Preppy

Concrete Definition of Preppy: One who is stylish and spends a lot of money on their clothing. Typically dressed in Ralph Lauren Polo, Lacoste, and Lilly Pulitzer. A true prep goes to a prep school, be it a day school or a boarding school. Most of these schools are located on the East Coast. They are not religiously affiliated. There is no such thing as a true public school prep. Preppies are subtly flashy, and tend to purchase things for comfort and style. Silver jewelry is particularly common, as are pearls. Flip-flops and ribbon belts are must-have accessories, as well as real (or sometimes fake) pearl earrings. Preppies take good care of their nails, but do not get acrylic fakes. Many get their eyebrows waxed. Preppies strive always to appear to spend less time than they do on their appearance, and do not brag or draw attention to their achievements openly. Preppy clothes never truly go out of style, but are frequently replaced. Preppies love their khakis, especially males. They will pay three times as much for a polo player, alligator, or palm tree on their shirts. Common vacations include, but are not limited too: Massachusetts coast, skiing out west (it is more expensive), and Caribbean island vacations during the winter (also very expensive). Most preps have, in their life, skied, and played lacrosse, tennis, and golf. Preppiness is found in its truest form after several generations of wealth in the family. First-generation preps tend to be flashy. True Preparatory (Prep) schools have near 100 years of “experience in educating young men/women” and nearly all of them send 100% of their graduates on to college. Preps tend to proceed to Ivy League, or other “big-name” colleges. Their level of intelligence varies greatly. They may have, but do not need, trust funds. Preppies value staying in touch, which is why many have cell phones. They claim to buy their more expensive items so that they “will last.” (Examples are Oakley sunglasses, Columbia Sportswear and LL Bean outerwear, and Polo shirts.) Preppies are not slutty, and do not wear American Eagle or Abercrombie, except for some of their sweaters. They focus instead on the more expensive brands, since they can and will pay 50-75 dollars for a short sleeve shirt. Preppies strive to wear different shirts each time they are around the same person. True preppiness can not be adapted, but it is a part of birthright. Wanna-bee Preppies never quite achieve what true preps are born with.