Ralph Lauren Children's Store to Replace 'Rugby'

After closing it's Rugby stores earlier this year, including the one New Canaan, Ralph Lauren is opening a Ralph Lauren Children's Store at the same 115 Elm St. spot.

The new store should be open by early March, according to Amanda Schilt, the company's director of marketing. There's also a Ralph Lauren store at 51 Elm St. which appears to be unaffected by the changeover up the road.

Ralph Lauren Children's Store "will carry a full selection of the boys, girls, and Layette Collections," Schilt said in an email. "Boys’ ranges from sizes 2T to 20, while Girls’ spans from 2T to 16. The Infant Collection offers apparel for babies 9 to 24 months, while Layette includes sizes 3-9 months."

The Rugby stores had been a drag on Ralph Lauren's earnings until their recent closure. The national retail news website "Racked" recently reported: "Rugby Ralph Lauren is officially no more. They sent out an e-mail that said 'Thanks for shopping with us the past eight years!'" The email then directs readers to RalphLauren.com.

The first Ralph Lauren's Children's store opened in late 2010 in Manhattan and until the New Canaan store opens, it's still the closest one to Fairfield County.

At the time, TimeOut New York commented that the opening of the Manhattan store was "Good news for preppy-chic kids. [...] Tweens can pick up cashmere sweaters and polos to add to their chichi wardrobes."

Thirteen-year-old actress Kiernen Shipka (of "Mad Men") is a "longtime fan" of Ralph Lauren Kids, according to the MTV Style Blog and various other reports, including Ralph Lauren's own website.