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Advertisements for Polo Ralph Lauren show a world populated by beautiful trust-fund families on their leafy estates. But how far should a company go to propel that image into the public consciousness? A few current and former employees say Polo crossed the line. Two onetime sales associates joined a class-action lawsuit this week alleging that image was, in part, crafted illegally, by forcing salespeople to spend thousands of dollars a year on the company’s latest outfits to project a “lifestyle image.” The hired help, in other words, struggled to keep the shirt on their backs, even with the in-house 65% discount. Accusations against the posh clothing company ring true for many salespeople, but few have taken their case to court, said Dean Friar, spokesman for California’s Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. The law says employers who require workers to wear uniforms must provide that wardrobe at no cost. “But we see, instead, discounts given out,” Friar said. “That’s very common.” Industry experts, including representatives of the National Retail Federation, the largest retail trade organization in the world, have never heard of a lawsuit similar to the one filed against Polo. They say salespeople are traditionally expected to look presentable and sport some of the designer’s product, but no one reached by The Times had heard of an employer forcing its staff to invest heavily in wardrobe. “This strikes me as a unique lawsuit,” said Peter Arnold, executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The complaint against Polo was initially filed in federal court last month in San Francisco by Toni Young, a 31-year-old sales associate. Attorneys for Polo have until Nov. 4 to respond to the complaint. When contacted for this story, Polo spokeswoman Ellen Maguire said that the company does not comment on pending litigation. Plaintiff attorney Patrick R. Kitchin says Young, who earned ,000 last year, has receipts that show she was required to spend more than ,000 a year on Polo purchases since she began working at the store in 1997. “It’s a ton of money,” he said by phone from his office near the Polo store where Young still works. Young’s lawsuit also alleges that Polo managers conducted “strip searches to ensure that all of their clothing is from the defendants’ product lines.” “They would ask Ms. Young to take off her sweaters – she had a shirt on underneath – or take off her shoes, so they could check the labels,” Kitchin said. “In late August, all employees in the San Francisco store were told they needed five new outfits from the fall collection. They had to come in wearing the outfits so they could be photographed and those photographs could be kept in a file sent on to headquarters in New York.” Kitchin has posted the Web to attract additional plaintiffs. One of the newest plaintiffs is 26-year-old Janika Goff, who worked at the same store as Young, where both Ralph Lauren Designer Clothes and Polo clothes are sold. Over five years, she sold shoes and clothes full time and made about ,000 a year. Each season, she was entitled to an 80% discount off two pairs of shoes and a 65% discount off everything else, including the Polo clothes she was expected to wear every day. “They wanted you to be in current season and wanted the shoes to look nice and not scuffed, but I was running up and down stairs, doing stock work sometimes, so I would buy comfortable shoes,” said Goff, who now works at a bank in San Diego. Goff estimates that after five years at Polo, she had accumulated 65 pairs of shoes, most of which she considers in great condition but that were too scuffed for store’s management to consider acceptable. When Goff showed up in sandals one day, a manager made her choose a pair of loafers to wear. “The price of was deducted from my paycheck,” Goff said. For Young, the store’s expectations were clearly out of line with what she knew about retail. She had previously worked at the mid-range clothing chain Bebe while she worked toward a court stenographer’s degree. “I did have to buy Bebe clothes, but they were a lot more lax about how current you had to be,” she said. “You could actually go to a secondhand store and buy a Bebe outfit for work and not be questioned.” Another former employee who confirmed he has joined Young’s class-action lawsuit is Troy Greene, a former sales associate for eight years at Polo on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Greene was earning ,000 by the time he resigned last month over a dispute about new payment structures. He was immediately hired by Prada, also on Rodeo Drive, which provides its employees with uniforms – at no charge – that must be returned at the end of each season. “We get two pairs of trousers, four dress shirts, four knit tops, two pairs of shoes and a belt. All paid for,” said Greene, 40. “Gucci does the same thing.” According to Young, Polo management received commissions on the “sales” they made to their staffs. Young, who is black, also filed a racial discrimination suit against Polo in San Francisco Superior Court last month. Kitchin says that in addition to being subject to cruel racial remarks by superiors, Young has not been promoted during her five-year career at the store, despite glowing reviews from managers. “She was told her hair was too nappy, and she needed to straighten her hair,” Kitchin said. “Managers call out to her with an exaggerated African American urban accent. They call her ‘Ms. Thang.’ ” This is not the first tussle Polo has had with its staff. In February, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Polo Ralph Lauren Clothing Corp. denied minorities the same pay and opportunities as whites even as it promoted a “blond hair and blue eyes” image. The commission’s conclusion was related to another lawsuit pending in federal court by two former Polo employees.

 

One should get the correct Polo Ralph Lauren frames. These are very attractive and have the RL logo with an Ultra Violet protection up to 100% accuracy. However there are also fake models available in the market. Therefore, one should visit the online sites offering this Polo Ralph Lauren eyewear to get a genuine one. One is able to get proper discounts and the correct prices from these stores.

The Polo Ralph Lauren frames are made with special care that comprises of a special material used for making the Polo Ralph Lauren sunglasses. The lenses and technology that are being used to produce Polo Ralph Lauren eyewear make the product really unique and dynamic. One can choose a Polo Ralph Lauren shade as per the personality or the style one is looking for. Colors like black, dark and light tortoise adds to the style. With the help of these shopping sites which are online, you can find all the various kinds of models or designs that the Polo Ralph Lauren shades has to offer.

Benefits of shopping online

One gets all the benefits of the Polo Ralph Lauren frames from online shopping. The guarantee, the authenticity of the product, exchange or return policy and also a customer service is available to help you while choosing or after you have purchased the product. The main attraction is that you are able to see how the Polo Ralph Lauren frames suit the face through a virtual technology of these online shopping sites.

Different kinds of variety obtained

One gets a variety of choices while buying or choosing Polo Ralph Lauren frames online. Be it a metal frame or a plastic frame, both is displayed online. This helps you to understand your needs and interests and finally take the decision. However, both the frames are long lasting.

While buying a Polo Ralph Lauren frames online, you get a chance to get a model to match the taste or the fashion statement which you desire. Apart from the plastic or the metal frames, Polo Ralph Lauren eyewear also comes without frames or known as rimless. There are various kinds of materials and colors to choose from. This facility gives you the chance to explore the Polo Ralph Lauren frames online and then make your choice as per your requirement.

Polo Ralph Lauren sunglasses come in one or more categories. One can choose as per the personality. There are big frames and also small frames. These give a very strong style statement. Purchasing Polo Ralph Lauren frames and Polo Ralph Lauren eyewear makes you standout amidst a crowd!

Wearing a Hawaiian Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt good for you a nice look, feel and exotic. But you do not suffer from their normal clothes. There are certain styles and steps on how to wear them with confidence. Made from cotton and silk, eye-catching, colorfully designed to Hawaiian Ralph Lauren Polo Shirts are very attractive and comfortable. Some people want to wear them all the time.

Hawaiian Ralph Lauren Polo Shirts are unique and that they have become very popular throughout the world. Vintage Hawaiian Ralph Lauren Polo Shirts convenient, more District of them. Some of the Hawaiian Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt fans really dig all the seats, just get 1. They even buy vintage Hawaiian Ralph Lauren Polo Shirts, because they are cheaper, and sometimes the color and design of old Ralph Lauren Polo Shirts I can not find in shopping malls.

The first step to wearing a Hawaiian Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt with his confidence, to wear casually. Shoot not to fill the Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt to hang freely, it will look better, and it is much more convenient.

If you love to wear accessories to minimize them so that they do not take away from the impact of the Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt. If you have a festive atmosphere, add type of straw hat.

Beautifully designed Ralph Lauren Polo Shirts Hawaiian flowers, tropical fish, as well as surf scene is better than neutral color to wear pants, shorts and skirts. Try to avoid mixing with your designs a Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt, it might be too much. Persimmons are a good choice, because they absorb light Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt.

If you are not going out dressed in a Hawaiian Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt, you can consider the case, or in its vicinity. Of course, the trauma does not want your Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt to someone, some people are very sensitive to color and bold images. When you buy a Hawaiian Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt, you choose those that are not too much contrast, because they can not be pleasing to others, and some may even think that you have just to attract attention.

If you are dressed in their best Hawaiian Ralph Lauren Polo Shirts, the main thing to remember, to be comfortable and be yourself. You’ll feel fresh, easily and naturally. Wear a Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt, as you never wore before, be brave and proud to wear a Hawaiian Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt.

If you have heard of the Polo shirt, it is most likely the name Ralph Lauren is also familiar to you.

While the polo is older than Ralph Lauren, it was Ralph Lauren who made the polo shirt what it is today. The polo shirt’s beginnings may have started as early as the mid-1800s. Sporting teams were wearing long sleeved jerseys made from the same knitted material as the polo is today. Rene Lacoste added some flare to the shirt in 1926 producing it in white with short sleeves and with an un-starched, flat protruding collar. It also had a buttoned placket, and a longer shirttail in back than in front for tennis players.  As a tennis player,  he first wore the shirt at the 1926 U.S. Open championship.

Later on, clothing retailer Ralph Lauren, born Ralph Lischitz, was getting his own name brand off the ground. This was in the late 1960s.  By 1971, Polo Ralph Lauren launched its first women’s collection and his first standalone store in Beverly Hills, California. Ten years later, in 1981, the brand went global with its first international store on London’s New Bond Street. The Polo Sport line was introduced in 1993.

Ralph Lauren’s brand now produces clothing, accessories, fragrances, furniture, operates the restaurant RL in Chicago. The flagship store is located in the former Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue in New York City.  Ralph Lauren is one of the largest retailers in the United States with revenues reaching .2 billion in 2007.

Some of Ralph Lauren’s classics are of course his Polo. One of the most famous pieces in the Polo line is the classic polo short-sleeved knit shirt featuring the now-iconic Polo player on the left breast of the shirt. This shirt in particular became a fashion must-have in the 1980s with the preppy set. Other Polo classics include the cashmere cableknit sweater, chinos and the oxford cloth button-down shirt.

Since Ralph Lauren’s first brand, Polo, was launched in 1967, the company has expanded to include a variety of luxury brands. They include:
* Purple Label: Launched in 1994, this is Ralph Lauren’s signature, and highest end, men’s line, with classic, traditionally British styling. It includes ready-to-wear suits and sportcoats (made by St. Andrews and Cantarelli), dress shirts, sportswear, accessories, and footwear, as well as a collection of made-to-order suits, sportcoats, shoes (made by British company Edward Green), dress shirts, exotic skin luggage, small leather goods, and jewelry. Purple Label is only available in Ralph Lauren stores, the company’s online store and high-end department stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
* Black Label: Black Label for men and women. The men’s clothing tends to have a more modern, Italian cut to its suits, sport coats (made by Raffaele Caruso), dress shirts, and sportswear, with higher armholes and a slimmer silhouette. Black Label for women demonstrated more modern, high-end casual and semi-formal women’s wear.

* Polo Ralph Lauren: His first brand for men, and also the most widely available. This ‘blue label’ line spans from tailored clothing (ready-to-wear and made to measure), sportswear, accessories (including luggage) to small leather goods. Available at many department and specialty stores as well as Ralph Lauren stores and the company’s online store.
* Polo Golf: A sporty collection catering to golfers since 1987 and often featuring celebrity golfers as advertising models (see Sports sponsorship below).[4]
* Polo Jeans Co.: Denim inspired line. Now discontinued in the US.
* Polo Denim: A 2007 relaunch of the Polo Jeans Co. line of 1996. Denim basics available online and in department stores.
* Lauren Ralph Lauren: Basics and suiting. Divided into Green and Silver (slightly slimmer cuts) Label. Available primarily through department and outlet stores, and not at RL stores or ralphlauren.com.
* Ralph by Ralph Lauren: Men’s clothing exclusively available at Dillard’s stores, this label offers suits, sport coats, dress trousers and suit vests.
* Collection: The highest end clothing line for women (also carries a purple tag), as seen in his runway shows. Includes classic eveningwear, tailored blazers, outerwear, sportswear, handbags, and accessories.
* RLX: A technical sports apparel line, focusing on clothing and outerwear built for outdoor sports such as tennis, golf, skiing, sailing, and hiking, launched in 1998. Primarily distributed through RalphLauren.com
* Polo Sport: A discontinued line of casual sports clothing that was introduced for men in 1993 and women in 1996. It was retired in 2005 and ultimately replaced by RLX as well as the Golf and Tennis lines. The Polo Sport fragrance lines continue to exist as remnants of this label.
* RRL (pronounced “Double-R L”): A denim and sportswear line that takes its influence from the American West. Available in Ralph Lauren stores as well as several smaller signature Double RL stores.
* Rugby Ralph Lauren: A brand launched in 2004 focusing on collegiate apparel with a similar look to the pricier Polo and Blue Label brands. Sold at signature Rugby stores.
* Tennis: Sports clothing for tennis players. Special collections for the US Open tournaments.
* Pink Pony: A charity line of sportswear and accessories all carrying a pink Polo pony. A portion of the proceeds benefit cancer research. Predominantly for women, the line also includes polo shirts for men.

Yes, the polo shirt spurred on the growth of a number of other types of clothing but it is still the preferred style of shirt for outdoor enthusiasts and for business casual. It is still comfortable and colorful, even after all these years.

Ralph Lauren is known in the designers industry. With his well known clothing brand the Polo Ralph Lauren. He sponsored the sport called “Polo”, it is a team sport played outdoors on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. The logo of this clothing brand is inspired by this sport. “It’s the sport of kings,” said David Lauren, a son of Ralph Lauren and the marketing and communications executive for Polo Ralph Lauren. By this, he gathered more sponsors to promote his product because he believe that “Polo the sport has an international sensibility, and it’s glamorous.”

But the relationship between Polo Ralph Lauren and the sport has became complicated. In the last decade, Ralph Lauren has sued the United States Polo Association for trademark violations, By using the the word “Polo” and the trademark image of the company Polo Ralph Lauren, but the Association sued back Ralph Lauren, asserting that the clothing company was ruining its merchandising efforts.

But for the very first time since the 1967, when company uses the trademark “Polo” and logo, Ralph Lauren sponsored a polo team in United States. The members of the Black Watch team, which is based in the East Hampton, N.Y., and Palm Beach, Fla., each member received a uniform designed by the company which is known to be as the Black Watch line for mallet-less consumers.

Ralph Lauren also sponsored the United States athlete team in Olympics opening ceremony night in Beijing, China. The uniforms for the 650 athletes marching and the idea was to create “something simple enough for the athletes to put together, yet stylish enough to elevate us as a country,” says David Lauren. The uniforms are “very sharp, very graphic on TV, very aspirational and very statesmen-like.” The design is inspired in the British Olympians movie Chariots of Fire in 1924, but it has a very distinctive look that “drawn so much from American heritage ,” said by Alex Badia, fashion director at menswear trade magazine DNR. It is a sport ceremony but Ralph Lauren made ‘the best fashion runways ever.”

Advertisements for Polo Ralph Lauren show a world populated by beautiful trust-fund families on their leafy estates. But how far should a company go to propel that image into the public consciousness? A few current and former employees say Polo crossed the line. Two onetime sales associates joined a class-action lawsuit this week alleging that image was, in part, crafted illegally, by forcing salespeople to spend thousands of dollars a year on the company’s latest outfits to project a “lifestyle image.” The hired help, in other words, struggled to keep the shirt on their backs, even with the in-house 65% discount. Accusations against the posh clothing company ring true for many salespeople, but few have taken their case to court, said Dean Friar, spokesman for California’s Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. The law says employers who require workers to wear uniforms must provide that wardrobe at no cost. “But we see, instead, discounts given out,” Friar said. “That’s very common.” Industry experts, including representatives of the National Retail Federation, the largest retail trade organization in the world, have never heard of a lawsuit similar to the one filed against Polo. They say salespeople are traditionally expected to look presentable and sport some of the designer’s product, but no one reached by The Times had heard of an employer forcing its staff to invest heavily in wardrobe. “This strikes me as a unique lawsuit,” said Peter Arnold, executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The complaint against Polo was initially filed in federal court last month in San Francisco by Toni Young, a 31-year-old sales associate. Attorneys for Polo have until Nov. 4 to respond to the complaint. When contacted for this story, Polo spokeswoman Ellen Maguire said that the company does not comment on pending litigation. Plaintiff attorney Patrick R. Kitchin says Young, who earned $22,000 last year, has receipts that show she was required to spend more than $6,000 a year on Polo purchases since she began working at the store in 1997. “It’s a ton of money,” he said by phone from his office near the Polo store where Young still works. Young’s lawsuit also alleges that Polo managers conducted “strip searches to ensure that all of their clothing is from the defendants’ product lines.” “They would ask Ms. Young to take off her sweaters – she had a shirt on underneath – or take off her shoes, so they could check the labels,” Kitchin said. “In late August, all employees in the San Francisco store were told they needed five new outfits from the fall collection. They had to come in wearing the outfits so they could be photographed and those photographs could be kept in a file sent on to headquarters in New York.” Kitchin has posted the Web to attract additional plaintiffs. One of the newest plaintiffs is 26-year-old Janika Goff, who worked at the same store as Young, where both Ralph Lauren Designer Clothes and Polo clothes are sold. Over five years, she sold shoes and clothes full time and made about $24,000 a year. Each season, she was entitled to an 80% discount off two pairs of shoes and a 65% discount off everything else, including the Polo clothes she was expected to wear every day. “They wanted you to be in current season and wanted the shoes to look nice and not scuffed, but I was running up and down stairs, doing stock work sometimes, so I would buy comfortable shoes,” said Goff, who now works at a bank in San Diego. Goff estimates that after five years at Polo, she had accumulated 65 pairs of shoes, most of which she considers in great condition but that were too scuffed for store’s management to consider acceptable. When Goff showed up in sandals one day, a manager made her choose a pair of loafers to wear. “The price of $50 was deducted from my paycheck,” Goff said. For Young, the store’s expectations were clearly out of line with what she knew about retail. She had previously worked at the mid-range clothing chain Bebe while she worked toward a court stenographer’s degree. “I did have to buy Bebe clothes, but they were a lot more lax about how current you had to be,” she said. “You could actually go to a secondhand store and buy a Bebe outfit for work and not be questioned.” Another former employee who confirmed he has joined Young’s class-action lawsuit is Troy Greene, a former sales associate for eight years at Polo on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Greene was earning $87,000 by the time he resigned last month over a dispute about new payment structures. He was immediately hired by Prada, also on Rodeo Drive, which provides its employees with uniforms – at no charge – that must be returned at the end of each season. “We get two pairs of trousers, four dress shirts, four knit tops, two pairs of shoes and a belt. All paid for,” said Greene, 40. “Gucci does the same thing.” According to Young, Polo management received commissions on the “sales” they made to their staffs. Young, who is black, also filed a racial discrimination suit against Polo in San Francisco Superior Court last month. Kitchin says that in addition to being subject to cruel racial remarks by superiors, Young has not been promoted during her five-year career at the store, despite glowing reviews from managers. “She was told her hair was too nappy, and she needed to straighten her hair,” Kitchin said. “Managers call out to her with an exaggerated African American urban accent. They call her ‘Ms. Thang.’ ” This is not the first tussle Polo has had with its staff. In February, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Polo Ralph Lauren Clothing Corp. denied minorities the same pay and opportunities as whites even as it promoted a “blond hair and blue eyes” image. The commission’s conclusion was related to another lawsuit pending in federal court by two former Polo employees.