L'Eau De Prep

Following in Ralph Lauren's footsteps, Tommy Hilfiger just launched his new line of fragrances, "Eau de Prep" this month.   The collection features two fragrances,  Eau de Prep Tommy Girl and Eau de Prep Tommy. The fragrances reflect sporty yet elegant style, quite similar to the Tommy Hilfiger way of life.

Eau de Prep Tommy features red grapefruit, wild clary sage and passionate granadilla top notes, Egyptian Geranium, wet greens, a splash of tonic, white pepper, lavender absolute and juniper berries middle notes and finally rich amber, and georgywood, oak moss and white suede base notes.

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The flacons are very elegant, made of see-through glass and embellished with golden inscriptions and capital while also featuring a new crest from Tommy Hilfiger.

The collection was developed by Hilfiger licensee, Estee Lauder Cos.' Aramis and Designer Fragrances unit. Fragrances Eau de Prep Tommy Girl and Eau de Prep Tommy is available as 50 and 100 ml from the Tommy Hilfiger website where they retail for $65.

Fashion Forward #14 - Have Yourself a Jodhpur Winter

Happy FestiChristmaHanuKwanzaa everyone and I hope that snow hasn't completely covered you yet! I've been travelling around the south of the USA, hence the lack of posts, however in the few moments that I got to surf the web, one item in Rugby.com's winter collection managed to pull me out of my winter lethargy and get me back in post writing mode.

If you remember, I wrote a post about the most interesting styles in men's pants/trousers a while back and the Jodhpur was one of them.

As I was browsing Rugby.com this break, I stumbled upon a gorgeous pair of red plaid denim jeans, woven in a jodhpur style. As far as I know, even though a lot of designers have flirted with equestrian inspired designs, Jodhpur denim jeans have not been done before. Check them out and let me know what you think!

Plaid Jodhpur Jean - $94 - Rugby.com

Meet The Hilfigers

Though Tommy Hilfiger's last campaign has been out for quite some time, a recent close-up shot revealed a Duke University decal on one of the old cars in the campaign's video (00:30)

Meet the Hilfigers takes the Tommy brand into a "new direction while respecting the brand's aesthetic" Tommy tells Women's Wear Daily. I see it more like Tommy is finally getting onto the preppy resurgence bandwagon. What I like most about the campaign, is that Tommy isn't just rehashing the old Preppy look that Ralph Lauren has been regurgitating for years but rather has reinvented it. From what I can tell, he has brought elements present in Italian style and fused them with staples of the original Prep look (The model on the right literally looks as if he was hand-picked from the streets of Firenze during Pitti Uomo.

L.L. Bean Signature - Winter 2010

I have featured L.L. Bean's new(er) Signature Collection before and I'd like you all to see their Winter 2010 Collection ad. The Signature line is a reinvention of the L.L. Bean classics that caters to the modern buyer. Plaids, earthy tones and thicker textures give this season's line a true North Eastern American feel. 

Also, Lisa Birnbach, author of True Prep, got to sit down for a short chat with the line's design directors:

Fashion Forward #13 - Badge of Preppiness

Appliques, patches, crests, badges or decals are decorative surface applications of fabric that adds dimension and texture to the background fabric. The term derives from the French word appliquer (and the Latin applicare) that means to join or attach. While its early use was most likely to strengthen worn areas or serve as a patch over holes, appliqué developed into a creative art form used by many cultures over many centuries. (Scribner Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, Volume 1)

Nathaniel Vanderbilt Archibald, wearing the Vanderbilt Family Crest on his jacket

The resurgence of Prep culture and its increased visibility on the runways has brought back wearing crests and patches on one's belonging. It has been customary for old families to display their family crest on suit jackets (as is portrayed by Nate Archibald, a member of the Vanderbilt family on Gossip Girl) as well as Prep School and Ivy League Alums to don badges and patches from their alma maters on suit jackets, sweaters, shirts, duffel bags and nowadays even on their laptops.

Rugby is one of the handful of designer houses that has been reinterpreting preppy elements and bringing them to the general public.

True Prep author, Lisa Birnbach states that being preppy is no longer a distant, veiled and often misunderstood way of life, non-preps becoming ever more fascinated and acquainted with it than when her Official Preppy Handbook came out in 1980. As such, preppy paraphernalia is at an all time high in popularity, and sewing or gluing a preppy crest or badge on one's possessions is one easy way of adding that so desired preppy element.

Chest badges are amongst the most popular.

Placement-wise, there aren't really any rules, however, many of the appliques I've seen were placed very similar to monograms, either on the left chest-side or on the cuff of the shirt, rugby or sweater. With bags or other accessories we truly have freedom of expression, and even going over the top with the number of crests, the sizing of badges or the discordance of colours is acceptable.

A clash of two worlds, the jeans jacket and sewed-on the crest, make for an interesting combination.

Most new appliques are iron-on nowadays, however, many machine-washes or dry-cleaning the piece of clothing can make the glue wear off. The safest and more vintage-looking option is still the sewed on look but if your needle and thread skills are lacking here's a guide to help you stitch an appliqué on successfully

A different assortment of badges and crests, ranging from school-inspired to nautical

You can find some of the appliqués featured above at these different online stores:  

• New York Design Shop (definitely my favourite)
• Family Crest
• 1FerretTreasures
• Laughing Lizards

Wake Up Preppies, They're Back!!

The most anticipated month of this year has come, and what better way to be woken up on a beautiful September North Carolina morning than by the UPS delivery of the 2 books we've all been waiting for!

I haven't actually had the chance to read them but from taking a few peeks at True Prep I can definitely tell you it's gorgeous and will most likely join its predecessor, The Official Preppy Handbook as one of the staples of any self-respecting prep.

 

I would really recommend getting these two amazing books either for yourself or as a gift!

Fashion Forward #11 - Ubiquitous Ties

Studying in a campus that is so reminiscing of Oxford or Cambridge, I often think how much alike my campus is to some other American staples, Disneyland or The Cheesecake Factory to name a few. Though all originally set out with the intention of becoming genuine replicas of European Universities in the case of the former two and a mix of European architecture and eclecticism for the latter two, the end product is a travesty of the original, a mere façade, veneer of vanity.

Saying that you're too busy with school to care about how you look is NOT an excuse!

The universities that are models for the American Universities, as well as many prep and boarding schools within the US still enforce some form of dress code. While many people think uniforms are means of torturous uniformization, they are nothing like that. Uniforms were first designed as a means of distinguishing students of these schools from other people living in the cities adjacent to the universities and moreover to hopefully instill school pride in the case of recognition of one's association with the school. The lack of uniforms, or in the least, of a proper dress code has brought the American student population down to the realm of exaggerated "je m'en fiche-ism". Take a walk through some of the more prestigious university campuses in the U.S. and what you will see will be nothing less than an incongruous image between the architecture that is meant to evoke high values and aspirations of academic excellence and the fleece-pant and hoodie wearing student, whose school pride sums up to nothing more than some bouts of pride during football or basketball season. What is worse is that whenever anyone tries to be more fashionable, without a preset purpose, or just for shits and giggles, as a friend of mine described it, the rest respond unfavorably and most times it's part of a defense mechanism rather than disapproval of sartorial choice.

Just putting on a navy jacket, a shirt and a tie is not even that much of a change yet it has prompted many questions like: "Oh, what's the occasion?"...well does there have to be an occasion for someone to put on a tie? The answer is No! it doesn't have to. With a resurgence of the traditional Ivy League Look, now more than ever, donning a tie in any combination uplifts your entire look and adds that special feeling that you took  a few extra minutes to get ready in the morning.

Ties come in a huge variety of colours, fabrics, cuts and patterns, however that will not be the topic of this post. What I would like to focus on instead, is the versatility of a tie, one of the few accessories that men can play and experiment with when dressing up. While there are many combinations, some of which I might not have thought of, here are the ones I think are worthy of your attention.

1. The T-Shirt and Tie

The most casual of all combos is wearing a tie, loosely knotted over a t-shirt. Though it's not exactly my personal style I have seen many guys don it in European clubs. If you decide to try it out just make sure your tie is on the slim side and not too somber looking (no wool). What's also popping up more and more these days are t-shirts that already have a tie attached permanently to them or one is just drawn on.

2. The Short Sleeved Shirt Combo

Also on the more casual side, wearing a tie with a short sleeved shirt is a funky and hip way of adding originality to your look. It's great for a summer in the city and if your work place permits it, a great summer office look. Same rules as above with regards to choosing a suitable tie.

3. Simple is not necessarily lazy: The Shirt and Tie

Now I'm pretty sure most of you are hyper-familiar with just wearing a shirt and a tie in the office or for events where a sports coat/blazer would be overkill. The rules of slim-ties apply here as well and please do tuck in your shirt. If you find there's some extra stuff hanging out, either think of something else to wear or put on a sweater to cover it up (read below). If you're not a big fan of short-sleeved shirts but you find your long-sleeved ones to be a little stifling in the summer, you can always roll up your sleeves stylishly (remember, rolling too little or too much over the elbow is not the right way to do it). 

Shirt, tie and jeans all by Dolec & Gabbana. Shoes by Calvin Klein Collection. Tie bar by Paul Stuart.

For the more daring of you, suspenders are another accessory that can enhance the almost bare look of a shirt and a tie. Keep the suspenders simple and do go with the ones that use leather tabs to attach to the pants rather than clip-ons. The Topman suspenders I introduced to you a while back make a great addition to any look

4. Wearing Vests is Tré Cool: The Tie and Vest 

Of all the casual appearances of the tie, its combination with the vest is probably the most wide-spread. Often hipster teenagers and metro guys going out are seen wearing a tie and a vest. Almost any vest works whether it was originally part of a 3-piece suit or is a fluffy down-vest.

5. Layering Up - The Rugby and the Tie

As fall descends upon the northern hemisphere and the weather gets chillier in the mornings and evenings, just a shirt won't be enough to keep you going so the art of layering comes in handy here. A simple way to keep warm is to add a rugby shirt over your shirt and add a tie for panache. Since we are no longer able to see the tie, whether or not you're wearing a slim or wide tie is of no importance anymore. A way to get creative is to step outside your tie-knotting zone and try a different knot each day, depending on your shirt's collar. You can always roll up your sleeves to complete the look and please do not forget to not pop your collar. Rugby.com has a nice selection of Rugby Shirts.

6. It's Getting Chillier, Break Out the Sweater: The Sweater and the Tie

As the temperatures plummet and a thin rugby shirt is not enough anymore, a cardiganm or sweater is a welcomed substitution. This is one of my favourite combinations as I am a big fan of sweaters, especially shawl-neck sweaters, although you can wear any type of sweater, even v-necks and crew-neck sweaters

7. Bring in the Blazers and Sport Coats: The Tie Meets the Jacket

The cherry on top, when it comes to layering is adding the final touch, the blazer, sports coat or jacket in our case. Whether you choose to wear your coat over the shirt directly or doubly layer it with a sweater or rugby is up to you as well as choosing the jacket to top everything up.

8. The Suit

Last but not least, the outfit your probably associate most with wearing a tie, the suit, will never loose its appeal and whether you're a fan of the double or single breasted suit or of peak or notch lapels, you'll still be wearing a tie to it.

I really hope you've enjoyed our little incursion into the different ways you can incorporate a tie into your daily wardrobe and that you will try to go out of your comfort zone a little next time and wear a tie. There wil definitely be some people who will ask you what the occasion is and it will get annoying, but you know what.. you feeling great is all that matters at the end of the day.

Tie Tips

- Avoid wearing clip-on ties or bow-ties, they are unproffesional.

- The front point of your tie should be just long enough to touch the waist of your pants.

- Your tie should be darker than the color of your shirt.

Fashion Forward #10 - 4-Looped Belt

If you've been reading any of my posts you know by now that I am a big fan of any form of innovation when it comes to men's fashion. Browsing around Summer Is A Verb, I saw a picture of a belt the likes of which I had not seen before, and luckily there was a direct link to the manufacturer's website.

Wiley Brothers, founded in 1999, is an American-based leather handcrafts company specializing in leather belts and accessories. The "Classic 4-loop Hoof Pick Belt" is their signature product and is inspired by folding brass hoof picks used by all types of equestrians.

The 4-Loop belt retails at $145

While there is plenty of variety when it comes to Men's Belts buckles, I will never say no to something new that works and is appeasing to the eyes. The 4-Loop Belt's buckle is hand-stitched to bridle leather and hooks into one of four loops. The 4-Loop Belt is available in Black, Dark Havana, Mahogany and Light Havana and in sizes 26 to 42.

A Little More Preppy Than That

I found this hilarious spoof of Easton Corbin's "A little more country than that", sung by Lady Antebellum. Hope you guys enjoy it to and don't take it to heart as it wasn't written to offend anyone! Enjoy the song and video! Thanks to Summer Is A Verb for the link!

The Last Bastions of Prep: Deerfield Academy

Deerfield Academy, is one of the top Prep Schools in the United States, right there next to Phillips Andover Academy, Phillips Exeter Academy, Choate Rosemary Hill. Deerfield Academy, founded in 1797, is an independent, co-educational boarding school located in Western Massachusetts, know for its rigorous academic programs, athletic prowess, and the beauty, drama, and rhythm of campus life.

I have always been a fan of school uniforms as I feel they instill feelings of belonging to a community and school pride. While as far as I can tell, Deerfield Academy does not have a uniform per se, the dress code mentioned by some of the students in the video makes for a more homogeneous look. The Prep look, which is indigenous to, well, Prep Schools is a non provocative, put together appearance. The Prep does not wear Abercrombie or Hollister, which I am always  amazed to hear some people call preppy! The Prep boy or girl wears Lilly Pulitzer, Ralph Lauren, Vineyard Vines, Lacoste, and other similar brands. They like prints such as Seersucker, Plaid, Argyle, and Madras and most often do not shy away from wearing what most people call go-to-hell colours. 

I Invite you to watch the following video and notice some of the Prep elements of clothing, which are as close to the source of Prep as they can be. We can even notice the Jacket, Shirt, Tie and Shorts look that has been creeping up on the different runways of the world. 

Thanks to The Over-Cher for the video link

Channeling the 90s

The 90s preppies had it going right....everyone else sadly did not!

Fashion Forward #2 - Contrasting Bow-Ties

Sruli Recht is the embodiment of the free-spirited artist. He is Israeli-born, Australian-educated and now lives in Iceland's capital, Reykjavik. His works are always original and slightly otherworldly, breaking the gender barriers and reaching out to the essence of creation and beauty.

One of my favourite pieces from his collections and also my favourite bow-tie is his Contrast-Trim Bow-Tie. Having talked about how much I love contrast trims before, you can imagine how excited I was to see that someone thought up adding a contrast trim to such an entrenched accessory.

Contrast Trim Bow-Tie, available in indigo and sandstone - $55

L.L. Bean Tries Risqué

L.L. Bean, a long established brand of moderation and traditionalism, featured as the staple of preppiness by Lisa Birnbach in her famous "The Official Preppy Handbook", has recently added a couple of pieces that deviate from their standard collections, as part of their L.L. Bean Signature brand. L.L. Bean Signature, much like Rugby and Ralph Lauren, represents an opportunity for them to reinvent themselves. 

I would like to congratulate their brazen move and advise that they continue to encourage such ideas in the future!

The item combination we'll be looking at today is all built on one very (according to L.L.Bean standards) short pair of shorts, a weekender bag, a nice duck motif leather belt and an earthy hand-sewn pair of leather chukka boots to finish it off.

Leather Eastport Handsewn Ranger Moc ($79), Downeaster Sport Canvas Bag ($54), L.L.Bean Corduroy Shorts ($49) paired with a nice Leather Field Duck Belt ($49)

This look is a perfect match for any guy who likes to stick with the good-ole traditional values but also wishes to keep up with the new trends as well. I am really considering purchasing a pair of these shorts for myself, to wear this Summer and Autumn. Remember though, always buy shorts in your size or one size smaller to avoid the common baggy look or having to pull your shorts up every two steps.

Esteemed Compendiums

I've wanted to share these great fashion, style, culture and lifestyle resources with you for some time. That's why I created a page dedicated just to listing these online books I have found and read.

Here are some of the titles I have added or will be adding:

- The Official Preppy Handbook by Lisa Birnbach -

- The Official Filthy Rich Handbook by Christopher Tennant - 

- Take Ivy by T. Hayashida -

- Dressing the Man by Alan Flusser -

- The Gale Encyclopedia of Style, Costume and Culture by Tom and Sara Pendergast -

- The Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion by the Scribner Library of Daily Life-

- Fashion as Photograph by Eugenie Shinkle -

- Fashion Artist: Drawing Techniques to Portfolio Presentation by  Sandra Burke  -

- Complete Idiot's Guide to Etiquette by Sandra Burke -

- Historical Fashion of the 17th and 18th Centuries by Avril Hart and Susan North -

- Fundamentals of Fashion Design by Richard Sorger and Jenny Udale-

- Medieval Fashion by Tom Tierney -

- Guide to being a Gentleman by The Art of Manliness -

- Askmen.com's Style Bible -

- 21 Ways of Improving your Camping Lifestyle by Bill Revill -

- Wedding Etiquette for Dummies by  Sue Fox -

You can access it all here. Enjoy!

Give In Style

As it has become Rugby.com's custom to support different humanitarian causes, just like a good Prep should do,  Rugby is hosting a 6 day event in which all of you can help the victims of the Haiti and Chile earthquakes. 

On top of receiving a 25% discount (Enter the discount code GIVERL) on any Rugby item you can feel even better about your purchase knowing that 10% of what you pay goes to support the cause. Get out your credit cards and shop for a cause, I'm sure your Spring and Summer wardrobes could use some new additions! Rugby.com is also great about shipping: free if your purchase is over $150 or a flat $5 fee otherwise.

Here's a few of my favourite Rugby Items, which I would definitely wear and wholeheartedly recommend:

Top Left: GRAPHIC PRINTED CHINO SHORT - $79.50
Bottom Left: BLACK SKINNY JEAN - $89.99 and ENGLISH ROSE STRIPED BOW TIE - $49.50
Center: COTTON CABLED ARM STRIPED CREW - $89.50 and CANVAS MESSENGER BAG - $99.99
Top Right: SCOUT DECK JACKET - $198
Bottom Right: WADHAM GINGHAM OXFORD - $69.50
Note: Prices are before the special Give in Style discount!

Keep it in style!

Nautical Articulations Of The Being

What lies in names of furtive random faces,

That often hint at meaning just right before the future coalesces?

Is it the souls of waves that are now fleeing

From Nautical Articulations of the Being?

The sea has always been part of human nature and even nowadays it is still part of quite a few people's lives. Sailing and Yachting are often exclusively taken up by civilization's privileged, the few who can afford the time for his expensive hobby.

Perusing through my copy of The Official Preppy Handbook has brought something I had forgotten about, back into view, something that has to do with both sailing and a privileged lifestyle: Nautical Monograms.

Nautical Monograms have been and probably still are one of the few secret alphabets that are not that well known and could be easily overlooked by the uninitiated. The Nautical Alphabet consists of 26 distinct flags that each have a letter and a meaning associated with it. This particularity of "Vexillolinguistics" as it might be called, affords for easily creating one's monogram and then using it for anything ranging from signing a message, displaying membership into an elite sailing club to discovering other Preps that are passionate about sailing.

Here are the Alphabet and Numbers Chart in the Nautical System, useful for quick reference:

My Nautical Monogram for example would be the following:

One website that offers notecards with Nautical Monograms is Polygraphics.com

Enjoy being creative with your monograms in a new way!

Madly Modish Madras

There was an Old Man of Madras,
Who rode on a cream-coloured ass;
But the length of its ears,
So promoted his fears,
That it killed that Old Man of Madras.

As the limerick hints at, wearing madras can easily become that cream-coloured ass that brings your outfit, and you with it, down to the ground. Madras is quite varied, madras is quite moody and madras is definitely not for the weak-hearted. Since each spring and summer season brings a resurgence in Madras clothing and accessories, I've decided to take a look at this unique fabric that is very dear to me.

Subdued colours, attention is drawn to the tie and jacket. Definite Madras Do!

As Wikipedia puts it, madras is a lightweight cotton fabric with typically patterned texture and plaid design, used primarily for summer clothing—pants, shorts, dresses and jackets. Madras is constructed in a 60/40 manner threadwise, which has been determined to be the perfect ratio for optimal lightness, strength and breath-ability.

The fabric takes its name from the former English name of the city of Chennai, India. This cloth also was identified by the colloquial name, "Madrasi checks." One style that was popular during the 1960s was called bleeding Madras because it used dyes that were not colorfast in a typically plaid design, resulting in bleeding and fading colors that yielded a new look to the fabric each time it was laundered.



Because of its almost garish nature, wearing Madras must be done in a very reserved fashion. While some exceptions are accepted for the most Preppy of people IN Preppy circumstances (e.g. preppy weddings, country clubs etc), this is not generally valid for most of us. Also, recently, there has been a surge of madras imitation materials that are borderline plaid and come in the most horrendous of colour combinations. I will try to show you what I personally consider Madras Dos and Don'ts.

MADRAS DOs

Classy Madras - never in the center of attention!

MADRAS DON'Ts

Clashing accesories, Madras on Madras, Matching Outfits (I can even attest to having bought the lower left corner outfit, which I have only worn together once, much to my chagrin) and even Madras raincoats from Band of Outsiders

Remember:
- moderate colours
- match one of the dominant colours of the madras with the rest of your outfit
- keep it simple
- never multi-layer with madras, too clashy

The Preppy Handbook dedicates an entire page to Madras (you can find the entire book here) so be sure to check it out. What I would like you good folks to take out of it is a little tip about caring for Madras: wash your Madras in salt water for the first few times to help set the dyes.

Keep it classy, as two lovely Duke girls like to say!