photos: Dwyonia Belmonte

Jeepers where do I start? I spent a lot of time at Bloomingdales and Saks in my younger years. They usually have chairs because women wanna drag their kids and spouses into those spots for hours at a time. That shit isn’t easy to deal with, but I really did learn alot actually. There are just certain aesthetics that these mediocre department are known for. Especially in the early 90’s, vendors like Macy’s and and Lord & Taylor were holding it down visually. The mannequins and spatial design was inspiring and huge for a child like myself. I wish to hell that I had pictures from back then, but I guess this is the next best thing. Now-a-days those places are stupid and half assed. They feature little creativity and are usually a mess with hangars and clothes laying all over the place. Yuck! I generally don’t go to those places anymore, except like once a year I go to the Rockaway mall in Jersey because Nieman Marcus has good Polos that you cant find over here in New York. People are already on to the early 90’s polo craze in the city, people in the suburbs are idiots. So its easy to get good clothes and kicks.

Those Chairs were comfortable, and I was generally located in the chair closest to the Ralph Lauren section of whatever store we were in. I used hide under the out of season racks and fuck with people. Bitches came and yelled at me and I get real discouraged for some reason, and I had to run over to DKNY for a second to get my thoughts together, or maybe it was Calvin. But it was all good because at the end of the day I generally walked out in a new pair of Polo pleated Chinos, or at least a sweat, and that made me smile.

I didn’t realize this at the time. But over the years, spending hundreds of hours in shopping malls, my mother had compiled a ridiculous RL collection. One of the biggest I have ever seen. Hundreds of shirts, coats, hats, shoes, and more. Not only that but home decor, bed spreads covered in vintage RL duvet covers, fine china, even all her couches are covered in custom cut Ralph Lauren Fabric. Pants and skirts from Ralph Lauren Dry Goods, a long expired brand by Ralph. Even a vintage Riding Jacket that may be worth a couple thousand…not baaad. My mother doesnt buy pillow cases or sheets that aren’t Ralph, I don’t know why, shes just into it. Piles of t-shirts and balled up ankle socks with ‘POLO’ stitched on the side in black. I even used to have a stuffed ‘polo bear’ and I with to hell i knew where it was today.

These pictures are two closets worth of pieces. She wouldn’t let me go into the closets of the basement, and also there is at least this much or more at my parents beach house on Long Island.

Looking back on this really makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. I love you Mom and Dad, and thank you for giving me the gift of retail early on. My personal polo collection is steadily growing and always exclusive.

LATERS