Ralph Lauren was without a doubt Ginger’s favorite designer. When she shopped in RL stores I was considerably younger, reluctantly tagging along without ever buying anything, the high price points well off from my limited budget . Now that I am in a different place in life, I shop there on occasion and am in complete awe of his business, his brand, and the acutely consistent attention to detail.

Recently there was a documentary on HBO about Ralph Lauren, called ‘Very Ralph’. I taped it, and as of this writing have only seen half of it. LOVED IT, can’t wait to find the time to see the second half. Devoured each word, each clip, each moment of his life with such intensity that I could not stop smiling. I even felt connected in some way, actually in more ways than one, but that’s for another post… The day after watching the documentary I knew I had to wear something by Ralph to work…

These fabulous black watch wool pants are ‘vintage’ Ralph Lauren, at least twenty years old. What makes them extra special is that they belonged to Ginger. 🙂 A bit of tailoring in the waist was all that was needed, otherwise a perfect fit. Classic, timeless, and versatile!

When you are styling plaid wool pants you want to be careful of pieces overly preppy/conservative to avoid looking dated and frumpy. 😉 So instead of a turtleneck or a collared shirt, I opted for a fitted tee with a cravat and a string of pearls, blending gender influences which I always love..woohoo! 😉

Instead of matching pearl earrings – gold hoops. Instead of a navy blazer – black with leather sleeves. Edgy and unexpected..

And just so there’s no doubt that this gal in plaid pants is no preppy geek – high heeled black suede pumps. Metallic gold or even red suede would be other fun options…

I wonder if Ralph would approve?

One thing Ralph would not approve of is my heavy hand with makeup…he likes a very natural look, which is definitely not me. However – did you notice that I did tone down my lip color? It is a softer look, which can be more flattering on a ‘mature’ face. Ok, Ralph, for some days…;-)

Ready to hit the road, wearing my ‘Ralph inspired’ outfit! On another day I may be inspired by the morning TV newscaster, a photo on Instagram, or a stranger on the streets of New York – inspiration is everywhere!

Who or what inspires you???