A Ralph Lauren label and logo on a sweatshirt places the wearer right in the midst of American cool, and a vintage number from their crewneck collection really does carry with it a timeless quality of fair play, athleticism and wellbeing, which is hard to resist. Sporting chic, sophisticated yet effortlessly relaxed, a Ralphy really is a sweat for every occasion. Dress it up, dress it down, but the classic Laurensian quality of a vintage piece from this trusty stable shines through and is definitely worth the scouting.
The iconic cut of a crewneck has been a design with us for well over a century. Its name – crewneck, crew-neck, crew neck, crew – owes its origins to the fit crews, with their oarsmen (and it was men back in the day!) rowing our rivers magnificently in the name of achieving sporting glory. And their kit? This fuss-free, streamline and simple piece of functional athletic wear, aka a crewneck. So, forget about your roll, mock, turtle, round, zip, bottle, V, polo, button, collared neck varieties of sweatshirt you may boast in your collection, and join us in this appreciation of the great, thankfully now fully gender neutral, vintage crewneck sweatshirt we love!
But, steady on, crew, we are getting even more specific than this generic top we’ve just bigged up here, as we are narrowing our focus on models from one of the best decades which produced so many cool pieces of clothing: the 90s. The added joy of this smaller window for us, is that these 90s bangers all sail happily under the flag of the good ship Vintage, thus providing us and you with an awesome armada of sweats, already worn, and awaiting further voyages.
How to Identify a 90s Ralph Lauren Sweatshirt
Ralph Lauren has always pretty much stuck to a few labels throughout its history, including in the 90s. After all, why re-invent the wheel? In fact, the Ralph Lauren brand used the same label in both the 90s and 00s for its crewnecks, so using the tag (which is usually the best way to identify an era) won’t be quite as straightforward as otherwise.
However, what you need to look out for with a vintage 90s number, is the classic Navy label which was used in a number of variations, so take a look here at all the different labels Ralph Lauren produced for their crewneck sweats in the 90s
How to Style a 90s Ralph Lauren Sweatshirt
There’s not much difference in styling the vintage brands, such as Ralph Lauren, Nike or even Reebok and reworked heaters, when it comes to the crewneck sweatshirt, as the only real difference comes from the the logo adorning the garm. When it comes to a 90s Ralph Lauren sweatshirt, there are many ways to style it such as:
- Going oversized and repping your treasure with a pair of baggy cargos, trousers or trackies
- Wearing a collared shirt underneath in a contrasting colour and coupling this top vibe with a retro pair of jeans
- Looking for a really rare and funky Ralph Lauren 90s sweat, and wearing it in a relatively plain outfit, making sure all eyes are drawn compellingly to the star of the show
- Striking out with a super oversized look by pairing your sweater with a pleated skirt, bicycle shorts or short shorts
How to Know the Worth of a 90s Ralph Lauren Sweatshirt
Now you know how to identify and style a vintage crewneck sweatshirt from Ralph Lauren, you would probably like to know if that Ralph sweat in your cart is worth it. Or not! The main way to determine its price, is to identify the design and the item’s sub-brand. For example, if it’s a Chaps Ralph Lauren it won’t be worth as much as a Polo Sport Ralph Lauren or Polo by Ralph Lauren (in most cases). As there are so many designs out there, we recommend just carrying out a simple Google search to try and find the one you’re looking at and scout the market to see if it is worth it.
For a casual buyer, the general guide is: the cooler the piece looks, the more expensive it will most likely be. See, these vintage sweats are no longer being manufactured and that is why some cost an arm and a leg.
How a 90s Ralph Lauren Sweatshirt Fits
You are pretty much assured a nice and baggy fit from a Ralph Lauren sweatshirt made in the 90s, as that is the style of vintage crewnecks from this decade. The iconic Ralph Lauren 1/4 zip number will still fit relatively slim however, as this was designed to be worn on smarter occasions but it can still be worn oversized as shown below!
Conclusion/Takeaway
We really hope you now feel fully equipped to identify, value and style the ultimate authentic vintage crewneck sweatshirt made by the house of Ralph Lauren in the 1990s era. Cop yourself one from the many vintage stores [link to blog 18] and try it out for a classic look which, by its very essence, will never go out of fashion.
We’d love to see what style you develop as far as the 90s RL crewneck sweatshirt is concerned, so please share your ideas and photos on our Insta and we can all enjoy the diversity of looks you have achieved with this timeless superstar, initially repped quite unintentionally as a fashion item along the river more than one hundred years ago!
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