Where to get original Ralph Lauren sweater appraised?

amother

Orchid ↓

Wed, Jan 27 2016, 1:15 pm

My neighbor is 94 bli ayin hora. She used to work at a department store and ordered clothes directly from Ralph Lauren. 50 years ago, Ralph Lauren made for her a hand-knitted woman's medium long sleeve cotton sweater with two huge horses and polo players on the front, the forerunner of his iconic horse symbol.

Where can she get this sweater appraised?

amother

↑ Orchid ↓

Wed, Jan 27 2016, 4:30 pm

About 40 or 50 years ago, he made just one sweater in order to get her opinion. It had two horses with two riders playing polo.

My friend told him it was too much, so from then on he only used one polo player on one horse. She was a buyer at Bloomingdales and she bought from him to sell. So this sweater is the only one of its kind out there.

↑ Mevater ↓

Wed, Jan 27 2016, 5:42 pm

amother wrote:

If this is accurate, Ralph Lauren himself would probably buy it back from her as a memento. Someone ought to snap a picture of it and send it to him with a letter to explain and ask him. He has executive offices in NYC.

MagentaYenta

Wed, Jan 27 2016, 5:54 pm

amother wrote:

There are similar sweaters for sale on EBay. These sweaters were hand knit, originally by Cowachin natives. I know this because I have 5 Cowachin sweaters and I do check their value on EBay. It is not a true Cowachin due to the wool used and the colors,also since it's not signed by a Cowachin. It is an original RL and there weren't many made.

Amarante

Wed, Jan 27 2016, 5:58 pm

Contact Ralph Lauren. They have an archive.

You would have to prove provenance to realize the actual value since without proof, it's jut an old sweater. Are there markings?

You could contact the Metroplitan Museum clothing department and ask for a referral to an appraiser who specializes in clothing.

↑ Mevater

Wed, Jan 27 2016, 9:34 pm

I got curious.

1. Ralph Lauren designed only mens clothing until 1970, when he came out with womens mens-style suits (no sweaters at that point).

2. The company's famed logo—that of a polo player, was created by tennis pro René Lacoste.

http://www.biography.com/peopl.....-life

Although on this website theres no mention of Lacoste:

In 1967, Lauren established his Polo label with an instantly successful line of handmade, wide and flamboyant ties—which stood in sharp contrast to the narrow and conventional tie fashion of the time. In 1968, Lauren formed his own company, Polo Fashions. Lauren chose the name Polo because he was interested in promoting a lifestyle, and to him, the sport of Polo embodied a world of elegance and style.[4] In 1968, Lauren introduced his full menswear collection. By 1969, Lauren established the first shop-within-a-shop designer boutique for men in Bloomingdale’s in New York City. In 1971, Lauren introduced a line of womenswear, which included tailored shirts for women. These women’s shirts introduced Lauren's famous polo player emblem, which appeared on the cuff of the shirts. In 1972, Lauren introduced his famous polo shirt with the polo player logo.

http://fashionlawwiki.pbworks......emark