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In a way, it's the NEW preppy, as Hipsters can gravitate towards this brand to get that mountain biking in Portland Oregon, farm to table sustainable food eating, eschewing material value back to the land wood chopping look.
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Originally Posted by PuppiesandKittens
Agreed. I view Ralph Lauren, Vineyard Vines and Southern Tide as preppy, along with everything at Brooks Brothers. Lacoste is similar but the other brands in the original post are just mass-market, mid-tier brands in my view.
I think they are all mass marketed...
"Preppy" clothing is really a carry over of a White Anglo Saxon Protestant English upper class population that attended private preparatory schools and academies, went on to Ivy League schools and then on to well paying jobs and an exclusive lifestyle. It also has roots in English Aristocracy, which is passed down by inherited legacy with "ascribed" status over "earned" status. This more in line with a Monarchy.
To a certain degree, emulating this "look" is at odds with a Democracy such as the U.S. Remember, we fought the British and won independence in the Revolution.
I think the clothing style has lost it's compass anyway, as you now see all races, walks of life, and socioeconomic levels wearing the clothing style, as it should be in a Democracy, I suppose. Mass marketing helping out here as well.
I spend my summers in the Hamptons, so I find it strange you say this because Palm Beach is the winter destination for most people who summer in the Hamptons. Do they lose their “preppyness” in the summer and regain it in the winter?
Ralph Lauren is not preppy? The small village of East Hampton has 4 different Ralph Lauren stores. (Well, 5 if you include Dylan’s Candy Bar.)
Maybe. I know plenty of people that live in the Hamptons year around and do NOT dress preppy. Polo shirts are for the golf course and do not scream preppy - I'm guessing this is the basis for your focus on RL.
Preppy is synonymous with 'old money' and 'ivy league'. You are trying to look smart - literally. Not smart as in stylish, but geeky nerd smart, lol.
They agree with you on RL and happen to like bold madras plaids, but again, the colors are not conservative enough to fill the bill for passing for 'old money'.
They agree with you on RL and happen to like bold madras plaids, but again, the colors are not conservative enough to fill the bill for passing for 'old money'.
RL had the best colors back in the 90's, he definitely had an eye for bold, rich colors. I have never seen greens and blues in particular, as dark, bold and classic since. The "Blake" men's cotton shirts can still be had on sites like Ebay, etc. Someone once told me when RL stepped down and let his kids take over, the colors were never the same.
I remember he had a line of paints marketed by the Home Depot. Again, never before or since have I witnessed colors like the one's available in this line of paint.
I am definitely not a fashionista or care one whit about designer labels. (I do like the preppy look, though.)
However, I am reminded of the passage in the book, Jaws, in which -- if memory serves -- Ellen is nagging her husband, Chief Brody, to buy the Lacoste polo shirt for their son so that he will "fit in" with his higher income peers. He replies with something like, "I am not buying a $5.00 shirt with a $20.00 alligator on it."
I might have the details wrong, but that phrase has always stuck with me -- and especially now with so many high end clothing being made overseas.
Maybe. I know plenty of people that live in the Hamptons year around and do NOT dress preppy. Polo shirts are for the golf course and do not scream preppy - I'm guessing this is the basis for your focus on RL.
Preppy is synonymous with 'old money' and 'ivy league'. You are trying to look smart - literally. Not smart as in stylish, but geeky nerd smart, lol.
They agree with you on RL and happen to like bold madras plaids, but again, the colors are not conservative enough to fill the bill for passing for 'old money'.
At my golf club out there, you rarely see labels or logo’s at all, other than the occasional club logo which is pretty discreet. You tend to see a lot of tweeds, argyles, etc. But my club is more new money than old. I have to drive through the ‘old money’ club (The Maidstone Club) to get to my home, and I have played as a guest there, and your link is pretty dead on. Ironically, the “old money’ club has a very reasonable initiation fee compared to the ‘new money’ clubs. It’s just damn near impossible to get in.
When I think about it, outside of the golf clubs, I would probably agree that Hamptons style is more casual beach style than it is preppy. Out to dinner and at parties, you tend to see a lot of linen.
Last edited by AnesthesiaMD; 10-31-2018 at 05:58 PM..
I was looking at a book recently, 'The Old Money Book: How To Live Better While Spending Less: Secrets of America's Upper Class' by Byron Tully. I haven't bought it yet or read it, but in thinking on it as the title would apply to the Preppy look, it makes sense.
You invest in classic styles and quality fabrics. The classic style never goes out of style, and as long as you don't fluctuate much with height and weight, you clothes can last decades if not a lifetime. Whether you like the look or not - its a good investment.
Its also smart in that you free your mind from focusing on and keeping up with current trends so you can study more meaningful things. You may not wow anyone at the night club, but your overall quality of life is improved.
As far as brands that have extremely wide appeal across age brackets and qualify as "Preppy?" I'd say Brooks Brothers and LL Bean, and Ralph Lauren are about the only ones.
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