One of the favourite 2024 fashion trends for spring and summer in America is the return of Preppy Fashion. This one is directly tied to Miu Miu’s string of hyper-popular runways that started a few years ago. Preppy style never goes off from the mind of youth though the times changed and people started for new trends. Preppy has been observed with new forms in every decade and dominating the fashion world. Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and Lacoste, they made the fashion glorious. On the other hand, Brooke Shields and Princess Diana with their turtlenecks and tartan blazers are certainly preppy icons of the decade.
What is a preppy style?
Preppy style has a historical background in America that represents some sort of elegant status. In the late 1890s and early 1900s guys who went to preparatory and Ivy League schools were the wearer of this style and were considered well-off, upper class as well as conservative. During this time preppy was a trend for rich people.
Term preppy is an abbreviation of “preparatory” sometimes spelt as preppie, or prep, and is used to indicate a person who has characteristics of a student or alumnus of an American school. But Preppy fashion has changed significantly over the decades and is going through another shift in the 2020s.
In the late 1890s and early 1900s guys who went to preparatory and Ivy League schools where the wearer of preppy
The fashion draws inspiration from traditional East Coast American fashion, particularly Ivy League and nautical influences. Preppy fashion denoted that the style is neat, understated, and often expensive clothes, young but classic and a refined yet casual approach to dressing.
The Gen Alpha made the preppy trend most variant which refers to bright clothing, lots of pink, and specific accessories like ribbons, bowties, and Stanley water bottles.
How preppy got as trend?
It was Brooks Brothers and J. Press that started the trends, giving affluent Ivy League students onsite shopping, which resulted in much of the campus wearing their clothing. In 1849, Brooks Brothers first introduced the ready-to-wear suit for American consumers. During that time of war between the United Kingdom and the United States, the British–former supplier of the U.S. fabrics–dumped piles of cloth into the water. Henry Brooks took the advantage of the cloth and decided to promote his company as a source of “ready-made” clothes. They use young women city labor in making of clothes and radically changed the “gentlemanly” dressing concept as affordable to everyday workers.
Princess Diana’s preppy sportswear was inspiring
On the other hand, due to the premade garments in standardized sizes the dress changed to loosened the silhouette of menswear from the fitted, custom tailoring of the Victorian era. During that time the American aristocrats had tradition to wear custom made suites and dress.
Colors and Origins synonymous with the Style
As the preppy was part of school uniform so it was primarily limited with color navy, white, and khaki for clothes. Later when preppy style became perfect leisure wear students often spent much of their off-campus time together. Many of the student traveled with their families to Palm Beach, Florida, which really became the popular preppy vacation hotspot.
With this new vibe many of the companies outfitting these Ivy Leaguers inspired to begin using the bright colors to match with Palm Beach in the preppy clothing. By the time, because of popular vacation spot where visitors present with preps are so well known today for wearing such brightly colored attire.
At present prep got a playful twist, polka dots and leopard printed accessories like scarves and handbags are the best bet. Gingham checks, a favorite for spring and summer, grace sundresses and button-down shirts, infusing preppy fashion with a fresh, youthful vibe.
Evolution of Preppy style by the time.
Preppy style has many form from 1800s to 2000s and many influencers and designers had contribution to get its present look. Miu Miu’s string of hyper-popular runways with Preppy Fashion. The below is the short description of evolution of the Preppy Style. Even in today’s time celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Yara Shahidi, as well as designers like Chanel and Ralph Lauren made it popular.
Preppy Style Grows in the 1960s and 70s – American actress including Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, and Jacqueline Kennedy the most influencing women of Hollywood was in a boom for preps trend. Because their vested interest and subsequent advertising of the prep culture pops up to rise it with the bold and colorful clothing for the 1960s and 70s.
The 1980s solidifies preppy style’s staying power – By the 1980s, dozens of clothing companies started opening shops for the wealthy class with the preppy image that cultivate elegant look in the society.
Then the top designers in the mid-1980s began to catch on to this trend and started designing professional wear for women in New York. They develop a trend of love as subculture for the prep Ivy-League students. Classic attire such as tailored skirts, suits, and dresses began to adopt nautical and equestrian elements with pops of pastel colors.
Brooks Brothers have made major changes in the preppy style with button-downs, knit sweaters, and loafers were all part of their closet must-haves. During 1930s, college women were with trendy fashion by the preppy look and it was first pair of “Lady Levi’s” that released in 1934, jeans became a major part of preppy style.
Preppy fashion at1980s
In the 1950s, the preppy trend expanded even more. When favorite movies and TV shows like Grease or Pleasantville, a new form of preppy was trendy because there are so many twin sets or sweaters styled over collared shirts worn by the young people that was just not school kids either.
A few changes were happening when GQ magazine (GQ stand for Gentlemen’s Quarterly), which was first published in the US in 1931 as Apparel Arts. The preppy style worn as off-field at that time like Sporty rugby shirts, plaid became even more popular. Americana a new Denim look created a branch of preppy and there was also that whole tighter, sexier, pin-up look happening too.
Preppy style and the Official Preppy Handbook – ‘The Official Preppy Handbook’ published in October 1980 that was a satirical reference guide edited by Lisa Birnbach and written by Jonathan Roberts. The book addresses “preppy” life from birth to old age, lending understanding to the cultural aspects of “preppy” life. The Handbook explains and satirizes what it takes to be a preppy person in the 1980s that parodying the lifestyle of the WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) elite because WASPs dominated American universities, and preppy fashion was traditionally worn on university campuses.
Originally, it was meant to be humorous and tongue-in-cheek, but it sold more than a million copies, according to The New York Times, the book ‘The Official Preppy Handbook’ was inspiring people to start wearing khakis, plaid blazers, and knotting sweaters over their shoulders unironically.
‘The Official Preppy Handbook’ was inspiring people to start wearing khakis, plaid blazers, and knotting sweaters over their shoulders
Preppy style at the late ’90s – In general, 1990s preppy was more casual than the 1980s that was dandified in looking. 90s young men were wearing ascots and Oxford shoes in favor of Nantucket Reds, nautical-striped T-shirts, boat shoes i.e. Sperrys, loafers, white style casual sneakers, slouch socks, and madras cloth or gingham short-sleeved shirts.
Britney Spears and 90s girls turned into school girl with a white button-down and pleated skirt and so the pants styles were lower, boot-cuts were in new preppy look.
90s was a nostalgic for cinema to music and fashion. The pop culture has enjoyed a major uptick in preppy style. During this period Britney Spears turned into school girl with a white button-down and pleated skirt and so the pants styles were lower, boot-cuts were in.
Jaime King American actress and model said “The ’90s saw a major prep resurgence through several different sub-trends,” and professional fashion designer and senior vice president of Design and Trend for Maurices said “Most notably: nautical-inspired boat wear, Princess Diana’s ultra-chic sportswear, and boarding school-esque plaid skirts and blazers.
Preppy style at 2000s – Jenna Lyons was an American fashion designer, businesswoman, and television personality. Lyons was the executive creative director and president of retailer J.Crew from 2010 until April 2017. Lyons made preppy style as shockingly bright colors, tons of sparkle, and playful twists.
By 2015, the comfy joggers and leggings worn by off-duty models looked more appealing than any type of buttoned-up, and black really was back.
The Blonde Salad is the famous magazine created in 2009 by Chiara Ferragni influenced fashion in loafers, polo shirts and pearl necklace are some of the key elements for a new preppy look.
The new version of preppy styles is being used by members of Generation Alpha to refer to a very “girly” aesthetic in 2024
Preppy style on 2023 – During Fashion Week 2023, collections made it clear that the preppy style has gone through to another metamorphosis. Shows like Chloé and Michael Kors featured mid-length skirt suits; Burberry had collegiate sweaters; Versace broke out the rugby stripes; and Dior included a ton of plaid and neckties. Those styles have already hit the streets as people are back to knotting their sweaters and reaching for pairs of chinos. Collars again, along with vests and argyle became another iconic preppy print.
Preppy fashion in 2024- The ‘preppy’ look is changing, and it involves a lot more pink and bowties. The new version of preppy styles is being used by members of Generation Alpha to refer to a very “girly” aesthetic. This preppy fashion emphasizes bright and colorful clothing, going heavy on the pink with specific accessories like ribbons, bowties, and Stanley water bottles.
