It's the preppy look, and it's back from the '80s
By Kate M. Jackson, Boston Globe Correspondent
The words ''preppy comeback" make Paige Esser chafe in her Lilly Pulitzer skirt. The notion of a comeback -- particularly in New England -- is oxymoronic for people like Esser, for whom chinos, madras, and polos never went out of style.
''To me, prep extends way beyond fashion. It's a way of life," said Esser, 31, a human resources director from Hingham who recently moved to Washington, D.C. ''While I'm happy to see the style enjoying another moment in the sun, I think many people miss the whole point of preppy clothing, which is timeless, never trendy."
This year, with designers from Juicy Couture to the Gap rolling out hundreds of variations of the rugby shirt, the cat is out of the Bermuda bag: Preppy fashion is not just for Muffy and Biff of Andover anymore. It is for Madison and Tyler from suburban high schools who wear preppy-inspired polo shirts from Abercrombie & Fitch or American Eagle. It's ''preppy couture" for fashion-conscious urban professionals whose Nantucket Reds -- distinctive brick-red sailcloth slacks -- may be from Marc Jacobs's collection, not Murray's Toggery Shop.
These conflicting preppy styles have converged in a perfect storm of pink and green that is barreling full speed toward fall and could stick around a while. However, the prevalence of prep has some old-school prepsters experiencing a fashion-related surrealism not seen since the mid-1990s, when upper-class suburbia went hip-hop.
When fashion adopts the style of an entire culture, a simple trend often becomes a movement, said Kathy Gordy-Novakovic, director of fashion marketing for Cotton Inc.
''Fashion is cyclical. After years of showing a lot of skin, fashion is becoming more buttoned up and tailored down. The preppy trend itself could be tied into the 'new luxury' consumer we're seeing more of these days," she said. ''Preppy is a look that is synonymous with affluence and higher education; it's an old-money wardrobe. People may want to take on that look of someone who is very well educated or wealthy."
''I believe it has a lot to do with the Republican administration, the uncertainty in our world, the war, etc.," Esser said. ''People want to go back to a time where cardigans and pearls represented all that was good and decent in America. Also, there is a reason cardigans have stood the test of time: They just make more sense than a poncho or a fishnet sweater."
The last time preppy fashion reached this level of popularity was in the early 1980s, when Ronald Reagan ushered in a new age of conservatism. While it appears to be happening again, this trend -- unlike the preppy mania of the 1980s -- arrived in a more organic manner, drawing its influence from traditional seedbeds of fashion: the inner city and the music industry, according to Gordy-Novakovic.
''One thing that is really driving this trend is how much hip-hop has adopted this look," said Kelli Delaney, editor in chief of Celebrity Living magazine. ''Kanye West and P. Diddy have been seen sporting preppy attire like polo shirts, button-down shirts in bright colors, and khakis for a while now."
According to Lisa Birnbach's ''The Official Preppy Handbook," preppy fashion is famously low-key because it is inspired by a class of people who don't care to flaunt their wealth -- except for the not-so-subtle message of wearing clothes that suggest constant skiing, tennis, and sailing.
Emily Donnan, 22, is perhaps the most classic kind of preppy because she wasn't even aware that her fashion choices defined her as such. ''To be honest, I never considered myself preppy, because it was the norm at home," said Donnan, who grew up in Chatham and recently graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont. ''I never realized that not everyone popped their collars and not everybody's dad wore bleached out Nantucket Reds on a regular basis during the summer.
''Personally, I like the return of the classic look; however, because I consider 'old school' simplicity to be an element of traditional preppy style, I feel that some of the clothes and trends are overdone," said Donnan.
Trish Bridier, who is the granddaughter of Phillip C. Murray -- the founder of Murray's Toggery Shop and creator of the original Nantucket Reds -- said that while Nantucket has always been ''preppy," the island is changing. ''People are dressing up more and we're seeing younger customers who have adopted preppy style as a fashion look," she said.
As a result, Bridier said Murray's has added low-rise Nantucket Reds and Lacoste polos that have a slimmer fit and come in a cotton-Lycra blend. ''We're also selling more cocktail dresses," she said. ''And lots of ribbon belts."
Ann Perrino, creator of Ann Veronica handbags, said she's having a similar experience in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. ''New generations are seeing hand-printed fabric with a preppy feel for the first time and are loving it," she said. ''More tertiary styles, more imagination, and more affordable fashion brings a wider audience; however, there is a downside. With preppy being a mainstream trend right now, product quality -- once a prerequisite -- may now be a novelty."
Jim Bradbeer, president of Lilly Pulitzer, said he's thrilled to see that his company's fashions are appealing to a whole new generation and demographic as a result of the resurgence of preppy style. ''We've modernized our fabrics and cuts and have moved beyond our core pockets like Palm Beach and New England. We are selling well in Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Denver, and started shipping to Canada for the first time," he said.
''We've always made happy clothes," said Bradbeer. ''Fashion has been dark and neutral for about 12 years, so a whole new generation is finally being exposed to these bright-colored styles for the first time -- and they're embracing them."
Kelly Reardon, 26, a Boston management consultant to nonprofit corporations, is admittedly ''a little obsessed" with preppy style. ''I absolutely love it. I bought a giant L.L. Bean tote for work that is green with pink straps and has a pink monogram of my initials," she said.
Celine Carroll, 35, of Cohasset said she loves the ''khakiness" and colors of the preppy styles that are currently so widely available. ''It brings me back to the days when I lived in my peach Le Tigre shirt and painters pants," she said.
Gary Zerola, 34, an attorney and self-proclaimed fashion zealot from Boston, said he reads Italian fashion magazines to bone up on the latest trends. ''To be honest, I was shocked to see the preppy style coming back, but I'm into it. I wear the clothes, but I put my own spin on it. I think my look is more urban, less country club," he said.
To accommodate this new generation besotted with preppy styles, stores and boutiques that are typically trendy are suddenly flush with madras and plaids. On the racks at Jasmine Sola in Hingham, halter tops and low-rise pants have been replaced by pastel polos and madras print blazers and skirts. And they're flying off the shelves, according to sales clerk Ashley Marscalek. This year, Juicy Couture -- a brand Jasmine Sola has carried for several years -- rolled out its own line called ''Preppy Couture." Until now, Juicy Couture's designs tended to be more urban and sexy.
''The Juicy stuff has been extremely popular this season, especially with the 12- and 13- year-old girls," said Marscalek.
If 2004 was the year of the mesh trucker hat, 2005 could go down as the year of the grosgrain ribbon belt. While it's hard to calculate how deeply ingrained prep has become, it's definitely a trend that's carrying into the fall, said Jenn Debarge-Goonan, a style expert at TJX Corp. in Framingham, which owns T.J. Maxx and Marshalls.
''The customer is demanding it. We'll continue to see preppy styles this fall, but with a twist," she said. ''For instance, we're seeing cropped denim jackets worn over untucked polo shirts. People will take the basic pieces and add something -- a metallic belt or scarf -- and make it their own."
No comments:
Post a Comment