
In driving through Greenwich, CT yesterday, we were struck by a store on Greenwich Avenue called Rugby. It was clear before I even saw the "by Ralph Lauren" in the window that this was a Ralph Lauren product. Polo shirts with a rugby player where a horse should have been and chinos in a variety of colors including the ubiquitous summer color: Nantucket Red. What was also clear was that this is a direct competitor for Abercrombie & Fitch but with a legitimate, classic brand name to back it up and perhaps without the semi-pornographic ads... though that is yet to be seen. And while there may not have been real live half-naked models standing around the store (like the A&F on 5th Avenue in NYC), there was a woman in a strapless dress bending over to fold a shirt and giving everyone a great view down said dress.




There are 11 stores strategically positioned around the country, mostly in college towns. And though I don't think I'll be buying anything anytime soon (out of the demographic, sadly), I did like their logo with the skull and cross bones and I'm eager to see how the competition between Rugby and Abercrombie shakes out.
www.rugby.com
images from rugby.com