Ask any fashion person which designer they’d wear forever if they could only choose one – chances are, they’re choosing Ralph. A classic blue shirt, chinos and baseball cap – at this point it’s the uniform of every menswear stylist and editor on the planet. At the SS27 shows at Milan Fashion Week men’s, Ralph Lauren was singular in its commitment to the house codes he originated, moving through a series of men’s fashion archetypes to present a cohesive vision of the Ralph man. Here are the men we all know (or want to know), in their most elevated form. 

IF IT’S A PRINT, IT’S POLO

Polo Ralph Lauren was a riot of plaid, stripes and varsity print, giving a highly styled remix of the classics. Looking like a class of chic college students on their last day, hands in pockets or carrying bouquets of peonies, the models could have walked off the set of the latest raved-about collegiate TV show, if it was costumed by someone particularly devoted to Take Ivy (the classic 1960s preppy photobook by Shosuke Ishizu and Toshiyuki Kurosu.)

THINK CHIC

How the men on the front row managed to stay cool during their biannual menswear mog-off, the fashion press will never know, but on the runway Ralph presented the breeziest of summer tailoring in a monochromatic palette. Want to look slick in the heat? Summer wedding? Yacht party? The house has you covered in tailored shorts or white linen trousers. 

BACK TO THE SOURCE

Think of how your favourite Japanese designers twist mid-century preppy codes – the Ivy League of it all – and the mind wanders to the blueprint: Ralph Lauren! Denim faux-faded with age and wear? He can do that too. With this season’s confident take on his favourites, the designer sent out a timely reminder that it’s always been him. Whether in allover plaid (including oversize canvas tote), blazer and chinos or a distressed denim jacket, there was a vision for the coming year (and eternity). Ralph forever.