Let's give a head's up to Washington Square News

Check out my latest attempt at freelancing with this bit on the new Ralph Lauren Rugby store for NYU's own Washington Square News.

Unfortunately, I could not go as in depth with this piece as I had wanted, but fortunately I still have a second chance (and apparently an infinite word count) with Rugby magazine; plus, with Rugby mag, I can get a little more snarky, a la The Observer.

Case in point, Chris Stahl of the New York Gotham Knights and I ran throughout the store yesterday squealing, "Would you wear this to a drink-up?" "No way! I'd get my ASS kicked!"

Pure. Gold. - that has to go in the essay I'm working on for the magazine. I just need to get into contact with Jackie to pin down when it's due.

Anyway, I originally had a completely horrendous lede, and no one from Ralph Lauren had really gotten back to me, and the men-and-women-on-the-street would not give me their names, so I was punching this out in less than two hours last night and moaning that WSN would never accept any of my submissions again. Ever.

SO - I give the staff a lot of cred for tidying the piece up so well. I did write it, but they did re-do the intro and streamline the rest, as good editors should, and for a change I'm more grateful than indignant. I expect big things from these ladies and gents some day, my friends, but what do you expect - they'll be NYU grads, and we're all busting our humps to be the cream of the crop, here.

So, here's The Good, The Bad and The Rugby. Pick up the print version around campus today:

by Nicole Pesce
Contributing Writer

New Yorkers usually don't let rationality get in the way of fashion.

While students may not surf or drive semis, both Uggs and trucker hats have been omnipresent on campus for months. Polo shirts have also been popular, though one would be hard-pressed to find a student that actually plays the archaic sport. And now, though NYU is several time zones away from Cambridge, students may be tackling a new trend - rugby.

With the opening of Rugby on University Place, Ralph Lauren is attempting to take the rugged English sport where it took polo in the 1960s. Plenty of stores selling vaguely athletic clothing already exist - both American Eagle and Abercrombie and Fitch have opened stores throughout the city. But Rugby has something these other stores do not: location.

Lauren has directly targeted the 18 to 25 year-old age bracket by placing the stores near schools. The first Rugby store opened a year ago in Boston, and was followed by stores in Chapel Hill, N.C., and Charlottesville, Va., both locations of large universities. The New York store follows this pattern - it is only a stone's throw away from campus.

While Ralph Lauren public relations agents would not supply numbers, they said that the other stores had been very successful, and the opening of the New York store was a big event.

"This is kind of a fun one for us," Ralph Lauren marketing manager Katie Rieg said. "This one is in our own backyard."

The store is employing a number of methods to woo college-age customers, including a counter set up at the front entrance with a DJ playing old-school favorites like The Clash and De La Soul. There will also be a series of live performances inside the store throughout October.

"Music is a big part of the kids' lifestyle," Rieg said. "We're trying to appeal to the Polo customer, but specifically toward the younger generation. The store is set up really informally so you can walk around and talk while you shop. We're really improving on the shopping experience."

The store has certainly strived for a convincing look. A vintage foosball table in the men's section, an array of striped button-down dress shirts and ties on a pool table covered in rich red felt, and framed pictures of rugby players in sepia tones give the store the feel of what Christopher Stahl, a cultural studies professor at NYU, referred to as "a British prep school fantasy."

"It's not so much rugby per se, as it is an ethos of sportiness," said Stahl, who is also a member of the New York Gotham Knights rugby team.

Although the looks are obviously researched, and the patches and emblems appear authentic, the store showcases the scant knowledge of rugby that Americans have, Stahl said. For example, for all of the careful decoration, there is not one authentic rugby ball showcased in clear view in the store. Neither are there any pictures of female rugby players, he said.

This did not deter the opening weekend shoppers.

Jessica and Kim, two Tisch juniors, walked out of the Rugby store swinging a pair of the eye-catching blue and gold striped bags that are sure to become a familiar sight around campus. Both agreed that they would shop there again.

"I think [the store] will do pretty well," Kim, who refused to give her last name, said, holding a new sweater, a T-shirt and a tank top. "It's something kind of new, kind of different."

Jessica, who also refused to give her last name, thought the store might be too expensive for some students, but not for her.

"I don't have a problem spending money on clothes," she said. She had purchased a pair of jeans, a sweater dress and a beanie cap. "It's like an investment for me."

Local residents also recognize the store's appeal for the young.

"This store will obviously attract lots of college kids whose parents have lots of money," said Michelle Nicole Wesley, a long time Village resident.

She pointed to a blue-and-gold-striped blazer and recounted a conversation she overheard a few minutes before in the store.

"I heard two young guys talking inside," she said. "One was trying on one of those jackets, and his friend said, 'It's too Harry Potter-ish. You gotta take that off.' And the other kid said, 'Oh, I was just gonna charge it to my parents.' " •

The new Rugby store is located on 99 University Pl. at E. 12th St.