Preppy is back, but it never really left
By Ann Ipock
Preppy is back! Well, who says it ever really left? But still, I hadn't been seeing as many Weejuns, khaki slacks and matching sweater sets. I was beginning to worry.
Then, lo and behold, I discovered in the May/June issue of "N.C. Signature" magazine (an offshoot of the wildly popular "Our State") a 22- page spread. Twenty-two pages are unheard of in the magazine industry! Labeled "The Signature Guide to Preppy," the article began with philosophy, style and confidence.
Here the writer mentions her 80-year old Southern grandmother who still wears Sperry Top-siders. I thought that part was cool since most folks in my family also own a pair; even Katie, our 24-year-old daughter.
Then I read about personality, which mentioned the Chapel Hill native, Alexander Julian, dubbed "the patriarch of preppy," who started the no-sock trend himself and is credited for promoting the preppy style on a national level. Of note, his parents opened a clothing store on Franklin Street in the heart of Chapel Hill in 1942. That's kinda neat.
My Dad also owned a retail business; two shoe stores in Jacksonville, N.C. The Bootery and The Shoe Box. The Bootery sold Bass Weejuns (loafers) and there's no preppier shoe style that I know of. Plus it's the perfect shoe to do The Shag, the S.C. state dance.
Next in the article was a section on fashion where the photos show pink and green ties and wildly colorful boxers for men. The two women who started "Southern Proper," Emmie Howard and Regan Hardy say they call their brand, "haberdashery for the Southern gentleman."
A Preppy Teen Room was even featured -- from the 2005 Jr. League Greensboro's Designer Showcase House -- the inspiration being "a mix of Legally Blonde and Preppy Styling from the 80's."
Even Kate Spade has got into the act with a Kate Spade store in Raleigh which features her signature $700 to $1,000 handbags that sell out overnight. Nordstrom in Durham and Saks Fifth Avenue in Raleigh carry these as well.
Then came a whole section devoted to monograms, which I wrote about in a recent column. Once again, monogrammed stationery was mentioned as a must have.
Jack and Lulu is a stationery company started by a N.C. couple, preppy themselves, Tom and Julie Murphy. Also shown were home furnishings, even more pink and green, and other shops listed that cater to all things preppy.
Recreation was mentioned that personifies preppy; that being the Young Affiliates Derby party in Charlotte, which had attendees wearing seersucker and sundresses. Of course, tennis and golf are certainly preppy sports and the models are shown, dressed in their best preppy attire.
Even restaurants were listed: Calling the Fox and Hound Room inside the Grove Park Inn in the historic Country Club in Asheville, "where preppy meets posh." I made a mental note to visit this place soon. Also, Nantucket Grill in Durham is highlighted.
And being the writer that I am, a novel titled "Prep" by Curtis Sittenfeld just jumped out at me. It is set in the 1980's prep culture and features 14-year old Lee Fiori as the protagonist about to enter an elite boarding school.
Though I would never relegate one exact style to my way of thinking -- (being a free spirit), I also love the Bohemian and Bahamian look; the sharp and chic contrast of black and white; and the comfy cotton sweats that work perfectly on early autumn days -- I'm a big fan of preppy. It's fun, colorful, easy to match and it says something about the wearer: Fairly conservative, always neat and tidy, but carefree enough to fit into a laid back life style. It doesn't discriminate age, either. If you're 4 or 40 or twice that age; whether you're going to an outdoor party or a dressy theater performance, chances are there's something in your closet (or certainly at the closest department store) that fit the bill of preppy. It's not only a way of life, it's an easy, breezy confidence. And for folks on the Eastern seaboard, preppy will always be in style. You can bet your sweet Lilly Pulitzer that's a fact!
Ann Ipock, author of "Life Is Short, So Read This Fast!," can be reached at www.annipock.com.