What is the Prep attitude? What's the personality of a Prep? I want a full transformation. From the way I talk to the sexual preferences. lol
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).