What NYFW's Prep Says for Fall 2025

Looking to the Greatest in American Style for Cues and Themes

Polo Ralph Lauren

I remember distinctly the first time I walked into the Ralph Lauren flagship in Chicago when I was younger and not yet a man. An underrated location in the Ralphscape, the Chicago location boasts the coziness of the Polo Bar in a sprawling space with a large staircase and perfectly separated collection rooms. At the time, I was no disciple of the style, still feeling a need to rebel against my father's closet full of Brooks Brothers and Raleigh Limited, seemingly for no reason at all. Despite whatever rebellious spirit I embodied, I was able to immediately recognize why people get pulled into the world of Ralph the way that they do: not merely clothes, not merely home goods, not merely imagery, but an all encompassing aspirational lifestyle was on display in this store. Unlike any retail space I'd encountered before, the cohesiveness and the clear messaging rang through my soul like the sound of thunder. I took two pictures that day, both of RRL mannequins that spoke to the true nature of the styling and layering that has become so iconic as a staple of all Ralph labels, despite each of their own natures.

Since then, I've collected a Pinterest board with over 200 pins of Polo Bear, mannequin, and on-street styles that I draw inspiration from daily. I will no doubt be using this board for the deepest inspiration yet in the fall and winter of 2025. With NYFW ending as of the writing of this, I have seen a quote from GQ that it is "a wonderful time for prep" in lieu of the J. Crew, J. Press, Ralph and other presentations over the last week (J. Crew didn’t have a formal presentation, but unveiled much of their fall collection at thier 2-Day 190 Bowery St. takeover event which Vogue called “An Immersive Cashmere-Filled House Party”). The guiding principles from many of these presentations: texture and layering. While the general rule of gentleman's tailoring dictates that the roughest texture should be on the outermost layer and get finer as the layers near the body, the rules are meant to be broken. Mixing roughness of texture can create unexpected depth and visual intrigue in a way not achievable through the rules; what comes firstly to mind is the cricket sweater commonly seen under a sport coat in Ralph campaigns and on my own body. The large cable knit of a cricket sweater can definitely outshine that of a herringbone or flannel blazer, however it does not look disconnected or dysfunctional, as Alan Flusser may have you believe. The J Press presentation for 2025 echoes similarities, showing rugby shirts over OCBDs and fair isles you'd scour eBay for hours to find. These complex textures not only create depth and visual interest, but convey a studied appearance, a large departure from the spretzzatura found in presentations like Zegna's last year. I can't help but feel this is an inverse reaction to the proliferation of "nonchalance" found in the younger generation, as we begin to realize that taking yourself seriously is more important and meaningful than some were led to believe. Nothing better to show that than a perfectly intentional layered look complete with details like a complimentary tie and pocket square, intermingling natural fabrics, and an intense study in fit rather than flair.

J. Crew

So, what am I actually getting at here? To someone who knows enough to read this publication, the above paragraphs are not new information. However, I lead myself to believe that the last few sentences of the previous paragraph are the most important: be intentional. There is nothing wrong with taking yourself seriously - really stop and think about how that sweater texture plays with that of your sport coat, that of your wide wale corduroy pants, that of your fine shirt fabric. What led your gut to tell you that tie is the right one for this occasion? Do not be afraid to wear an undershirt, shirt, sweater, blazer, and coat. Understand what you have, how to wear it in new ways, what inspires you, and what message you want to convey to the world. Ralph and his employees take great care in crafting those mannequin looks and carefully breaking the rules, creating an idealized version of what clothes will look like on the consumer. Be the mannequin. Be careful and idyllic. Put into the world what you hope to get back from it, and be the smartest man in the room. Go forward with gusto and a perfect tie dimple. Bring a rugged and refined pair of cashmere lined leather gloves with you wherever you go. Rebel against the puffer and the sweat pant!