The Preppy Look: Just as Stylish as Ever?

With its rich history and wealth of signature elements, the preppy look is in many ways just as much a part of the American style legacy as the cowboys of the Wild West. Since its breakthrough in the 1970s, the style has known both ups and downs. But each time it has been declared 'dead', the preppy look has come back stronger and more inclusive than ever, adopted and adapted by the next generation. We begin this article by briefly exploring the history of preppy style, before discussing its role in today's fashion climate.


The word preppy itself refers to the exclusive, private prep-schools predominantly found along the east coast of the USA. It can be considered a natural evolution of the Ivy League style that would come to dominate the campuses of the East Coast's most prestigious universities from 1910 until the 1960s. There, students took clothing from names such as Brooks Brothers and made it their own. Blazers were to have soft, natural shoulders, penny loafers were almost the obligatory choice of footwear and Shetland jumpers, Oxford shirts, and chinos filled students' wardrobes.


Fast-forward a few decades, and the style began rapidly losing ground. In the late 1960s, the cultural and style revolution heralded by the hippy movement led the masses to begin abandoning the Ivy League look. The CEO of Brooks Brothers went into retirement after 21 years, and Ralph Lauren established his own brand. It was at this point that the preppy look began to cautiously emerge, slowly burgeoning into the style that we today associate with the word 'preppy. Brands such as Gant, Lacoste and Ralph Lauren began clothing their models in colourful trousers, polo shirts and boating shoes, with the almost ubiquitous knitted jumper casually slung over the shoulders.


In the 1990s, the style's popularity began to fade, losing ground to more street-oriented looks that, if you will allow us to oversimplify somewhat, would come to dominate the fashion world until the early 2010s. So, is the preppy look passé? Absolutely not. As we mentioned, the style's strength lies in its versatility and adaptability. Today we see marques such as Drake's and Rowing Blazers taking the very best of the preppy legacy and infusing it with elements of Ivy League, streetwear and classic British tailoring. Despite being a far cry from what was seen in the 1980s, the style remains unmistakably preppy.


Colourful chinos have been replaced with light wash jeans, often with subtle abrasions and wear. The navy blazer remains but is increasingly seen in patterned and striped variations. Even the Oxford shirt, the cornerstone on which the preppy style was built, has ceded ground to knitted polo shirts and resort shirts. If we were to take a look into our crystal ball, we would predict that cherry-picked elements of the preppy look will continue to be integrated into other styles, thereby ensuring its survival.