Ralph Lauren, the talented businessman and clothing designer who keeps a residence on the Old Montauk Highway along the ocean in Montauk, has opened a new Polo store in East Hampton just for children. The store is located just a few paces west of his adult clothing store. This new store will be yet another example of elegance, good taste and high quality clothing being presented in an almost art gallery setting in East Hampton.

The new store opened this past weekend and was visited by many of the people walking up Main Street, drawn to its classic style. Inside, grandparents seemed thrilled at the opportunity to buy something for the grandchildren they missed. I watched a Polo-clad couple excitedly picking out new items for their children. Clothing items seem to be smartly marketed for successful shoppers. The merchandise is not inexpensive, but value-oriented, using the Lauren brand to insure a high level of quality for the youngsters.

The signature feature in this new store has to be the tree house that is itself a work of art. Painted white, the tree rises well over two stories high and is something that must be seen. The branches support a tree house that has an upscale Disney World effect that draws the eyes inward and upward. Photos inside the store are prohibited in order to protect content and the rights of those shopping in the store.

The new staff is polite and seasoned, coming from other stores in the Ralph Lauren empire. The clothing ranges from up-to-the-moment political tee shirts with Guantanamo Bay, Cuba antiquely printed on the front, to the usual childrenized Polo shirts, for boys and girls. Delicate, knitted wares for infants are also a specialty. Beautiful dresses for the very young seem to be designed directly from a William Merritt Chase painting. The famous Polo rugged jean and khaki trousers are available in children sizes.

The new shop is part of an expansion of Mr. Lauren’s interest in East Hampton. Already, he has obtained the lease of the building that housed the famous Blue Parrot, behind his original shop. He has chosen to knock down the building and start constructing a new eatery (more up to Ralph Lauren standards than the Blue Parrot), perhaps in the style of the restaurant connected to his store in Chicago. However, no work seems to be imminent and details of the future project are protected corporate secrets at the moment. Many are hoping that the walkway to the new restaurant will impart the little brick alley with some Ralph Lauren charm. Who knows in time it may be named Polo Lane, or maybe Ralph Lauren Place.

They say that things come in threes, so with only two shops in East Hampton now opened and operating, the talk turns to shop number three, the future home of Ralph Lauren’s Rugby line. Speculation has it that the store might occupy the open space where Long Island Sound was once situated, on Main Street, almost directly across from the two existing Polo shops. Once again, details are not being given out just yet, for business reasons. The new Rugby line is a favorite of my college-aged daughters, Schuyler and Blair.

It may not be known by the general public that Polo changes its store window displays monthly. Ralph Lauren’s window displays have, in fact, become an artform. By using antique polo artifacts, it has been a successful branding exercise for Polo. Almost everyone in the Hamptons owns at least one piece of clothing with the Polo emblem on it. It is an empire, and yet, on late Saturday nights in the summer, Ralph Lauren himself can be seen in East Hampton, inspecting the windows and buildings. Sometimes there is even an assistant taking notes.

Only time will tell how successful the new shops will be. However, the new children’s store is a must-see for visitors to East Hampton as well as those who live in town. The packaging of Polo items has always been top-shelf. Sabrina Mashburn, a talented equestrian jumper and Features Editor at Dan’s Papers, many months ago coined the term ‘Ralphampton.’ With these new moves by Mr. Lauren’s organization, she must have had great insight, because in the not too distant future, there will be four Ralph Lauren endeavors very close together on and off Main Street in East Hampton, and the very beautiful Main Street in East Hampton will then be well taken care of indeed.