Restructuring Charges (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Jul. 02, 2016	Jun. 27, 2015
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cash-related restructuring charges	$ 86	$ 34
Way Forward Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cash-related restructuring charges	81
Non-cash charges	73
Restructuring and non-cash charges	154
Way Forward Plan [Member] \| Severance and benefit costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cash-related restructuring charges	77
Way Forward Plan [Member] \| Lease termination and store closure costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cash-related restructuring charges	2
Way Forward Plan [Member] \| Other cash charges
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cash-related restructuring charges	2
Way Forward Plan [Member] \| Impairment of assets
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Non-cash charges	19
Way Forward Plan [Member] \| Inventory-related charges
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Non-cash charges	54
Way Forward Plan [Member] \| Inventory-related charges \| Reduction of inventory out of current liquidation channels [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Non-cash charges	50
Global Reorganization Plan [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cash-related restructuring charges	5	34
Non-cash charges	0	11
Restructuring and non-cash charges	5	45
Cash-related Restructuring Charges, Cost Incurred to Date	91
Non-cash Charges, Cost Incurred to Date	56
Restructuring and Related Cost, Cost Incurred to Date	147
Global Reorganization Plan [Member] \| Severance and benefit costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cash-related restructuring charges	5	32
Cash-related Restructuring Charges, Cost Incurred to Date	69
Global Reorganization Plan [Member] \| Lease termination and store closure costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cash-related restructuring charges	0	1
Cash-related Restructuring Charges, Cost Incurred to Date	8
Global Reorganization Plan [Member] \| Other cash charges
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Cash-related restructuring charges	0	1
Cash-related Restructuring Charges, Cost Incurred to Date	14
Global Reorganization Plan [Member] \| Impairment of assets
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Non-cash charges	0	8
Non-cash Charges, Cost Incurred to Date	27
Global Reorganization Plan [Member] \| Accelerated stock-based compensation expense
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Non-cash charges	0	0
Non-cash Charges, Cost Incurred to Date	9
Global Reorganization Plan [Member] \| Inventory-related charges
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Non-cash charges	0	$ 3
Non-cash Charges, Cost Incurred to Date	$ 20

Amount of non-cash charges incurred to date for the specified restructuring cost.

No definition available.

Name:	rl_NoncashChargesCostIncurredtoDate
Namespace Prefix:	rl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Non-cash charges related to restructuring.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rl_Noncashcharges
Namespace Prefix:	rl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash charges incurred to date for the specified restructuring cost.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rl_RestructuringChargesCostIncurredtoDate
Namespace Prefix:	rl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of costs incurred to date for the specified restructuring cost.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 420
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394359&loc=d3e17939-110869

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 420
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.P.4(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27011515&loc=d3e140904-122747

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 5
-Section P
-Subsection 3, 4

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostCostIncurredToDate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of expenses associated with exit or disposal activities pursuant to an authorized plan. Excludes expenses related to a discontinued operation or an asset retirement obligation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56944662&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 420
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394359&loc=d3e17939-110869

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 420
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.P.3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27011515&loc=d3e140864-122747

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 420
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.P.4(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27011515&loc=d3e140904-122747

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 5
-Section P
-Subsection 3, 4

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCharges
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after cash payment, of expenses associated with exit or disposal activities pursuant to an authorized plan and expenses resulting from the write-down of assets. Excludes expenses related to a business combination, a discontinued operation or an asset retirement obligation.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostsAndAssetImpairmentCharges
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringPlanAxis=rl_WayForwardPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis=us-gaap_EmployeeSeveranceMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis=us-gaap_FacilityClosingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis=us-gaap_OtherRestructuringMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis=rl_ImpairmentofAssetsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis=us-gaap_InventoriesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	rl_NoncashinventoryrelatedchargesAxis=rl_ReductionofinventoryoutofcurrentliquidationchannelsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringPlanAxis=rl_GlobalReorganizationPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis=rl_AcceleratedstockbasedcompensationexpenseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: