His Legacy In Looks: Happy Birthday, Ralph Lauren!

Celebrating the king of all-American style.

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Happy birthday to Ralph Lauren, the iconic all-American designer who is 86 today. Lauren launched his first line in 1968 and titled it "Polo", and before we knew it, Lauren's line that started out of a single drawer in an office space near the Empire State Building because one of the most iconic American brands in history. Today, on October 14, the fashion heavyweight celebrates over eight decades on earth! Huge feat.

Ralph Lauren's legacy in American fashion history is one that few can compare to, shaping the very language of what is considered American style and prep up to today. From his distinguishable Polo logo that has sat on the left side of the chest of every cable knit, polo shirt, and poplin button down for decades to the quintessential equestrian-adjacent western codes that underscore Ralph Lauren Collection, Lauren's house codes have expanded so far beyond the house, that they now exist as simply American dressing codes.

In turn, his uniform often consisted of the classics. Perfectly washed blue denim jeans, black blazers and turtlenecks, cable-knit sweaters and denim shirts, almost always accessorized with a western style belt. Below, we round up Ralph Lauren's most iconic looks to celebrate the American icon on his birthday.