Dressing Preppy

ANSWER

Dear Ken,

Wow! A lot of thought has gone into this whole ‘preppy’ cardy and polo shirt look. First of all, forget rules in relation to caridigns and polo shirts. I really don’t think there are any. It’s a case of what you think looks good on you.

In my opinion I actually like a cardigan with a polo shirt done up or not done up. If you want to do your cardigan up I actually would think doing it all the way up to the neck would look a little constricting and actually take away from the polo. My suggestion would be to button the cardigan half mast – that would be to about your navel and then with the Polo I think you can usually leave a polo unbuttoned, this looks much more masculine and less ‘little boy’ and balances out the cardigan being buttoned half way. I would suggest buttoning up if you wear a shirt and tie however with your cardigan. This can be a great look with a pair of slouch jeans and leather shoes or indeed converse runners.

With a turtleneck I think your girlfriend is on the right track with keeping the cardigan buttoned all the way up. Personally I only like a turtleneck on men or women if they are of the woollen variety – see my entry of Basics – Turtlenecks.

The thing with the turtleneck is that there is already a lot going on with the item. It’s coming all the way up the neck. I actually would suggest not wearing a turtleneck and a cardigan, this actually seems a little bit ‘older man’ and less ‘preppy’ to me.

For a more preppy look. Stick with your polo shirts, and cardigans, but also add to the mix. Beige chino’s, a navy blazer, checked shirts and you should definitely get a vest which is such a hot look right now – think Justin Timberlake!

The Preppy style can look fantastic, but there is a fine line between Preppy Fashion and Grandpa Fashion! So tread carefully is my advice.

In thinking about what looks to emulate I’d think of labels like Ralph Lauren, Fred Perry and Penguin.  Here are some looks I’ve found that you can play with in getting your Preppy look right.

- Look 1
- Look 2
- Look 3
- Look 4
- Look 5
- Look 6

Good luck and be sure to send us a photo showing us your Preppy Look in our Street Fashion section coming soon.

Love
Bronny
xxxx