What Are Shoppers Dreaming Of? A Ralph Lauren Christmas.

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Beige décor is out, replaced by a vision of cozy affluence marked by tartan, brass and velvet. And no, you don’t have to shop at Ralph Lauren to get the look.

By Yola Mzizi

Come December, Katie Fletcher’s home will look like a Ralph Lauren store that has been dressed for the holidays.

Mrs. Fletcher, 28, a content creator in Kansas City, Mo., has stocked up on green tartan ribbon, wooden garlands, velvet ornaments, tapered burgundy candles, a plaid doormat and even a coffee-table book on Ralph Lauren’s designs. She’s chasing the “Ralph Lauren Christmas” look — a visual language that feels as polished as a Fifth Avenue window display and as cozy as a cabin in Vermont.

The twist: None of her décor is actually from Ralph Lauren. It’s all from Amazon.

Why not the real thing?

“He’s not budget-friendly,” Mrs. Fletcher said of the designer’s goods, noting that her platform focuses on recreating high-end looks without the price tag. “I really love the Ralph Lauren aesthetic. It feels very luxurious. But that’s not always very easy to obtain.”

@heykatiefletcher Ralph Lauren Christmas tree!! Ekk so excited about how this turned out! I’ll have everything 🔗d as always🫶🏼 #ralphlauren #christmastree ♬ original sound - katie fletcher

Mrs. Fletcher is among many shoppers who are bringing various items into their homes to emulate the Ralph Lauren look, even if they can’t afford the originals. Some call it “Home Alone Christmas,” evoking the style of the house in the film. The appeal blends old-money codes of wealth and status with a craving for coziness and nostalgia.

The style is also a reaction to the minimalist interiors that have dominated in recent years, where neutral ornaments and oatmeal-colored garlands created what some called a “beige Christmas.”

“When you say ‘minimalist Christmas,’ you think stark. You think cold. You don’t think, like, the warmth of Christmas,” said Sara Parker, a lighting and furniture designer in Memphis. “With this whole resurgence of nostalgia, a minimalist Christmas doesn’t go with that. That’s why these rich Ralph Lauren colors are more appealing, because they kind of go more in tune with traditionalism.”

For Ms. Parker, 35, this return to traditionalism is about reintroducing warmth and personality. It also reflects a mood shaped by the economy, where many feel that what they want is increasingly out of reach. “We’re trying to, you know, offer ourselves any sort of feeling of richness, of warmth, and, you know, of luxury, whether it’s bought or not,” she said.

@brittanydiaz__ A Ralph Lauren 90s Christmas is such a vibe✨ #cozychristmas #christmasdecor #ralphlaurenchristmas #ralphlaurenaesthetic ♬ Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee

For Brittany Diaz, 38, a stay-at-home mother in Roseville, Calif., it’s also a way to escape what’s “going on in the world” by creating a ’90s-era refuge that reminds her of childhood, when she could play outside until the streetlights came on, her attention wasn’t zapped by electronics and she didn’t have a “care in the world.”

“There’s not a lot of peace in the world right now,” Ms. Diaz said. “In our home, this is our safe space. Once we go outside, we can’t really, you know, control everything.”

The swiftness with which this trend has gained a foothold in consumers’ minds reflects the pace of the TikTok-driven trend cycle, where microtrends explode and fade almost as fast as they appear. Last year, a popular look involved adding pastel pink bows and ribbons to Christmas trees as part of the “coquette” trend. According to TikTok data, the hashtag #ralphlaurenchristmas has more than 5,000 posts globally and saw a 3,000 percent increase in the past month.

Part of the appeal for a Ralph Lauren Christmas — one that stands in contrast with many trends — lies in the belief that the look is timeless. Some say that’s because it incorporates family heirlooms and feels lived-in. Yet the trend is also highly prescriptive: To achieve it, certain items must be bought, including the green tartan, the brass candleholders and the pine garlands.

“Even a timeless trend is not ever truly timeless if it’s not true to who you are,” Ms. Parker said. “If you’re going to get rid of it in three to five years, they’re never going to be heirlooms. Somebody who has a true Ralph Lauren Christmas has been doing it for decades, because that’s how long it takes for you to properly curate that type of look.”

Yola Mzizi is a reporter for the Styles section and a member of the 2025-2026 Times Fellowship class, a program for journalists early in their careers.

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