Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette!
Today's video, we talk about preppy style and clothes, and how you can get the look.
First of all, what is preppy style or prep style?
Well, as the name suggests, it was derived from prep schools in about 1910-1912.
Boys from affluent households developed that style entered prep school, and was characterized
by school uniforms that were paired with certain accessories such as madras patterns and linen,
bolder colors.
It always had a nautical vibe to it.
By the 1940's, it had gotten more mainstream and was adapted at Universities, and it became
also known as "Ivy Style."
Iconic brands that produce that clothing included J. Press, Brooks Brothers, and later also,
Andover Shop.
Other brands such as Ralph Lauren also picked up on the defining prep style elements and
incorporated it into their wardrobe collections.
Of course, if you want to learn the details of the history and how it evolved, I urge
you to check out our in-depth prep style guide on our website.
In this video, we're going to focus on how you get the look.
If you enjoy the prep lifestyle and look, here is how you can get it.
First, something that has become really popular all these years is the anchor bracelet.
You may have seen it in other places, and while bracelets are very popular in general,
a nautical anchor bracelet is something that many people assume is very preppy.
Although historically, it's not something that men actually wore.
Another item that is truly preppy is the argyle sweater, you may know the pattern from Burberry,
it has basically diamonds with overplaid and contrasting colors.
That kind of bold mix of colors is exactly what prep students would wear.
In terms of colors, you can really choose any combination under the sun, red, blue and
white or yellow and green, you also have a sweater vest that go with jackets, and it's
quintessentially prep.
For the colder days, a barber wax jacket has a nice patina, is aged in brown or olive green;
it is also very preppy even though it's of English origin.
For the summer, a true prep item are so called cloth belts.
They come either in Madras such as here, or in embroidered and woven belts, and it's just
a very casual element that doesn't match your shoes but just underlines the casual character
of a summer prep style.
In terms of footwear, the quintessential prep shoe is the boat shoe.
Traditionally, they come in a dark brown with a white deck sole that is perfect for being
on a boat.
You can also find them in Nantucket red, green, yellow, or blue.
For more information about boat shoes, check out our video here.
Other than argyle knitwear, you can also go with a thick cable knit and it can either
be in white or ideally, off-white, probably beige and if you want to, you can also add
styles like the neckline that's contrasting which you probably have seen in tennis sweaters.
For more about this type of sweater, please check out our guide here.
Chinos are another hallmark of a true prep.
They come in a cotton twill fabric in khaki, beige, stone and navy.
For summer, you can also go with baby blue, Nantucket red that's a mix between salmon,
red, and pink or maybe even a light green.
As you can see, for prep, it can't be colorful enough especially during the summer.
If you add embroidery to those bold pants, they're called go to hell pants, they're so
contrasting that makes suck a statement that you can't really overlook them.
It's really a bold statement, but it's nevertheless very preppy.
If you want a slightly more formal footwear than a boat shoe, go for a loafer.
Ideally, you should go for a penny loafer or a tassel loafer; you learn more about these
shoes in our in-depth guide here.
For the colder, fall season and winter season, L.L.
Bean boot is a preppy statement, and it's just very characteristic of the region, definitely
something you should invest in.
In terms of colors, Nantucket reds are really popular either in shorts or chinos, not so
much in jackets, but it's a unique blend of red, salmon and pink that is loud but nevertheless,
classy and prep.
Probably one of the most formal items of prep clothing is the navy blazer, and it's often
combined with oxford cloth button down shirts.
For in-depth information about the navy blazer, please check out our guide here.
The Oxford cloth button down shirt has a soft button down collar, has a chest pocket and
overall, barrel cuffs which work well with the overall casual, relaxed style of the preppy
nature.
Of course in the summer, you can also use Polo Shirts in all kinds of bold colors ranging
from light blue to red, green and yellow, for more information on Polo shirts, please
take a look here.
Quilted jackets are also very preppy because they come in olive, or gray, or brown tone
and it's very easy to carry along but insulates at the same time.
For more information about that, please check out our quilted jacket guide, here.
If you want to go bolder than Polo shirts, maybe a rugby shirt with bold stripes and
numbers and a contrast collar will be the right thing for you to wear and it's also
very prep.
Seersucker is another fabric that is favorited by the preppy simply because it's lightweight,
summery and it's very American.
In terms of neckwear, preps really like bow ties in either Madras or linens or bright
and bold colors.
For the winter season, you want to invest in some tweed sportcoats in earthy tones and
muted patterns simply because it's a very classic look that is worn at Ivy League schools
and it's just an integral part of prep style.
That's especially true if you combine it with a contrasting vest.
If you add a pair of brown, dark, suede shoes, or a burgundy oxblood red cordovan shoe, you
complete the preppy look which is understated, relaxed, casual, and sometimes a little bold.
For more information about preppy style and Ivy League style and how they're different,
please go to our website, we discuss all of that.