The High Cost of High Fashion

We all know how completely unbelievable the prices are for fantastic couture. Let's do some math.

In the early 80's, a Lacoste polo costed about $20. Nowadays, if you were to buy one full price, they're about $75. That's a difference of about $55 dollars for almost exactly the same shirt!
For a Marc by Marc dress, you'd be set back the upwards of $400.. for a dress you would probably wear four, maybe five times during it's lifespan (one season). Ugh, it makes me sick. That's why I stick to these rules when it comes to buying clothes.
- End of season sales are your absolute best friend, especially if you live in a constant climate location, e.g. Florida. Seasons shouldn't exist when you live in, say, Miami. Think about it- how ridiculous would you look walking down the streets of South Florida in a hat, tights, woolen skirt, and a sweater? So stick to what you should be wearing for your climate.
-Mix classics with currents, according to trends. Like, this season. The tailored shape is in, so if you have a few high waisted sailor pants left over from... whenever that was last popular, mix it in with a trench, a tucked in blouse, and a modern pair of pumps. Keep things from previous seasons that can be mixed in with current ones.
-Shop the outlets. I'm serious. You can find great deals on things that can be worn for ages.
-And finally, don't be inhibited by high prices. If you can find one thing at an unreasonable price, but it fits you fantastically and you'd wear it over and over again, go ahead. It can be your guilty pleasure.

Preppy Sports

There are few preppy sports, but they must be mastered to the degree of showing off. The sports are
-Tennis
-Lacrosse
-Field Hockey
-Horseback Riding
-Ballet/ Dance

Tennis: Key designers to wear while playing tennis - Ralph Lauren Tennis and Lacoste. They are very Tennis-esque and will make you look gorgeous on the courts. Nike isn't really the preppiest brand but yet they have ah-dorable tennis clothes so go ahead.

Lacrosse:Very very fun. For "hardcore" preps. Grab some soffee shorts, your cutest tank, your deBeer stick and your BFF and play catch for hours. Better yet, join a team and show off in front of everyone! Great excersize...

Field Hockey: Lacrosse for the fall season! What could be better? If you play for a team, which you most likely will (field hockey isn't really a sport you can grab a friend and play catch with spontaneously), you will be issued a kilt which by law must be stiff and itchy and in a really unflattering colour.

Horseback Riding: This and Tennis would be considered the most preppy sports. A very New England tradition, with competitions taking place year round. Be sure to buy a helmet, an Hermes crop (if you can afford it), an ah-dorable jacket(you can find one, trust me) and some super sexy jodhpurs (hint- black is the most flattering but who wants to be wearing black all the time? if you can pull off cream coloured, wear it). Check out RL for inspiration.

Ballet/Dance: Who said dance wasn't a sport?? Of course it is. Anyway, moving on, dance is a great way to stay in shape and learn moves that can help you way later in life. If you're more of a "classical" prep, why not try ballet? Get a leotard, some point shoes and some tights and you're ready to learn. If ballet's not for you, you could try tap, modern, or jazz (my favourite!) Leggings, your jazz/ tap shoes, and a tank top and you're off. Add legwarmers for a retro look.

Prep Vacations

Now that summer has come around officially, preps start to think about vacations. I know this is very steryotypical, but Nantucket or Cape Cod is practically the best summer vacation for a Prep. Don't think about going to the west, unless it is a very Ralph Lauren-esque town. Jackson Hole - used to be Ralph-ish, UNTIL THEY CLOSED THE STORE. Big Uproar in my world. Florida is not a prep vaca spot. Neither is CA. Stick to the North.

The Tennis Camp Experience

Preps are notorious for liking sports, being fit, and ah-doring tennis. Even though I will admit to not being preppy, I have just returned from Nike tennis camp, at Amherst College in Massachusetts. It was grueling and tedious, but I did see many preppy, WASP-esque tennis players who enjoyed the program. This leads me to assume that these guys and gals take up more tennis camps (and are more prepared for them :-/), and enjoy all of them. 

Tips for surviving any sport camp-

- Travel with a friend unless you pride yourself on SUPER-SOCIALBILITY. Dance nights are not entirely uncommon, and unless you have a friend to dance with/introduce you to more people, it's not so much fun.

- Hydrate yourself. It does not do to pass out from heat exposure/exhaustion.

- Bring a sweat towel. It gets reallllllllly hot out on the courts (current days temperature+ ten degrees), and if you are exerting yourself physically, you need to dab yourself every so often. If you let the sweat stay on your face for a long time, it can clog your pores, which is not fun.

- SUNBLOCK. SUNBLOCK, SUNBLOCK, SUNBLOCK. I cannot stress this enough. It is more important than anything else that you might pack in your bag(s). Get a high SPF (I recommend a minimum of 45 if you don't want to tan, a minimum of 15 if you do), and make sure it protects against UVA and UVB rays. Reapply once in the morning, before you head out, a little bit after stretching, every few water breaks, after you shower, in between games. Whenever you can, reapply. Wear a hat as well to protect your scalp (because no one likes a bright red scalp that is very painful and eventually flakes off :-/). 

- And second-most importantly, make sure you are physically fit before entering into any kind of active camp. The days are hot, long, and you need to be fully prepared for whatever heads your way.

Preppy Shoes

Hmm. We haven't posted in a while. Let's talk about preppy shoes.

Espadrilles aren't very preppy, they're more L.A. then New England. All basic flats (such as Steve Madden + J.Crew) are very acceptable. Keep them to solid colors and the exception of leopard/cheetah print. Heels cannot be hooker like. They must be kitten heels or as high as Kate Spade has them, which is a maximum of 3-4 inches. TOPSIDERS ARE THE ULTIMATE PREP SHOE. You can buy them at any store that sells Sperry shoes and also on the Sperry website. I wouldn't suggest wearing them 24/7. They're more casual, but not like sneakers or birkenstocks (which by the way; sneakers are only for excercise, and birkenstocks...just no).

Okay. I think this is good.

In Stores of June 2007

In -
Ralph Lauren - An alltime classic

Rugby - a vintage college version of Ralph Lauren, by Ralph Lauren

J. Crew - Preppy extrodinaire

Vineyard Vines - Nantucket prep

Lilly Pulitzer - beachy beachy beachy prep!! mostly for parties on the beach and for vacation on the coast

RL Update

If you go onto the Ralph Lauren website, there is an announcement stating that Ralph has won the (first ever) American Legend Award and Menswear Designer of the Year!! Congrats Ralph!! WE LOVE YOU!!

French vs. Spanish

As someone who is practically fluent in Spanish, it is my view that languages are one of the most important aspects of education. Without languages, we wouldn't have the culture of the world that we have today. Language, my friend, is why the world is so interesting. The tower of Babel was not a hinderance to society, merely a way to create countries and cultures.

Ergo, we come to the classic dilemma; to school oneself/one's child in languages. I have stated my position: I am Pro-Language, any language at all. However, according to classical preppy by-laws, French is the classically accepted Prep language.

Ever since the days of the Barouche-Landau, France has been the highest standard for a cultured bourgeoisie. The English (whilst not at war) marveled over fine silk brocades imported from this country. And it is the rare person who declares "French food is the bane of society". Thus, it is accepted that French should be taught.

In America, the debate is more profound. With the increasing number of immigrants coming into this country (illegally and not), most of them speaking Spanish, French has fallen into disuse, or at least less use. Practically speaking, Spanish is more useful because it is spoken in more countries by more people. Also, with the current rate of Spanish-speaking immigrants coming into America, Spanish is bound to be an official language sooner rather than later.

Latin, the most classical of all language, is clearly the superior choice. It cannot be spoken (or used in society), but learning it will make for a better understanding of all the romance languages, be it French, Spanish, Italian, or even Portuguese. Seeing Latin on a course sheet automatically interests prospective boarding schools and colleges, as it connotes a will to learn and obviously, pretentious points. 

To be sure, a true prep will take French and Latin, but a practical prep will take Spanish as well.

Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren is the God of preppiness. Worship him. Dear ole' Ralphie has created various branches of his worldwide compant, Ralph Lauren (or Polo). To be exact, the lines are Ralph Lauren Collection, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Black Label, Blue Label, Pink Pony, Lauren, RLX, Ralph Lauren Golf, Ralph Lauren Tennis, Ralph Lauren Jeans Co, Rugby, Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Big & Tall, & Ralph Lauren Home (these are only from memory...). Note: to avoid the risk of heart attack of the prices of some of these lines, you should know that Ralph Lauren Collection is the exclusive line from Ralph Lauren. All the others are very nice, and also very pricy, so watch out. Ralph Lauren's trademarks are The Polo Pony and the "Polo". Ralph created his fashion collection in the 60's, orginally making ties. His growth since then is tremendous according to the multiple stores that have opened around the world.

When shopping for Ralph Lauren items, the must-haves are polos. As said above, its the trademark item. Blazers are a necessity, and whatever is instyle that season. Right now the company is going through a Nautical phase, inspired by Martinique.

An Introduction

Preppy. An expression that will never grow old, as well as a style that will never grow old. Many people underestimate what it takes to be a true prep, but thats what we're here for.

In New England, where we're from, there is only one true form of preppy. That is, classic domestic darling, who abhors all things Abercrombie and is polite to everyone. A true prep can cling tight to the classic clichés, or they can laugh it off and head off to sailing.

As a classic prep and her friend, who isn't really preppy but she does hang around quite a few preps and has her own insights, we try to send our tips to the outside world, so that the faux-preps (those Abercrombie-wearing, public school wannabes) can know the heights we reach, what everyone aspires to be. And maybe, just maybe, we can bring the preppy world to everyone.