Those who are not preppie may often times wonder, "what is a preppy?" The term preppy is a creation off of the word prep. Prep was the name given to the children who attended a preparatory school. Preppy is both a noun and an adjective, but mostly used as an adjective. An example of an adjective is, "Martha looks so preppy today."
Wikipedia describe preppy in this way, "
Preppy (also spelled
preppie) or
prep (all abbreviations of the word
preparatory) refer to a subculture in the United States associated with the old private Northeastern university-preparatory schools. The terms are used to denote a person seen as characteristic of a student or alumnus of these schools.
Prep has become a colloquialism in the United States and has largely replaced
preppy in modern usage. Characteristics of preps in the past, include a particular subcultural speech, vocabulary, dress, mannerisms, etiquette, reflective of an upper-class upbringing."
The idea of who a prep is has changed over the years. Preppiness is not just achieved by attending a prep school or dressing a certain way. Preppinesss is a lifestyle that is chosen by the individual. However, most preps were raised by preps. A preppy person enjoys the finer things in life. Preppy people gather over activities that include golf outings, sailing, tennis, brunch, tea parties, dinner parties, house parties, yacht parties, really any type of party, preppies love to party, horse races, and of course shopping.
We all know Urban Dictionary is a reliable source so let us see how they describe preppy.
Preppy-
A true preppy is someone who:
Wears, but is not limited to, Polo, Lilly, Brooks Brothers, Lacoste, LL Bean (ie duck boots), ribbon belts, prints (ie cords with embroidered whales,
palm trees, etc), sweaters tied around the neck, collar always popped,
looks neat and put together. Hair ribbons or ribbon headbands, pearls, and other classic jewelry pull the look together. Preppies are partial to monogrammed and engraved items (ie tote bags, oxford shirts, jewelry, money clips, etc). Colors are always brite (favorites include pink and lime green). Preppies may not always match EXACTLY but they are always coordinated. Hats are worn (ie polo player, Lacoste, Brooks Brothers), but they are unique- not designs you would see in the mainstream and the "mall".
Preppies often attend prep schools (ie Middlesex School, Governor Dummer Academy, and Belmont Hill) followed by New England private colleges.
They are confident and unafraid to express their own styles and be
daring in their fashions. Preppies vacation on Nantucket, Martha's
Vineyard, Delray Beach, and on the coast of Maine. These vacation locales are places their families have been going to for years, and have histories there.
It is a common misconception that preppies are snobs. Many people view them as unapproachable, and as a result mislabel them. Preppies are not as rich as people may think they are, but they are often well off. They buy into classics rather than trends, and don't change their lifestyles with fads.
Preppies tend to have bizarre connections with other preppies they meet, always finding mutual friends/ family and people that run in the same circle."
Well there you go.
Be Positive, Be Preppy
-Miranda Sue
