A seasonal trend branded the “Ralph Lauren Christmas” is drawing sharp lines across TikTok and Instagram as the public debate whether the latest interior style obsession is an inspired celebration of tradition—or just a rebranding of what many see as the most basic holiday decor.
At the heart of the trend is a particular type of Christmas aesthetic: think red and green plaid, velvet ribbons, oversized nutcrackers, and roaring fireplaces—a warm, cozy palette that echoes the Ralph Lauren brand’s signature blend of New England formality and nostalgic Americana.
For many, it is aspirational. For others, it is baffling, and simply a repackaging of what was once branded gaudy and cheap.
Michigan-based Minty Scott, known as @_pinkmintchocolate on TikTok, called out the trend in an October 10 video that has now garnered more than 202,000 likes.
“This is Ralph Lauren Christmas? This is what everyone is dying to have? A traditional Christmas?” Scott asked in her post. “Literally, a Ralph Lauren Christmas is like the most basic, textbook definition of what Christmas decorations look like.”
Scott, 28, told Newsweek that she thinks the popularity of the look reflects something deeper than garlands and gold trim.
“Personally, I think the Ralph Lauren Christmas ‘aesthetic’ is just another grab at people wanting to be ‘seen’ and ‘belong’ on the internet,” she said. “I actually started laughing to myself because I was thinking there’s no way people are trying to make a trend of what already exists—it’s just, Christmas!”
The phrase “Ralph Lauren Christmas” has gained millions of views on TikTok, with creators either embracing or parodying the trend. The divide is as much about class signifiers as it is about garland choices.
While the look may appeal to those longing for a traditional or “old money” holiday vibe, critics argue that it simply romanticizes what has always been standard-issue Christmas decoration in the U.S. for years.
Scott said her skepticism was less about the look itself than about what people are trying to turn it into.
“It is sad to see people are chasing after an aesthetic that is rooted in memories and emotions,” she said. “When the nutcracker, plaid presents and PJs, garlands, velvet bows, trains, etc. come out…it’s the memories associated with them that makes it so special!”
For many creators, however, that nostalgic and cozy look is exactly the point.
TikTok user @ninasbananas struck a lighter note in her viral video, which gained 1.4 million views.
“Ralph Lauren Christmas girlies rise and prosper,” she told viewers.
She told Newsweek the experience of going viral on the trend was “a little strange.”
“It was funny telling friends and family, they were keeping count of the views and likes throughout the day and each time they gave me a bigger number I just couldn’t comprehend it,” she said. “I knew eventually it would die down but it was fun to experience that level of going viral as I had never experienced it before.”
The public attention on her clip points to how many eyeballs have been on the growing hashtag.
The popularity of the aesthetic is also getting a credibility boost from industry insiders.
Fashion designer Molly Moorkamp, who worked at Ralph Lauren before launching her own label, posted a breakdown of the brand’s holiday visual language to over 6.4 million viewers on TikTok. She walked viewers through the company’s specific plaid patterns, garlands, and color codes from her time there.
“I designed dresses at Ralph Lauren for a really long time before I launched my own,” she said in the video, adding weight to the argument that the look is curated and intentional—not just a byproduct of mainstream Christmas decor.
Moorkamp’s video has been widely shared and used by defenders of the trend to argue that the Ralph Lauren Christmas is more than just aesthetic repackaging—it is a reflection of a well-established brand identity and decades-long approach to lifestyle marketing.
Newsweek reached out to Moorkamp for more information via email.
Still, some social media users have expressed discomfort with how quickly such aesthetics can become a cultural shorthand for something more exclusionary.
“So, they’ve moved on from calling it tacky Christmas to Ralph Lauren Christmas,” one viewer commented under Scott’s post.
“It’s the microtrend of it all…They have to rebrand everything, and the Ralph Lauren Christmas is giving me sneaky tradwife and conservative vibes,” another said.
“They say Ralph Lauren Christmas but what they are chasing is the nervous system comfort of incandescent Christmas lights; they just don’t realize it,” a third viewer shared.
Despite the polarizing reactions, the look is clearly resonating. The hashtag #RalphLaurenChristmas continues to rack up views and inspire tutorials, with creators posting ways to mimic the upscale but homey brand aesthetic.
Scott said she has no issue with how people decorate but finds what she sees as an attempt to convert tradition into something viral and marketable bizarre.
“To me, it’s about growing your decor and creating memories with it each and every Christmas,” she said. “That’s what makes it magic.”