Part of what I’m fascinated by Lauren’s looks is that they’re so crisp, quality-focused and classic American. His perfectly faded jeans made it look like Lauren wore it for years, herding cattle in the Midwest. (Actually, Lauren was born into a poor Jewish family in the Bronx with the last name Lifshitz.) Whenever Ralph dresses up, it’s as if generations of his ancestors had been roughed up on the plains of Montana or Minnesota. Same. (They’re not; residential areas don’t need cattle herding).
That lightness seeps into Lauren’s look, even especially when the pieces shouldn’t be together but they do. One of the standout looks started in spring 2006, when he walked down the runway in a chambray shirt over a blue and white striped top with a cinched waist Baggy jeans, a chunky brown belt and a pair of Salomon sneakers.
Another genius is a DIY three-piece suit: a grey jacket with a suede vest and button-down shirt with a tie, all he wears are cowboy boots, jeans and pinky ring. In a way, the look is dramatic. It’s a western fashion, yet so natural to Lauren. Comedy culture account @OldJewishMen (who retweeted one of the looks from @ralphshowfits and is the creator of the hilarious Ralph Lifshitz-branded baseball cap) pointed out that Lauren’s ability to pull off these combinations has something to do with Lauren being just Lauren. “He’s not too much,” founder Noah Rinsky said. “Ralph is compact and tan, keeping it simple and classic. You either have taste or you don’t. Ralph does it. You can’t teach that.”
