How to Recognize a GENUINE Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt

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Read: Why You Should NEVER CONSIDER Buying Counterfeit Products

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#1 – A Genuine Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt Has a Logo Rich in Details

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The easiest way of spotting a genuine Ralph Lauren polo shirt is to carefully examine its signature logo of a polo player riding a horse. As you can see in the image below, on a genuine polo shirt’s logo … :

(1) … the rider is easily distinguishable from the horse. On a fake Ralph Lauren polo shirt, that won’t be the case – in the vast majority of cases, the logo will either look like a centaur or like some monster stitched together from a variety of human and horse parts by some mad scientist in his mother’s garage (if you’re careful, you might hear it begging you to put it out of its misery). If you take a look at the picture below, you’ll see what I mean.

(2) … the mallet’s handle (the stick that the rider is holding) is straight, and its head is rectangular in shape. On a fake Ralph Lauren polo shirt, the mallet’s handle is bent and its head is usually round.

(3) … you’ll notice that details, such as horse’s riding crop and rider’s leg. Why? Because its surface isn’t uniform in shape. On models with a bigger Ralph Lauren logo, details such as rider’s vest and horse’s eyes will also be visible. On fake Ralph Lauren polo shirts, they’re much less so – sometimes, they’re even non-existent!

Now … you must be wondering how come that very few manufacturers of fake Ralph Lauren products are unable to replicate that detail right? The reason is because that’s too hard and expensive – counterfeiters don’t have the needed machinery (which costs a lot) and can’t afford skilled workers (who also cost a lot)!

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Also read: The Most Comprehensible Ralph Lauren Line Guide on the Internet

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#2 – The Logo on a Genuine Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt is Neatly Embroidered

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On a genuine Ralph Lauren polo shirt, you’ll notice that the inner side of the logo is almost as detailed on the inside as it is on the outside. As you can see in the picture below, there’re very few loose threads and only a small amount of white embroidery fabric left. Such level of detail you won’t ever, EVER, see on a fake Ralph Lauren polo shirt.

Also, it is important to note that manufacturers of genuine Ralph Lauren polo shirts ALWAYS embroider the logos – they NEVER glue them. On the other hand, most manufacturers of fake Ralph Lauren polo shirts do. Hence, if you ever see a Ralph Lauren polo shirt without ANY SIGNS of embroidering under its logo (and a faint smell of glue), you’re dealing with a fake item.

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Read: Where is Armani Made? Is it in Italy?

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#3 – A Genuine Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt Uses Distinct Label Styles

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Two Main Types of Polo Ralph Lauren Labels Logos

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The Ralph Lauren Polo label, being the oldest in Ralph Lauren Corporation portfolio, has changed its logo and label style more than a few times since its introduction in 1968. The two most common types of labels logos that you’ll find on Ralph Lauren polo shirts (as well as on other products from the Polo line) today are the following:

(1) “Old style” Polo Ralph Lauren label (seen in the picture above). This label is of dark blue color and the word “Polo” is embroidered inside a stylized rectangle. If the words are printed out on the label, it’s a fake. Of all Polo Ralph Lauren logos, this is the most counterfeited type.

(2) “New style” Polo Ralph Lauren logo. This label logo is found on more recent Polo Ralph Lauren products (I don’t know in what year the Polo Ralph Lauren started using this logo). As you can see in the picture below, this variant is of little bit lighter shade of blue than its predecessor and has a simpler design.

Just like the case with the “Old style” Polo Ralph Lauren label is, the letter on the logo are embroidered and never printed. If they are, I don’t need to tell what that means. Of all Polo Ralph Lauren logos, this is the least counterfeited type.

If the main label that you see on a Ralph Lauren polo shirt is not of uniform background color and/or is SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT from the ones that you see in the pictures above, then that shirt is 100% fake.

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Read: The WORLD’S ULTIMATE Guide to Prada Lines

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The Ralph Lauren Line and Why It’s Included

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Despite being a different label, it’s quite important to mention that polo shirts coming from the Ralph Lauren label ARE ALSO HEAVILY counterfeited. Because of this, I’ve decided to cover this label in this guide as well.

The Ralph Lauren line’s label (seen in the image above) is, like its Polo counterpart(s), of dark blue color and contains the Ralph Lauren’s signature logo – a polo player riding a horse. That logo, just like the one on the chest, should be rich in details as well. If that isn’t the case, you’re most likely dealing with a fake Ralph Lauren polo shirt. *

* EVERYTHING that applies to polo shirts coming from the Polo Ralph Lauren line also applies to polo shirts coming from the Ralph Lauren line. Hence, there won’t be a further mention of the latter.

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Read: Are Giorgio Armani Suits REALLY That Good?

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Parts of the Polo Ralph Lauren Label

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As you have seen on the images so far, both styles of the Polo Ralph Lauren labels are consisted of (usually) three parts:

(1) The main label, which contains the logo of the Polo Ralph Lauren line AND NOTHING ELSE. If it does, you can be rest assured that it’s a fake.

(2) Size label, which is ALWAYS stitched to the right side of the main label. On some models, the country of origin and/or the polo shirt’s composition is also written on top of it. On the other side of that label, there’ll be a RN number (a number issued by the Federal Trade Commission to U.S. registered businesses that deal with textiles). Keep in mind that some models have additional information on that side such as a CA number (a number issued by the Canadian Competition Bureau to Canadian registered businesses that deal with textiles) and/or the size number of the country where the Ralph Lauren Corporation intended to sell that polo shirt (for example, a Ralph Lauren polo shirt sized 52 European made for the Chinese market will have its equivalent, 185/100A, written on the other side of the size label). In any case, if you don’t see a RN number, that means that the polo shirt is a fake.

(3) Fit label, which is located a short distance from the bottom middle of the main label. Keep in mind that some Ralph Lauren polo shirts have the country of origin and composition label instead of this one.

Before we carry on, I’ve some good news for you. Since 2019, the Ralph Lauren Corporation has started using QR-based digital IDs labels for items coming from the Polo Ralph Lauren line – polo shirts included. By scanning them with your smartphone, you’ll be able to EASILY determine if yours is genuine. In the above image, you can see how that label looks like.

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#4 – Genuine Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt has Neatly Stitched Care Labels

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Genuine Polo Ralph Lauren polo shirts feature several neatly stitched care labels of varying length and style, with CRISTAL CLEAR and EVENLY SPACED words and letters. They’re ALWAYS located on the bottom hem of the left-handed side, and contain the following information:

(1) Country of origin and the list of fabrics used.

(2) Registered trademark (®) No.1529.

(3) The address of at least one of the Ralph Lauren Corporation distribution branches.

(4) An unique serial number (NIF number) and the RN (and sometimes CA ) code(s).

(5) Supplier and material codes. The most recent models also feature the date of manufacture (for example, 1020 is read as October 2020). This information is always written on a very small label – and nowhere else. Old inner labels, like the one in the image below, don’t have it.

If either of the above information is missing (the exception being the supplier and material codes) OR if the label design differs significantly from those that you see on the images, you’re most likely dealing with a fake Ralph Lauren polo shirt. * **

* Keep in mind that the older style inner labels (like in the image above) found in Ralph Lauren polo shirts made for the US market contain only information in English. Because of this, they’re much smaller compared to those made for the international markets. Their design is still the same, though.

** The exception are those from sportier Ralph Lauren polos sometimes have tags of blue background color, with golden letters.

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#5 – Genuine Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt is Made from Quality Materials…

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Fabric

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A genuine Ralph Lauren polo shirt is made from a soft, but durable and porous high quality fabric. That fabric has a textured look and is usually made from 100% cotton, but that doesn’t always need to be the case – some models are made from cotton blends as well (in most cases, cotton/elastane). The same can’t be said for their fake counterparts, which will be stiffer, far less textured and less comfortable to wear than their genuine counterparts. Why? Because they’re be made from low-quality cotton or cotton blends.

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Buttons

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Genuine Ralph Lauren polos EXCLUSIVELY use mother-of pearl buttons.* As their name suggests, these buttons are made from the inner layer of pearl oysters (also called nacre) and are known for their very deep colors. However, they’re almost ten times more expensive than their plastic resin counterparts – the type many counterfeiters of Ralph Lauren polo shirts prefer to use. Hence, if you ever see buttons that are made from ANY other material on a Ralph Lauren polo shirt, it’s a fake.

* In most cases, they’re of opaque ivory color and don’t have anything engraved on them. That’s not the case with some sportier models, which either have black buttons with the word “Ralph Lauren” engraved on them or metal snap buttons with “RL” engraved on top of them.

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#6 – … and Has a Decent Construction

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The Ralph Lauren Corporation requires very strict quality controls from its sub-contractors. In short, it doesn’t like sloppy work. Because of this, the… :

(1) … stitching and construction of a genuine Ralph Lauren polo shirt will be of high quality- the stitches (both inside and outside ones) are dense, even and have almost no irregularities.

(2) … seams should will also be neat and professionally done.

(3) … buttons should be cross stitched.

(4) … buttonholes are nicely done.

In case your Ralph Lauren polo shirt lack one of the things listed above (uneven stitching, poorly made seams or poorly attached buttons), that means that it’s a fake.

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Until next time.

Your man,

-Leon