Long story short: In 1988, a group of kids who called themselves the ‘Lo-Lifes’ almost single-handedly brought Ralph Lauren Polo Sport [aka, ‘Lo’] from the suburbs to the projects. They would catch trains into New York City and run up in stores selling Polo Sport; either shoplifting or just snatching as much stuff as they could carry. They wore nothing but Polo Sport, all day, every-day.

Why a bunch of poor kids from the inner city decided to dress exclusively in Polo Sport is the sort of anthropological question you could write a book about. Or at least a decent size article – which you can read here. And also here. We’ve just chopped out a few quotes and thrown some pictures up. Suffice to say, early 90s Ralph Lauren Polo Sport was incredible and the Lo Lifes were fashion pioneers.

“When we travelled, we would roll at least 50 or 60 deep and could be recognized by the rainbow of Ralph Lauren labels. By 1989, we grew and had members in the “90’z” (East Flatbush) and East New York. We would get all dressed up just to go out and commit crimes. Sometimes we would go to clubs wearing like 5 different polo shirts each.”

“We would terrorize 42nd street on Friday and Saturday nights. We were always so deep we would never pay to go into movies. There was so many of us, you would be stupid to try and stop one. Even at the stores in the same area, we would steal every 40oz of Old English 800 by just picking them up and walking out. We would be responsible for 75% of the crimes committed up there.”

“There was at least 40 or us in the middle of the day at a skating rink wearing bathrobes. Of course, we always got the girls. They even got with the program so we had Lo Wives. Stealing was a sport and a source of income and from the way some turned our 10 years later, it is all they may ever know.”