Polo Ralph Lauren spring/summer 2027: yellow, black and white socks with loafers and espadrilles, look by look

On Friday 2 October Ralph Lauren returned to Paris to present the Polo women's collection for spring/summer 2027, at La Grande Menuiserie, among sea grass dunes, wildflowers and white and indigo Ralph Lauren Home benches. In the gallery WWD published, 52 images courtesy of the brand, socks appear in 17 looks: black in twelve, white in two, yellow in two, red in one. No tights, no sheer stockings: it is a wardrobe of short socks worn with flat shoes. We went through them one by one.

The collection: a traveller's wardrobe

Emily Mercer writes in WWD that the collection evoked "the wardrobe of a world traveler", with brand signatures heightened by artisanal details and relaxed silhouettes. Karen Brown Brody, senior brand creative director of women's Polo and RLX, told WWD she had gone back to the brand's American spirit: "Always at Polo's core we are American and we are classic." The experimenting starts when the Polo woman travels and collects things, "and that kind of leaning into individuality."

On the runway that means Indian Madras mixed with florals, tailoring next to workwear, tiny paper bag shorts under sharp jackets, voluminous trousers under slim ones. WWD singles out the hand-crocheted cable knit dress, in white or blue, the windbreaker with a shell and bead embroidered collar, and the shell, lapis and turquoise jewellery by Piki Wadsworth, a Diné and Hopi artist, made through Ralph Lauren's Authentic Makers programme.

On legs, WWD has a single sentence, and it is the one that matters here: "sandals and slipper loafers worn with socks added playfulness to the looks."

The sock the colour of the shoe: looks 10, 30 and 33

The most recognisable idea is the sock matched to the shoe. In look 10, the photo at the top, a riding coat and straight brown leather trousers end in yellow ribbed socks inside yellow slipper loafers with a bow and brown piping. Kate Granger in Runway Magazine describes it as "vibrant canary-yellow socks pulled into yellow leather slippers." In look 30 the same socks and loafers go under a short red tunic, with bare legs down to the sock.

Looks 10 and 30: yellow on yellow. Photo: courtesy of Polo Ralph Lauren, via WWD.

In look 33 the same rule moves to red: a red linen jacket, pink balloon trousers gathered at the ankle, red socks and red espadrilles.

Black with velvet slippers and loafers: looks 23, 26, 31 and 45

The most frequent sock is short and black, at the ankle or just above, with a navy or black flat. In look 23 it sits under the cropped black tuxedo jacket and navy and white floral jacquard shorts, which Runway Magazine describes with "navy velvet slippers" and a New York Yankees cap. The same slippers come back in look 26, under a white jumper and red striped shorts, in look 31, under a purple smock mini dress, and in 45, under a blue Madras check dress.

Looks 26 and 31: the black sock with the slipper. Photo: courtesy of Polo Ralph Lauren, via WWD.

With menswear shoes the black sock stays: in look 3 a sleeveless black dress with black loafers with a chain; in 8 the cream set with Bermuda culottes and the big black tote, with black double monk straps; in 37 the ruffled cream blouse, monk straps again; in 49 a denim jacket and shorts with black loafers with a ring buckle; in 16 the leopard jacket and navy shorts with low black lace-ups.

Black with espadrilles: looks 2, 6 and 14

Three looks wear the black sock with the espadrille, the rope-soled beach shoe. In look 2 a beige field jacket and navy shorts with black espadrilles; in 6 a mustard shirt and black trousers gathered at the ankle with navy espadrilles; in 14 the biscuit safari suit with balloon-leg linen trousers that, Runway Magazine writes, "gather neatly into black lace-up espadrilles."

Looks 2 and 14: the black sock with the rope shoe. Photo: courtesy of Polo Ralph Lauren, via WWD.

White with sandals and canvas shoes: looks 1 and 13

White appears twice. Look 1, which opens the presentation, is a tiered white cotton dress with a slit, a braided Madras belt and short white socks with white canvas shoes; in look 13 a brown leather biker jacket and black shorts go with taller white ribbed socks inside leather slide sandals. It is WWD's "sandals worn with socks."

Looks 1 and 13: white with canvas and with the sandal. Photo: courtesy of Polo Ralph Lauren, via WWD.

Bare legs and long trousers

In the other 35 looks feet are bare in sandals, coloured flip-flops and flats, or covered by trousers down to the shoe; the two swimsuits in looks 44 and 46 walk barefoot. No look has tights or sheer stockings.

How to read these legs now

No source names the yarn or brand of the socks. Three practical takeaways:

• The sock the colour of the shoe. Yellow in the yellow loafer, red in the red espadrille: the foot becomes one block of colour and the sock stops looking like an afterthought. It works with straight trousers at the ankle or with a bare leg down to the sock.
• The black sock with a flat. Short, opaque, with a velvet slipper, a loafer or an espadrille, under shorts and mini dresses. For other Paris versions there are Comme des Garçons and Noir Kei Ninomiya.
• The white sock with a sandal. Ribbed and a little tall, with a leather slide: the most summery version, next to the school-uniform socks at Mame Kurogouchi.

For the rest of the season there is our Paris Fashion Week round-up.

The photos

Numbering follows WWD's Polo Ralph Lauren spring/summer 2027 gallery, 52 images credited as courtesy of the brand. The photos in this article come from that gallery, with credit. The count of 17 of 52 looks with socks is ours, from the photos.