You know Ralph when you see Ralph. After almost 60 years at the top of the American fashion pyramid, the many signatures of Ralph Lauren have become codified as law. It’s tan double-breasted suits, it’s cute bears knitted into sweaters, it’s grail-level sporty anoraks — It's Ralph Lauren! And it always has been.

Recently, in the face of beautifully styled campaigns and historic runway collections, it’s been tempting to declare “Ralph is back.” However, that would ignore one vital fact: Ralph never left. Instead, as proven on June 19 Ralph Lauren is perfectly capable of reminding everyone that this is OG, which is vital work given how many designers still want to be Ralph. 

Ralph Lauren hit Milan with a double whammy of Americana, just like last season, when the brand made its Milanese debut by combining Polo and its top-of-the-line Purple Label into one show. This time, it played out in two acts, Ralph Lauren Purple Label kicking things off and Polo following.

After all, church and state must remain separate.

Sharp pinstripe business suits led to loose light summer tailoring, which set the scene for denim set — in collaboration with Japanese label KUON and the Sashiko Gals, a band of Japanese grannies specializing in delicate hand-embroidery — from weathered-looking workwear to patchworked jackets where ragged denim scraps form the statement piece of a tuxedo. Workwear and eveningwear combined into one handsome, inherently American whole? That’s peak Ralph, and it just kept coming. 

When the Polo portion began, it offered more patchwork. Literally, in a sweater combining various midwestern motifs (another classic Ralph-ism) and a jacket comprised of countless little squares of flannel shirting fabric, and figuratively in its interweaving of seemingly disparate codes that all falls under the Ralph umbrella. 

There was that signature Polo prep, in the same breath as rugged militaria — epitomized by the loose camo pants and field jackets — “repaired” workwear, and, in another quintessentially Ralph move, a tuxedo topped off with a colorful patchwork baseball jacket. 

These looks aren’t much different from those produced by a strong cohort of young labels that rightly deem Ralph a god and engage in ample Ralph imitation. There are traces of the American style legend in streetwear’s increased prepiness, polo shirts enjoying a new lease of life, and everyone looking at boat shoes differently. But no one can out-Ralph Ralph.

Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit HS Shopping and subscribe to Shopper for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.