Anonymous wrote:I actually went to prep school. A well known New England boarding school. Trust me, none of us dressed anything close to Ralph Lauren or Vineyard Vines or whatever posers think passes for “preppy.” In fact the term “preppy” was never used by anyone I knew. What you’re seeing 99% of the time are desperate wannabes.
Nobody from your school had clothes from LL Bean?
Ralph Lauren does fake Western ranch rich too (skirts and dresses with Western prints come to mind). And like a lot of brands, it has had a streetwear/urban moment. Those are the pieces with the 4" tall logo.
My impression of Ralph Lauren men's businesswear is that it's pretty much same as Brooks Bros and Jos A Bank at a lower price point. Very typical NE menswear. No trendy patterns in the fabric.
Vineyard Vines seems fake to me but I don't know the origin story. I think it's trying to go for what Lilly Pulitzer used to be famous for back in the day. Their merchandise seems overpriced for the quality.
What's mainly missing these days are the cutesy repeated prints and the strange handbags. It's been forever since I've seen a wicker handbag with a fake scrimshaw on it.
Coach used to be preppy but when they reinvented themselves with C logo prints and wild colors they sold their brand's soul to the devil.