Q&A: Essential Pieces for a Preppy Look
Q: What are some essential pieces for a laid back, preppy girl look?
By Colleen Geary, fashion stylist and image consultant
A: First a bit of fashion history for you: preppy
fashion is derived from White Anglo Saxon College Preparatory School uniforms. Big in the 70s and the 80s, preppy fashion is still very much in style today. But instead of wearing preppy fashion head-to-toe, we generally recommend layering in other pieces for a more laid-back, modern look. To get you started though, here’s eleven staples for a preppy look:
Wool Gabardine Single Button Jacket | $225 at J Crew
The Cable Knit Sweater
Cambridge Cable Crewneck Sweater | $74 at J Crew
The Basic Button Down Shirt
Sparkle Plaid Margaret Shirt | $78 at J Crew
The Polo Shirt
Kendall Polo Shirt | $39.50 at Abercrombie
The Corduroy Pant / The Khaki Pant
Modern Boot Cut Corduroy Pant | $54.60 (sale) at Banana Republic
The Lilly Pulitzer Dress
Lilly Pulitzer Cosette Printed Shirtdress | $195.90 (sale) at Nordstrom
The Pearl (or Diamond) Earrings
Pearl Stud Earrings | $55 at J Crew
The Cartier Tank Watch
Cartier Tank Francaise Watch | $3,800 at Saks Fifth Avenue
The Ribbon Belt
Striped Grosgrain Belt | $48 at J Crew
The Kate Spade Handbag
Kate Spade Classic Noel Metallic Griffin Tote | $216.90 (sale) at Nordstrom
The Penny Loafer
BP Paperclip Penny Loafer | $59.95 at Nordstrom
Lastly, here’s two pointers to make your preppy look more laid back:
(1) Play with color. We like darker and richer colors than the generally preferred kelly green and bright pink.
(2) Don’t look too perfect. Your cotton pinstriped button-down could, for example, be left unpressed. Or you can wear it slightly unbuttoned to show some skin.
Have a great tip about what to wear for a preppy look?
Share it with us in the comments!
Style question? We’ve got answers. E-mail us at tips at omiru dot com, or leave us a comment with your question.
November 27th, 2007
For those who spend their leisure time in the kitchen, a fire engine red trivet in the shape of a Thai blossom.