The Polo Ralph Lauren brand gained more recognition in 1974 when he created the costumes for the male cast of The Great Gatsby. On March 12, 1978, Ralph released Lauren, his first fragrance for women. Polo, a cologone for men, also came out later in the month.

By the end of the decade, the Polo by Ralph Lauren store on Beverly Hills’ storied Rodeo Drive will be joined by Polo outposts in Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Chicago, Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale.

Brooks Brothers introduced the first mass-marketed ‘polo shirt’ by debuting the ‘The Original Button-Down Polo Shirt’ in 1896. Ironically, the polo shirt we know today was born from a completely different sport—tennis. Like polo, tennis ‘whites’ in the early 1900s featured a long-sleeved button-down shirt.

Ralph Lauren started his Polo brand in Bloomingdale’s department stores in 1967. In 1970, Ralph Lauren was given the Coty Award for his achievements in menswear designs. Ralph Lauren stuck with his simple, sleek designs by popularizing the power suit in the 1980s, while rivaling major luxury fashion labels like Armani.

Ralph launches a neckwear line under the name Polo. Working out of a drawer in the Empire State Building and drawing inspiration from the glamour of Old Hollywood, Ralph bucks the trends of the day with a collection of wide ties, each handmade from the highest quality fabrics.