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New Style: Prep!
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I have to agree with the comments which are mildly sarcastic. As a person who wears prep ad a default, it's an easy way to conform and to also "slack" on developing one's own identity. It's a double edge sword: no one will ever state that a classic look is out of place but at the dame time, it becomes a uniform. It's a style worn from habit rafter than by choice - just like a priest or nun.
As for "affecting" an elite presence, that's a mistake. Simply carry yourself with dignity, confidence, and self-respect and you have mastered 50% of what it means to be "elite". The other 50% is respecting others.
As for "affecting" an elite presence, that's a mistake. Simply carry yourself with dignity, confidence, and self-respect and you have mastered 50% of what it means to be "elite". The other 50% is respecting others.
Dont you think though that beginning with good solid basics for ones wardrobe are a great start? From there he can add touches to make the look uniquely his own.
nudeyorker
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Thus my previous post! Stay as you are and you will go far, but if you need a change than just make yourself the best possible you that you can be. Because... no matter where you go, there you are, it does not matter where you live and what you are wearing but being comfortable in your own skin and what you are wearing is going to give the kick you are looking for.
As I said above, make your style your own or you end up looking like all of the other fashion victims depending which route they chose to emulate rather than developing a personal style.
Then get the bloody book. It's interminably right about what to wear and not wear and about how to live your entire life as if you've never left St. Grottlesex. There is far more than fashion advice. Birnbaum even gives advice on the correct accents you can fake, the right cars to drive, colognes to wear, and jobs to have. It's absolutely what you're looking for and the best part is, none of it has gone out of style. Pay particular attention to her warning about pink. Pink is a preppy male color but it has to be the exact shade of pink. Go to Brooks Brothers and buy one of their button down pink oxfords. Only buy classic fit. Any time you think about buying anything pink, match it to that shirt. It's the only pink allowable unless you're in Bermuda (a preppy mecca).
Other preppy places to find clothes:
J. Press
Ben Silver
Tretorn (only the sneakers)
English Sports Shop (Bermuda*)
J. Crew (but be careful)
and last, but not least, Murray's Tog Shop where you will find real Nantucket reds (which are more pink than red) and needlepoint belts (you'll need a few of those).
One rule in general, which was not noted in The Preppy Handbook largely because it wasn't around at the the time, is always to buy full-cut clothes. Fitted-cut clothes are right out. You also want to buy traditional American-cut suits and jackets, not English cut. Be careful because these days even Brooks Brothers is offering both. You also want to still avoid poly-anything. 100% natural fabrics all the way unless it's true athletic wear.
Preppy men tend to dress more flamboyantly than preppy women. It's a rule. Pink and green are little to obvious on men so that combination is avoided unless used as an accent, but practically any other combination is allowed.
You may wear your khakis with an old rep tie used as a belt. It's a jaunty look and fine for dressing down.
Suits you definitely need if you wear suits:
Seersucker (to wear with your white bucks)
Khaki-colored poplin
Blue pinstripe
Gray flannel
A tux with shawl collar and turn-down collar shirt. Find an antique stud and links set on eBay (Tiffany and Cartier are OK) if you don't have legacy jewelry. Rule is "no jewels." They can be mother of pearl or stone (jet, lapis, malachite, etc.) but never any gems. An exquisite diamond ear stud alone is acceptable providing it is small.
If you are remotely Scottish at all, you want zillions of accessories in your family tartan. You can even wear highland formalwear in place of a tux or mix and match (I use a tartan bow tie and cummerbund). Get to know your family tartan well and by all means order a tie in the proper tartan from a reputable retailer in Scotland (like Geoffrey).
And another thing. If you ever find a smoking jacket from Sulka that fits you, BUY it! Really old Abercrombie & Fitch (before they went gay) is also highly-desirable. So are old Indian ("bleeding") madras anything (shorts, ties, shirts). If you find these sorts of things, snap them up. They're difficult to find and hand-me-down classic clothing is a prep essential.
Otherwise, stick to Birnbaum's sage advice. The book may have been written as a joke but it's inerrant.
*Bermuda used to be perfect for buying prep clothes because it combined British and American so seamlessly. Great names like the Scottish Wool Shop, Smith's, and the great-granddaddy of them all, Trimingham's, are now sadly all long gone. Only English Sports Shop remains and it's one of the few places where you can buy proper Bermuda shorts (a wardrobe essential).
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goodwood
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Hmm. As a born and bred preppy that came of age in the 80s, staples in my wardrobe included but were not limited to: tennis sweaters, bucks (natural and white buck skin suede lace up shoes), penny loafers, lots of plaids and stripes, Ralph Lauren pink button down polo shirts, Land's End, J. Crew, L.L. Bean, Brooks Brothers, Abercrombie & Fitch, and for suits they were bespoken, Armani, Abboud, Hart Schaffner & Marx.
The attitude? Well, my attitude was typical of my friends - a sense of entitlement to do whatever we felt like doing whenever we felt like doing it. But being kind and respectful was essential.
The attitude? Well, my attitude was typical of my friends - a sense of entitlement to do whatever we felt like doing whenever we felt like doing it. But being kind and respectful was essential.
Principessa
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It's funny how you and I were reared in a similar fashion only my parents did it by living beyond their means. :frown1:
Anywho along with all of the above mom taught me noblesse oblige. Not only, that but this is exactly how clothes end up wearing people, rather than the other way around.
It's been over a decade since I've been there, but as I recall a bisexual black man with a pretty boy face like yours would have been beat down just for kicks. Add the preppy wardrobe and that's pretty much like signing your own death warrant.
Why can't you, just be you?
Not to be elitist; but Jason_els, Goodwood, and I all had the benefit of a private prep school in our early years. That's almost always part of the Preppy mystique . . . it starts young. :redface: 
Principessa
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It always looks good and is always appropriate attire; unless of course you are at a white tie or black tie event.
B_jeepguy2
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He is poking fun at WASPs who have a habit of giving kids family names as first names which is pretty common among East Coast elites. Here in Virginia you have guys with names like Carter Harrison Randolph Lee III, and stuff like that. They want to make sure that everyone knows they they have roots in the Virginia plantation aristocracy even though that has been defunct ever since the Civil War ended. You have sorta the same deal up in the Northeast with people giving kids Mom's maiden name as a first name.
There is more to being a prep than clothes. Sure if you wear Ralph Lauren Perry Ellis, Brooks Brothers, and J. Crew you will look preppy but to be a true prep you have got to start acting, and talking, like a rich white boy, and hanging out with rich white people. Take up rich white boy sports like golf, tennis, sea kayaking, snow skiing, and yachting. Yachting, kayaking, and skiing might be tough in Lubbock TX though so you probably don't have to worry about those! It doesn't matter if you suck at golf and tennis most rich white boys suck at all sports. Buy a late model BMW 3 series, if you can afford a 5 series that is even better. To look prep you have got to keep it stock though...no aftermarket rims or assessories. That would look ghetto and kill the whole look.
I think it is sometimes tough for a black dude to pull off the whole preppy thing but some do it very well. Think Tiger Woods and Barrack Obama!
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You barely touched on the exception of any article of clothing in Nantucket Red which, quite rightly, must be purchased at Murray's Toggery Shop on Main St. The shorts, for instance, are made of a heavy, almost canvas-like cotton, and are quite deliberately designed to fade (and a label on each pair warns to wash them separately) with each washing. Any and all resulting shades of pink are perfectly acceptable.
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I don't see where anyone mentioned Nautica or Fila.
I actually went to a college prep boarding school from 85-89. Navy Blazer, white pinpoint oxford shirt with button-down collar and khakis with boat shoes (preferably from Land's End or LL Bean) is the staple uniform. And, just about anything linen would work as well.
As for changing your personality -- I wouldn't advise it one bit. You are who you are. A prep attitude is something ingrained in you from birth, it's not something someone would be able to "pick up" without coming across as incredibly fake.
I agree with what pretty much everyone else has said -- especially vis-a-vis being the best at who you are and Murray's Toggery Shop.
Oh shit -- almost forgot: Vuarnet or Ray Ban Sunglasses, depending on how far into the '80s you wish to delve.
I actually went to a college prep boarding school from 85-89. Navy Blazer, white pinpoint oxford shirt with button-down collar and khakis with boat shoes (preferably from Land's End or LL Bean) is the staple uniform. And, just about anything linen would work as well.
As for changing your personality -- I wouldn't advise it one bit. You are who you are. A prep attitude is something ingrained in you from birth, it's not something someone would be able to "pick up" without coming across as incredibly fake.
I agree with what pretty much everyone else has said -- especially vis-a-vis being the best at who you are and Murray's Toggery Shop.
Oh shit -- almost forgot: Vuarnet or Ray Ban Sunglasses, depending on how far into the '80s you wish to delve.
Yeah, Lubbock would be tough on the sports thing. This is why squash is essential. Play squash and be really aggressive at it. Horses might seem like a natural complement, but horses are a girl prep thing unless you're into hunting. Hunting is the one male preppy horse activity. Do not bother with western saddle. Learn English only.
The car thing is also really important. BMW is good but no need to spend that much. If you do buy a BMW make sure it's dark blue. Other colors are dodgy. Other preppy car makes are anything German, Volvo, Subaru, anything British, Toyota's large SUVs (Land Cruisers of any age are worshiped), and big ass American station wagons (but not Dodge). Honda Civics and minivans are OK, the rest not so much. Very expensive European sports cars and old Citroens are OK too. Never buy a car in gold/bronze, black, or white. Girls can buy cutesy convertibles in fun colors. Boys cannot. Stick to dark blues, grays, silver, or red. Vintage cars are given a pass. Never hang anything from the rear view mirror. Acceptable stickers are limited to clear window stickers announcing your schools or schools your children attend. The really enormous Foxcroft sticker is a bit much. Get one smaller. You can also have Euro-type oval stickers but they must announce preppy places. Acceptable are: GB (Great Britain), FI (Fishers Island), BI (Block Island) and MV (Martha's Vineyard). There may be others. You can also have stickers about your dog or horse or yacht. They must be small and tasteful and not say something crude. You are not permitted to have stickers about your children or political affiliation. Preppy women may adorn the grill of their wagon with a Christmas wreath that lights-up during the Christmas season. They may also elect to have a custom-made hood ornament. This is acceptable because Queen Elizabeth has one and so it's OK. Everything else is right out. Driving is a serious business. Absolutely agree on the stock thing. If it didn't come from the manufacturer as an accessory or option, don't put it in or on your car (radar detectors and GPS excepted) and if it's gold anything, even if it is a manufacturer option, skip it. It's ghetto.
This is true. Everyone will recognize the reds as from the Tog Shop and that's enough to make them acceptable however I have to say they do have that reddish quality which prevents them from being girly pink no matter what they fade to.
I was going to mention Nautica but then thought better of it when I realized it'd be hard to pull off if you live in Lubbock. Fila's a great catch!
Yes! Absolutely! Another good one!
I'd add to the accessories list, lanyard keychains, pukka shell necklaces, grosgrain ribbon watch bands with a vintage Swiss watch that could have been your grandfather's (metal watchbands are not preppy but I've seen so many damn Rolex Oysters that I have to say this isn't a hard or fast rule), Greek fishing caps, friendship bracelets (popular among the deadhead/phish/stoner subset), knotted rope bracelets, and diving watches.
And underwear. Boxers. Brooks Brother's oxford or broad cloth boxers. For sports, wear a Bike jock. It's simple.
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Are you kidding? You have pretty much described many of the black guys i have knownw or dated. I guess it depends upon the black guy and where he grew up. There are quite a few that I know who have a- listed it all the way through and their preppiness is from Prep school and beyond. The rims comment was off the hook. If you have a Mercedes or BMW why use rims anyway? As for the FFV's give them a break , they still havent gotten over Appomatox.
D_Gunther Snotpole
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collared shirts: long or short sleeve, polos
cardigans, v-neck sweaters, skinny ties
form fitting slacks/chinos. skinny fit/tapered seems to be the norm these days.
thick framed glasses (if you wear glasses of course, don't be a douche and wear glasses without lenses, that shit is dumb)
just make sure you match your colors well.
cardigans, v-neck sweaters, skinny ties
form fitting slacks/chinos. skinny fit/tapered seems to be the norm these days.
thick framed glasses (if you wear glasses of course, don't be a douche and wear glasses without lenses, that shit is dumb)
just make sure you match your colors well.
sweet sufferin' jesus,
how does a fashion trend that was co-opted by so many millions of poseurs retain any cache for the true-blue-bloods at all? (no offense N8, i'm sure for you it's as signature as columbo's trench-coat)
Once there's a guidebook allowing the clueless to mimic, isn't that pretty much the end of it? or has it been long enough that everything old is new again?
I'm glad my formative years post-dated the zenith of the fad, and were spent in geographic locations where we were never seduced to enlist in affected conformity, and faux "old money" inflections. my gene pool is a little too mixed to pass for WASP anyway.
how does a fashion trend that was co-opted by so many millions of poseurs retain any cache for the true-blue-bloods at all? (no offense N8, i'm sure for you it's as signature as columbo's trench-coat)
Once there's a guidebook allowing the clueless to mimic, isn't that pretty much the end of it? or has it been long enough that everything old is new again?
I'm glad my formative years post-dated the zenith of the fad, and were spent in geographic locations where we were never seduced to enlist in affected conformity, and faux "old money" inflections. my gene pool is a little too mixed to pass for WASP anyway.
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