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There's wearing Polo Ralph Lauren, and then there's taking it to an entirely different level. The Lo Lifes did the latter, and then some.
Horse Power is a cracking documentary from Complex about how a bunch of Polo-obsessed kids from Brooklyn helped turn Ralph Lauren into one of hip-hop's most recognisable labels. What started out as an unlikely fascination with preppy American clothing became a whole culture of collecting, competing and putting together increasingly outrageous outfits.
And we're not just talking about the odd polo shirt, either.
Brooklyn, the Lo Lifes and a Lot of Polo
Back in the late 1980s, the Lo Lifes emerged from the Brownsville and Crown Heights neighbourhoods of Brooklyn. These were working-class kids with an obsession for a label originally aimed at a rather different crowd.
While Ralph Lauren was selling an idealised vision of American country clubs, polo fields and wealthy weekend pursuits, the Lo Lifes were busy turning the same clothing into something else entirely.
Colourful rugby shirts, massive Polo logos, ski jackets, sailing gear and the sort of patterned knitwear that could probably be spotted from space. The louder and harder to find, the better.
Some of the clothes were acquired through shoplifting, something the documentary doesn't shy away from. But the bigger story is what happened afterwards. These kids developed their own way of wearing Polo, and that look gradually spread through New York's hip-hop scene.
By the 1990s, rappers including Raekwon and Grand Puba were bringing Ralph Lauren into music videos and onto record sleeves. Raekwon's famous Snow Beach jacket became a particularly sought-after bit of Polo history.
If all this talk of old rugby shirts, colourful jackets and the little polo-playing bloke has got you interested, have a look at our Polo Ralph Lauren collection.
A Reunion With Some Serious Clobber
The film includes interviews with Raekwon, Just Blaze, Dapper Dan, A$AP Ferg and various other people who witnessed Polo's journey from American department stores into hip-hop history.
All interesting stuff, but the real highlight is the footage from a 2017 Lo Life reunion in Times Square.
Imagine a clothing-based battle rap where nobody needs a microphone. Instead of trading insults, everyone turns up wearing increasingly ridiculous amounts of rare Polo gear. Old Snow Beach jackets, brightly coloured rugby shirts and enough embroidered horses to fill a fairly substantial stable.
There's plenty of friendly competition, a fair amount of showing off and some genuinely impressive bits of clothing. These aren't just old jackets and jumpers to the people wearing them. They're trophies, memories and proof of years spent hunting down the good stuff.
It's funny, fascinating and a reminder that the people wearing clothes often have just as much influence on their meaning as the people who designed them.
Anyway, enough from us. Stick the kettle on and give it a watch. Forty minutes well spent.
For a bit more Ralph Lauren history, have a read of Ralph Lauren – An Oi Polloi Champion, our look at the man and the clothing behind the little polo player.
