In homage to their long-time fictional employee Rachel Green, and to the 25th anniversary of the beloved sitcom 'Friends' that's coming up on Sunday, Ralph Lauren has released a '90s-themed collection of clothes that Rachel, even as a fashion executive at the brand, probably couldn't afford (although she probably would have purchased the clothes anyway, given her often frivolous spending habits).
Even at the peak of her career, Rachel was likely not earning more than $60K a year. Taking into account that she lived with only one roommate at any given time and in MANHATTAN, where the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment was NOT CHEAP, even in the '90s (in real life, Monica and Rachel's iconic two-bedroom apartment in the West Village is estimated to cost $4,500 PER MONTH), we doubt she could have afforded to purchase a $2,998 coat - which is precisely the cost of an item from Ralph Lauren's 'Friends'-themed collection.
We know, Rachel would have had a hard time NOT purchasing the 'Leopard-Print Haircalf Coat' which she would have worn around proudly until Pheobe broke the news that "an innocent animal was used to make it" causing her to feel guilty enough to return it (the coat is made with 'haircalf,' which is made using the skin of cows - sorry...)
We do have to give Ralph Lauren some credit, however, for 'The One Where They Wore Ralph Lauren' (yes, that's actually the name of the collection) because there are a few pieces that perfectly embody the styles of our favorite 'Friends' characters. These suede boots, for example, are reminiscent of the boots Rachel buys in season 1, right before Monica makes her cut all of her credit cards. And this sweater vest SCREAMS Chandler Bing like no other. These leather pants remind us of Ross not being able to put his leather pants back on during a date in season 5, episode 11 (although it doesn't make me want to buy them...), and this turtleneck sweater looks like something Joey might wear to an audition, and probably one of the reasons he would not get a callback. Sadly, Pheobe's quirky wardrobe isn't really represented in the collection - but she probably wouldn't want you to shop at Ralph Lauren anyway (flea markets and thrift shops are more her style).
So, friend, if you are a 'Friends' fanatic with $700 to spend on a miniskirt, you can shop the Ralph Lauren x Friends collection on the brand's website or at Bloomingdales. Because, sure, if you kept your money it would be like saving, but if you spent it, it would be like shopping!
