Bar Cabinet Ralph Lauren

To suggest that Ralph Lauren has come a long way is an understatement. From his humble beginnings as a tie salesman working out of a drawer at New York’s Empire State Building, he grew one of the world’s largest and most successful fashion empires from scratch.

For decades, Ralph Lauren’s clothing brand has blended classic, preppy Americana East Coast-style with the look of upper-crust English aristocracy. This style is the hallmark of Ralph Lauren’s design and can be seen in all facets of his brand, from its vintage apparel, accessories and jewelry to furniture and décor.

The iconic fashion designer was born Ralph Rueben Lifshitz in New York City and grew up in the Bronx. When he and his brother were in their teens, they changed their surname from Lifshitz to Lauren after being teased about it at school. Later on, Lauren took business classes at night, worked at various menswear retailers and did a stint in the U.S. Army. While working at tie manufacturer Beau Brummel, he was inspired to create his own line of ties.

In 1967, Lauren launched “Polo,” ties handmade from high-quality fabrics featuring a wide design. They were a success. Lauren sold $500,000 worth to retail giants Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and Paul Stuart in his first year.

Lauren expanded his designs into clothing, with his first menswear line of classic tweed suits in 1968 and, in 1971, his first line of womenswear featuring classic feminine tailoring. Lauren’s nostalgic fashion soon captured the eye of Hollywood. He created costumes for the 1974 adaptation of The Great Gatsby and was responsible for Diane Keaton’s distinctive feminine menswear look in 1977’s Annie Hall. Ralph Lauren’s designs have since garnered national and international acclaim and recognition — from Gwyneth Paltrow’s iconic pink 1999 Oscars dress to becoming the official outfitter of Team USA for the Olympics since 2008.

In 2018, Ralph Lauren celebrated his 50th anniversary with a star-studded fashion show and, in 2019, was awarded an honorary knighthood — the highest British honor — for services to fashion.

On 1stDibs, discover a wide range of vintage Ralph Lauren shirts, sweaters and other clothing.

The name “dry bar” can be a bit of a misnomer. After all, the last thing you would want a bar to do is run dry. In this case, the “dry” descriptor in your antique or vintage dry bar doesn’t refer to a lack of drinks. Instead, it serves to differentiate dry-bar furniture from wet-bar installations. The latter is typically a permanent fixture in a home, requiring plumbing to support a built-in sink.

In short, a dry bar is a piece of furniture or tabletop area that you’ve built into your space for mixing cocktails and storing everything needed —bottles, barware and other accessories — for the intoxicating in-home bar you’ve designed.

Some dry bars were built with minimalism in mind. Those crafted by designers associated with mid-century modernism or Scandinvanian modern, for example, likely looked to these as practical furnishings to serve as a cabinet or case piece. But there have been decorative and even outwardly sculptural interpretations by Art Deco furniture makers and those working in the Hollywood Regency style over the years.

No matter what kind of antique, new or vintage dry bar fits your space, these versatile furnishings can definitely elevate your home bar area as well as your hosting. We’ll toast to that!

Find your dry bar as well as all the barware you need on 1stDibs.