Mr Ralph Lauren has always been a dreamer. The designer, who started out as a one-man business selling neckties out of a New York showroom, had a vision of the American dream so strong that more than 50 years on, he has become synonymous with it.

Lauren’s own story is that dream in action. He was born in 1939 to Jewish immigrant parents and raised in the Bronx, New York. From humble beginnings he rose to become the quintessential US designer; little wonder that dreaming has been running through the Ralph Lauren story ever since.

His story of American aspiration began with Polo Ralph Lauren. With its relaxed cable knits and its iconic polo shirts it encapsulated an enduring East Coast mood. In fact, Polo Ralph Lauren so completely embodied this aspirational vision of American style that it has become a touchstone for it.

Lauren moved out West for his next menswear brand, RRL – pronounced “double RL” – which found inspiration in a personal dream-made-true for the designer (it is named after the Colorado ranch he owns with his wife, Ms Ricky Lauren) and the mystical romance of the Old West. RRL presents a romantic vision of rugged Americana, where durable denim and flannel overshirts rule the frontier.

Then, in 1994, Lauren launched his town-to-country line, Ralph Lauren Purple Label – an opulent, high luxury brand inspired by the designer’s love of Old-World European glamour. The Purple Label world is one of dramatic knee-length shearling coats, silk jacquard dinner jackets and Savile Row-style tailoring – the ingredients for a night on the tiles of a country pile.

Almost three decades later, ultra-luxurious tailoring remains the heart of Ralph Lauren Purple Label. This season’s signature Kent double-breasted jacket shows Lauren at peak luxe. Expertly tailored in Italy from cashmere-twill, it speaks to a timeless sophistication and – with it being fully lined – an eye to contemporary, comfortable layering.

Paired with the Purple Label cashmere rollneck sweater and warming corduroy trousers – one of several products exclusive to MR PORTER – and you’re all set for lording it up in the country.

Like all of Lauren’s dreams, Purple Label has expanded beyond its suited and booted origins. Outdoors and casualwear are key elements of the latest collection; but they too revel in a fantastical luxury. The double-breasted shearling-lined suede coat, for example, is a perfect marriage of rich fabrication and fine craftsmanship. It is also built to last, both in terms of its resilient construction and its resistance to trends – another key aspect of the Lauren line.

The desire for things that last informs style decisions elsewhere. As Lauren has said: “Classic, to me, is something that is timeless, enduring. The things that never go out of style.” So, the Randell jacket is an impeccably cut, handsome take on the classic biker style. Made from soft suede for comfort, with reinforced elbows and shoulders, it’s classic and durable.

“The kinds of clothes I design are the kinds of things I believe in – the kinds of things that last for ever,” Lauren has also said. “I love things that stay.” So, styles that have proved their worth over time are revisited in new collections. The Barron shirt jacket – another piece cut from incredibly soft suede – and which has been part of Ralph Lauren Purple Label collections for years. Seen here with the Purple Label hoodie (don’t let it be said Lauren doesn’t do luxury staples), the overshirt is a perfect tool for layering, too.

Of all its menswear brands, Purple Label – with its impeccable cuts and premium materials – stands as the most indulgent. Rollneck sweaters in the finest cashmere are as elegant as they are cosy, and there’s a reason the brand’s straight-leg pleated trousers, made in Italy from melange wool, are named after the romantic poet Byron. Meanwhile, the brand’s glorious cotton-velvet suit trousers are the ultimate expression of Lauren’s vision for an aspirational lifestyle; a signature flourish best worn while indulging in late-night socialising somewhere grand.

Lauren’s vision for an aspirational lifestyle is stamped all over Purple Label, just as it is his other brands. But the secret to his success over the last 50 years isn’t just his ability to manifest his own dreams. It’s about how he allows the wearer to live out their own. “Style is very personal,” he has said. “It has nothing to do with fashion. Fashion is over quickly. Style is for ever.” So wherever you’re planning for – the big country escape, a weekend away or wild night in the manor – rest assured Purple Label will fit like a dream.