Tennis skirt and loafers
A white oxford shirt, a pleated white tennis skirt, a navy cricket sweater draped over the shoulders and brown penny loafers with white socks. Loafers instead of sneakers are the twist.
Outfit Lab · Preppy
Preppy outfits to try on yourself
Preppy is the uniform of American prep schools and Ivy League campuses: oxford shirts, cable knits, rugby stripes, chinos, blazers, pleated skirts and loafers, in clean, bright colours. It is sportier and sunnier than old money. Below are four outfits we made with PublicSelf on our synthetic demo avatars, each with one twist on the campus classics.
Examples
Four preppy outfits on our demo avatars
Made with PublicSelf at 9:16 from our two synthetic demo identities and not retouched. Each caption says what the picture actually shows.
Rugby shirt on college steps
A wide-striped green-and-navy rugby shirt with a white collar, khaki chinos and brown boat shoes. We asked for two sizes too big; it came out a relaxed regular fit, and a retake lost the chinos and shoes, so this one stays.
Green blazer, striped shirt
A bright green blazer with a gold button over a pink-and-white striped shirt, khaki Bermuda shorts and brown loafers. Green where navy would be.
Seersucker with shorts
A blue-and-white seersucker blazer over a navy polo with khaki shorts and white canvas sneakers on a boathouse dock. Tailoring cut short.
Background
Where preppy comes from
From the prep school to the rest of the world.
A school word
Preppy, short for preparatory, began as the style of students and alumni of college-preparatory schools in the north-eastern United States.
Take Ivy, 1965
The photo book Take Ivy documented the clothes of Ivy League students in the 1960s and turned campus dress into something people studied and copied far from America.
The handbook
The Official Preppy Handbook (1980) was a joke and a guide at once, and helped spread the style well beyond the schools.
Preppy or old money?
They share the same roots. Preppy is the young, sporty, colourful version; old money is the quiet, beige, grown-up one. Our old money page covers that side.
Ideas to compare
What makes an outfit read as preppy
Sport, colour and a pressed collar.
Sport at the root
Tennis, rowing, rugby and sailing gave preppy its pieces: tennis skirts, cricket sweaters, rugby shirts and boat shoes.
Bright and clean
Navy, white and khaki as the base, then kelly green, pink, red and yellow. Stripes and seersucker belong to the language.
Everything crisp
Pressed collars, a sweater knotted over the shoulders, polished loafers. Preppy relaxes with rolled sleeves, never with wrinkles.
How it works
Build a preppy look in the studio
List the classics, then give them a campus.
List the classics
In your Look, write “white oxford shirt, pleated white tennis skirt, navy cable-knit cricket sweater with a striped V-neck draped over the shoulders, brown penny loafers with white crew socks.”
Give it a campus
In Shoot, pick Full-body and Portrait (9:16). A red-brick quad, college steps, a tree-lined path or a boathouse dock. Ask for clear sunlight.
Check stripes and collars
Stripes should run straight across the body and collars should sit flat. Ask for no logos or letters; generated crests and lettering look fake.
In the studio
One surprising move
The outfits here are concepts generated on a synthetic demo avatar, not garments for sale. Fine patterns such as stripes, checks and seersucker can come out simplified.
Unexpected colour
A kelly-green blazer where navy is expected.
Proportion
A rugby shirt two sizes too big, or a tailored blazer with shorts.
A footwear swap
A tennis skirt with loafers and white socks instead of sneakers.
Sources
Where these facts come from
The history above, with the pages we checked.
Questions
What are preppy clothes?
Oxford shirts, polo and rugby shirts, cable-knit and cricket sweaters, chinos and Bermuda shorts, blazers, pleated and tennis skirts, loafers and boat shoes, in navy, white, khaki and bright accent colours.
What is the difference between preppy and old money?
Both come from the same schools and clubs. Preppy is younger and sportier, with stripes and bright colour. Old money is quieter: beige, navy and cream, fewer patterns and more tailoring.
Is preppy for men too?
Yes. Rugby shirts with chinos and boat shoes, or a seersucker blazer with a polo and shorts, are two classic men's looks on this page.
Can I try preppy outfits on myself?
Yes. Create an identity from one clear photo, describe the outfit in a Look and generate a full-body portrait. The price is shown on the Generate button before you start.
Try it yourself
Put yourself on the quad
Describe an oxford shirt, one striped or bright piece and a pair of loafers, choose a sunny campus, and see the result on yourself.