Preppy

History of the Preppy Style

Preppy is not only a competently composed image, but also a complete correspondence to it of manners, speech, education. The reason for such high demands of style is its origin. At the end of the 40s of the last century, a certain subculture was born in America, the members of which were exclusively representatives of the "golden" youth. Young people had subtle manners, an amazing mind, upbringing. They were polite, promising and always looked neat and tidy. Their clothes were "from the needle" - clean, neat, in figure, as well as expensive and high-quality. They wore school uniforms, tennis or golf uniforms. Of course, only Ivy League students could afford expensive clothes. For a long time, this form of clothing remained exclusively a student uniform, but in the 50s, the brands J.Press and Brooks Brothers saw a special chic in the clothes of students and decided to open several stores with similar clothes. The first points were placed in the buildings of universities - Yale, Princeton and Harvard. All models met the requirements of educational institutions, but were more diverse and original.

Gradually, the network grew and the clothes of J.Press and Brooks Brothers scattered to all the educational institutions of the Ivy League, receiving the name Ivy style. Only a few years did this term exist, as students wanted a more capacious, extensive name for their movement.

This is how the term "preppy" appeared, formed from "preparatory schools". Preparatory schools are courses taken by all students who are aiming for a place in the Ivy League.

Modern designers and fashion houses create clothes using elements of the preppy style, although it is much less common, burn casual, boho, grunge or other directions. One of the most narrowly oriented brands producing clothing in the style of preppy is London's Merc.

Distinctive features

• characteristic prints. For clothes in the style of preppy, a diamond, stripe, square are used, but this is not a prerequisite - the clothes may well be monophonic;

• calmness, sophistication, neatness. This principle unites preppy with casual – neatness is also important there, especially in the "smart" substyle. All clothes should be perfectly ironed, sit exactly on the figure;

• color combinations are different, but mainly consist of 2-3 muted shades. Common red, blue, green, mustard. Less common is pastel and usually acts as an accent;
• minimum of accessories. Usually, the choice of accessories is limited to basic ties, belts, watches, as well as light neckerchiefs. If we talk about jewelry in girls - small earrings, a ring, a barely noticeable pendant. Accessories in the case of preppy should succinctly fit into the refined image, and not attract attention;

• expensive and high-quality fabrics. Initially, the style of students implied the use of exclusively expensive fabrics - natural wool, high-quality cotton, cashmere. Over time, the list of raw materials was expanded to include viscose, mohair, tweed, as well as cheaper analogues of expensive materials to make the preppy style more accessible to buyers. Nevertheless, it is in a high-quality, expensive performance, the image conveys all the aristocracy and sophistication of the owner.

The optimal age for preppy-style clothing is 17-30 years. After 30, you can use some style features - for example, pipe trousers, but you need to choose outfits with extreme care so as not to get an image that contradicts the age.

Preppy clothing brands

Elegant, stylish, slightly aristocratic preppy style inspires many designers. There is probably no brand or fashion house that has never released a collection in the spirit of an elite school. The Swedish brand GANT is certainly one of the foremost among all companies producing preppy clothing. In the characteristic design there are vests, cardigans, shirts, trousers and skirts. Although, of course, you can find other stylistic directions in the brand.

@gant

@gant

@gant

In step with GANT is the English brand Merc, which we have already mentioned earlier. All the company's clothes are a typical preppy style without adjusting for modern trends. Stylish polos and bombers of calm shades, the right trousers, outerwear - all this can be picked up in Merc.

@merc1967

@merc1967

@merc1967

The famous American brand Ralph Lauren has recently diluted student chic with other styles – minimalism, business and even glamour, but still produces stylish jumpers, polo shirts, jackets, shirts, pants that will fit perfectly into your preppy wardrobe.

@ralphlauren

@ralphlauren

@ralphlauren

Brooks Bbrothers is one of the oldest clothing brands in the world. All clothes of the brand are close to the classics, are neat and obvious references to the clothes of elite students. Favorite prints are check and strip.

@brooksbrothers

@brooksbrothers

@brooksbrothers

Basic preppy-style wardrobe

• skirt. A pencil skirt will do. A little less often a pleated skirt is used, as it gives the image airiness, and the preppy style is more strict and restrained. The length is average - neither mini nor maxi for the image of the student will not work;

• dress. Traditionally, trapezoidal dresses, checked or monochromatic are used. Models flared from the waist will also fit into the image, but they should sit on the figure perfectly.

• trousers. Pipes, classic cut. Less often - skinnies and bananas, but not from denim. Denim clothing in the days of the preppy was the cheapest and most affordable, so elite students did not wear it. Now the looks have become more free, so jeans have become used more often;

• club jacket. This is an intermediate item of clothing in its style between a sports and a classic jacket. Most often it has a patch with an emblem or edging on lapels. Colors - calm, muted - blue, green, gray;

• classic trench coat of beige, white, milk color;

• vest, jumper, cardigan made of knitwear. Classic or elongated. Shades – from white to dark blue with or without print;

• polo shirts and a classic shirt;

• Knee socks.

Shoes & Accessories

For a laconic image in the style of preppy, high-heeled shoes are not used. The best option would be loafers or oxfords. In rare cases, low-heeled boats are used. Headdress – beret or hat. Bag – briefcase, backpack, postman.

Male looks in the style of preppy

For the men's wardrobe, all the same items of clothing are characteristic as for the women's. The basic set of things looks like this:

• Oxford classic shirt. The colors are usually basic - white, gray, and blue. Cage models are less commonly used, but they are also acceptable in the form of preppy direction;

• club jacket is monophonic, with an embroidered emblem;

• knitted or suit vest - they are often complemented by the image with a shirt;

• trousers - pipes or chinos of a basic shade or in a check;

• Bermuda shorts;

• polo shirts of several shades;
• jumper.

Shoes - classic shoes or oxfords. Accessories - a stylish, high-quality belt, and a neckerchief - the image will turn out to be masculine, but at the same time sophisticated and secular. For business outfit - a tie, and for summer casual - sunglasses.

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