How to Look Cool in the Heat
It's understandable that the sweltering heat can make the simple idea of getting dressed feel like a daunting task. But the people who have it figured out seem to abide by shared principles: keep it loose and breathable, light colors are your friend, and never underestimate the power of a cool comfortable shoe — or of a good ol' plain white tee.
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Fast Company
2 hours ago
- Fast Company
Ralph Lauren's gorgeous new campaign is fashion advertising done right
In Ralph Lauren's latest campaign, Black men, women, and children wear the brand's traditionally preppy clothes against idyllic coastal backdrops. The collection isn't just some sort of woke fantasy of a post-racial America. It's grounded in a very specific history that many Americans aren't familiar with. The setting of this campaign is Oak Bluffs, a section of Martha's Vineyard that has been home to Black communities for more than a hundred years. Oak Bluffs was a haven for educated, middle-class Black families looking for respite in a racist, segregated country. And in this place of relative peace and safety, Black people were able to nurture excellence. Key figures of the Harlem Renaissance and Civil Rights Movement, from Langston Hughes to Martin Luther King Jr., spent time there. President Barack Obama vacationed there with his family and now owns a house in a neighboring town. Ralph Lauren delves into this history in a gorgeous short film full of archival footage created in partnership with Morehouse and Spelman colleges. Directed by Cole Brown, A Portrait of the American Dream is a radical statement in our current cultural climate, when the notions of diversity, equity, and inclusion are under attack. Here is an American brand that understands how to meet the needs of Black consumers, who are expected to spend as much as $70 billion on fashion by 2030, according to McKinsey. Many pieces in this collection are already sold out. Rather than making a superficial effort to get these consumers to spend money, Ralph Lauren is doing the work. The company began partnering with the historically Black Morehouse and Spelman colleges in 2022, working closely with Black academics and cultural critics to understand how students there helped influence preppy fashion as we know it. The Oak Bluff collection goes deeper, reflecting how members of the Black middle class enjoyed their leisure time. A tale of two fashion ads Ralph Lauren's new collection offers a contrast to American Eagle, which has been mired in controversy because of its recent campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney. As my colleague Jeff Beer explains, American Eagle's campaign hinged on the double entendre that Sweeney has great jeans and great genes. In a video, the actress provides a scientific explanation of genetics, describing how genes pass physical traits from parents to offspring. Given that Sweeney is a blond-haired, blue-eyed woman, many people thought this ad reeked of eugenics, the idea that some people have better genes than others and that society should prevent the reproduction of those considered 'unfit.' The outcry about the American Eagle campaign featuring Sweeney has everything to do with the political and cultural climate we're living in. The extreme right—which includes white supremacists and neo-Nazis—is on the rise, while the Trump administration attacks organizations that invest in DEI programs. In this context, it's no surprise that a campaign about how a white woman has good genes evokes the most horrific aspects of racist history. The fact that American Eagle could not foresee how this campaign could go wrong suggests that it did not receive enough feedback from diverse people as it created its ad. Either the company did not have people in the room willing to point out how troubling it was, or the company didn't listen to those who did speak up. Ralph Lauren has taken a very different approach with its design process and marketing in recent years. It doesn't just create clothes that celebrate the diverse strains of American history; it works closely with diverse designers, creatives, and thought leaders. To create the Oak Bluff collection, in addition to historians and cultural experts at the two HBCUs, it partnered closely with the Martha's Vineyard African American Heritage Trail, the Martha's Vineyard Museum, and the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. It also tapped Black creatives to produce the campaign. In addition to film director Brown, who spent summers on Martha's Vineyard for decades, the campaign features photography by Nadine Ijewere and video footage by Azariah Bjørvig. Consider its 2023 collection, which celebrated Native American style. Ralph Lauren brought in Naiomi Glasses, a seventh-generation Navajo textile artist and designer, to create garments inspired by her culture, and also empowered Glasses to select Native Americans as models, photographers, and creative directors. The company now has an ongoing artist-in-residence program where it brings other artisans preserving heritage crafts to collaborate with Ralph Lauren's creative teams. Good for business To be clear, Ralph Lauren hasn't always been this inclusive. For its classic American style, from preppy fashion to Native American iconograpy, in the past the 60-year-old brand appropriated aesthetics from Black and Indigenous communities, rather than collaborating with them. And the company was slow to bring in models of color for its campaigns. The company is now willing to acknowledge its missteps and blind spots, and is trying to do things right. Its designers have learned that the way to be more inclusive is to partner with diverse creatives, listen closely to their points of view, and give them creative freedom. With all of these collections, Ralph Lauren also gives proceeds back to these communities. This time around, it has partnered with a nonprofit comprised of 100 Black female homeowners on Martha's Vineyard to support historic building restoration on the island. It has devoted $2 million to support scholarships for students at 10 historically Black colleges and universities. Many companies, including Target and Amazon, have backed away from their DEI initiatives in response to Trump's executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in both the public and private sectors. So Ralph Lauren deserves credit for having the bravery to continue investing in programs that bring more diversity to its brand. minority by 2045. Black and brown Americans will use their purchasing power to support brands that make an effort to understand them and respond to their needs. And they have long memories. They will hold American Eagle's Sweeney campaign as a mark against the brand for years to come. And they'll remember Ralph Lauren's Oak Bluff campaign the next time they shop for a sweater or dress.
Wall Street Journal
13 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
Don't Get Ripped Off. What to Pay for Stylish, Quality Menswear in 2025.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American man spends $553 total on apparel and footwear each year. More money doesn't necessarily buy better style, but men who don't have an eagle eye for thrifting will likely need to spend $1,200 to $2,500 a year to look good, said Lauren A. Rothman, a stylist in Washington, D.C. To budget effectively, she advises shopping only twice a year, 'once when it gets hot and once when it gets cold.' That approach reduces the risk of random impulse purchases. Building a wardrobe from scratch? Expect to pay $4,000 to $5,000, said New York stylist Turner Allen. Geoff Haggray, a well-dressed photographer in New York, estimates that he spends $2,500 a year on his closet. The 26-year-old buys some designer items but said he's relatively thrifty. 'I either wait for a sale or a really good deal where I'm like, OK, I have to get this,' said Haggray, who hits up the Brimfield flea market in Massachusetts for workwear jackets. At the extreme end of the spectrum, Larry Curran, a dapper stylist and fashion consultant in New York, spends 'in the low six figures' on his wardrobe annually. His big-ticket items: bespoke sunglasses from Maison Bonnet and rakish suits by luxury labels Husbands Paris and London's Adret. 'I pick out things that are special to me,' said the 40-year-old.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
How the new Royal fiancée became summer's most stylish dresser
Dressing for the summer's volatile weather and lengthy list of social events is never easy, but it must be all the more difficult for a woman becoming increasingly visible in the public eye, particularly with the news that Harriet Sperling is now engaged to Peter Phillips, son of Princess Anne and eldest grandchild of Elizabeth II. Since the couple made their public debut at the Badminton Horse Trials in May 2024, Sperling - an NHS paediatric nurse - has displayed a seemingly effortless, consistently well-judged sense of style. For that first outing, she wore a blue Zara midi dress, conveniently aligning with – though far from outshining – the Queen, who wore a Samantha Sung dress in a more vibrant blue pattern. But Sperling's ensembles have had a definite upgrade since then, with a series of summer looks marking her out as a natural fit in The Firm – and one to watch for royal fashion fans. A number of factors are at play behind this evolution, but it's her contentment that matters above all, according to Virginia (known as Ginnie) Chadwyck-Healey, the former Vogue editor and rumoured Princess of Wales fashion adviser who's now running her own consultancy, VCH Style. 'I can vouch that [Sperling] is stunning in the flesh and charming too, so there is a genuine ease to her demeanour, allowing her to wear clothes well,' says Chadwyck-Healey. 'I truly believe she is also happy, and that brings so much to an outfit, a person's stance and their confidence.' The royal seal of approval One key to Sperling's recent dressing success is turning to brands that already have the royal seal of approval. In June, when making her official royal debut in the carriage procession at Royal Ascot, she wore a cream balloon-sleeved jacket and skirt by Suzannah London. This British label is a favourite among members of the royal family, including the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh (the latter also wore the label to Ascot this year). Sperling's ensemble also happened to align with the cream Self-Portrait dress Catherine wore to celebrate Garter Day at Windsor Castle the day before – further proof that stylish minds think alike. Sperling's most frequently spotted accessories, too, can be found in the Princess's royal style playbook: Penelope Chilvers wedges, Anya Hindmarch bags, Finlay sunglasses, nude pumps. All suggest an awareness of fashion without rocking the boat. Beulah London is another shared favourite; Sperling wore a yellow dress from the socially conscious brand for Ladies' Day at Ascot, matching the tone set by Princess Beatrice in a yellow Monique Lhuillier dress. Last year, Sperling opted for a powder pink, bow-detail Beulah dress for Ascot, but she has also explored the brand's more informal side, wearing a pretty floral midi dress for a charity polo match. Great British brands Another style move that makes Sperling a natural fit among the royals is her taste for British brands, from well-known classics like Me+Em to more in-the-know names like Wiggy Kit and St Clair. This has also allowed her to introduce a more relaxed sense of personality into her public appearances, with a mid-range price tag that makes her an appealing figure to emulate (before the pieces she wears begin to sell out in a flash, that is). 'The overwhelming feedback I have heard from many women is that they are really taken with Harriet – I think we may be looking at a style icon in the making,' says designer Wiggy Hindmarch, whose blue linen chambray co-ord allowed Sperling to bring breezy chic to the Wimbledon Royal Box this year. 'Her style feels effortless, yet considered – exactly what summer dressing should be,' continues Hindmarch. 'She has a way of wearing pieces that are relaxed enough for warm days but still hold that polish and femininity we all want when we leave the house. She also has a great eye for colour, what suits her frame and what's appropriate for each event.' Continuing a stylish streak at sporting events, Sperling wore a sleeveless midi shirt dress from London-based label St Clair to the recent Royal Charity Polo Cup at Guards Polo Club. Pairing the dress with Gucci sunglasses, diamond earrings and a red manicure, she injected a subtle touch of glamour into the summery look. A style icon in the making For now, Sperling seems to be enjoying the sartorial freedom of a figure gradually integrating into The Firm. That's now set to change, with news of an imminent wedding. 'She doesn't have too much pressure on her, so she can wear what she's probably always known works for her,' says Chadwyck-Healey. 'She might have a few more brands now wanting to offer her clothes to wear. That doesn't make it easier per se; it can actually make it harder, so her discerning eye will have to do its best to seek out the true gems that allow her to shine, and not the other way round.' If her recent looks are anything to go by, Sperling is more than up to the challenge of various royal engagements as she settles into her place within the Royal family. Watch this space for how she negotiates royal bridal style in fitting form. Harriet Sperling's summer looks Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
