WHY WE LOVE PREPPY

Not only do we feel different when we dress preppy, but in most cases we are even able to sense admiration coming from strangers’ eyes. How is this possible?

Well, preppy clothing is highly recognizable. Many of the garments involved are rooted in British and early American collegiate culture, and are thus quite uniform-like. 

This means that the moment we step out of the house in a pair of riding boots and a blazer, people don’t simply think that we are making an attempt at the preppy look, but rather, that we might have a high social status, or even income. 

This desire for gaining strangers’ respect by wearing set outfit formulas, that are highly recognizable and pseudo-elegant, is what also prompted the recent old money trend to spread on social media.

The truth is, our Tommy Hilfiger button down and La Martina leather bag speak to strangers, telling them we’re the crème de la crème of our community: we’re part of a private club, or we’re enrolled in a prestigious college. 

Preppy is also linked to specific sports: sailing, polo, tennis, golf, horse riding, rugby, and cricket, all activities which are associated with the elite. Not everyone can afford a horse, and even less people can afford a boat. Even renting one, is something only few can sustain for a long period of time. 

We all enjoy dreaming, and thinking of what we would wear in situations that we can definitely not be a part of. We dress to impress, becoming the main characters of incredible stories, imagining what it would be like, going home to a feast-like dinner, made by a cook and served by maids, in our mansion.