, the Lacoste polos, and the Brooks polos are, to me, incredibly similar in both quality and fit. I tend to prefer the crocodile or the fleece logo. They're also the only shirts I absolutely must throw in the dryer: For some reason, they all easily take on a mildew smell if I let them hang dry. Shrinkage varies between brands. I find that Lacoste shrinks the most, with RL not far behind, and Brooks the least.
The Ralph polos I bought in the past few years all seem to acquire a weird roll to the collar after a few washes. I always wash in cold water water and hang them to dry. When they are almost dry, I put them in the dryer on low heat for 10 minutes then fold them. The ones from Brooks, Ben Silver, and other makers don’t have the same problem with the collars. Also I note that you can’t get all cotton from Brooks anymore.
Not sure which t-shirts you are referring to, so going to guess and suggest this; for working out in the garden, etc. I suggest a thrift store. Yard work for me is a full contact sport. I have said to my husband many times, if I can't keep up with the garden myself then it's time to entrust it all to the next steward. I am absolutely not any garden guru--I just try to maintain a small degree of order in surrounding the chaos.
So all that, and also happen to sweat a great deal, means I tend to end up with some ratty t-shirts after a summer. All that is the long way of saying, I find a few light colored 100% cotton t-shirts at Good Will or the like each spring and have at it.
Editor, Salt Water New England - The Modern Guide to The Thing Before Preppy, since 2010. Co-founder, Short Sims. From a 12th Generation New Englander.
I visited the RL shop in Palm Desert a few days ago. First time in an RL shop in over a decade. Picked up a couple of polos. Beautiful colours. Washed and dried them right away. The XL was a bit smock-like on me when I bought it, but the dryer made it fit perfectly. I've been wearing BB polos for years, but, like everything BB, the quality has been in severe decline. Bought a couple of of Lacostes before I came out here. The shrank horizontally, so I now have some expensive halter tops. So, I'm old and exhausted, and may give RL a chance again, since everyone else has let me down lately.
ReplyDeleteI always was my RL polos in cold water and hang to dry. Even then, I noticed the polos I bought over a decade ago have shrunk slightly.
ReplyDeleteMost things I bought over a decade ago feel like they have shrunk slightly....but that could be that I have expanded.
DeleteI love my RL polo shirts. I have them in just about every color and when they do break, I use them for gardening or working on the boat. I also have polos from gant, Lacoste etc but i love the RL. i will be 50 soon and have been wearing them since i was a teenager. Only my barbour jackets have been with me longer.
ReplyDeleteBig fan of the horse but I prefer Chemise Lacoste, bought my first at Brooks Brothers back in the 1960s.
ReplyDeleteSouthern Tide makes a great cotton polo! Peter Millar and the Ralph Lauren RLX are made of the wicking sweat material that I prefer these days and they don’t wrinkle or shrink!
ReplyDeleteThe RL polos, the Lacoste polos, and the Brooks polos are, to me, incredibly similar in both quality and fit. I tend to prefer the crocodile or the fleece logo. They're also the only shirts I absolutely must throw in the dryer: For some reason, they all easily take on a mildew smell if I let them hang dry. Shrinkage varies between brands. I find that Lacoste shrinks the most, with RL not far behind, and Brooks the least.
ReplyDeleteThe RL always seem to fit my broad shoulders a bit better!
DeleteFound the Musto pique cotton polo some yars ago, and that is now my go-to...
ReplyDeleteThe Ralph polos I bought in the past few years all seem to acquire a weird roll to the collar after a few washes. I always wash in cold water water and hang them to dry. When they are almost dry, I put them in the dryer on low heat for 10 minutes then fold them. The ones from Brooks, Ben Silver, and other makers don’t have the same problem with the collars. Also I note that you can’t get all cotton from Brooks anymore.
ReplyDeleteSorry, not a fan of RL.
ReplyDeleteWhat about t shirts? Where do readers of this blog shop for those?
ReplyDeleteNot sure which t-shirts you are referring to, so going to guess and suggest this; for working out in the garden, etc. I suggest a thrift store. Yard work for me is a full contact sport. I have said to my husband many times, if I can't keep up with the garden myself then it's time to entrust it all to the next steward. I am absolutely not any garden guru--I just try to maintain a small degree of order in surrounding the chaos.
DeleteSo all that, and also happen to sweat a great deal, means I tend to end up with some ratty t-shirts after a summer. All that is the long way of saying, I find a few light colored 100% cotton t-shirts at Good Will or the like each spring and have at it.
Thank you, RCJH, for the recommendation. I was actually referring to t shirts for daily casual wear.
Delete