A Distorted Preppy Capsule Wardrobe for Spring

Everything I was looking at had a preppy vibe to it, but not traditional preppy.

Like preppy with an edge, or distorted preppy.

So I went with it.

Preppy is back but not in the traditional way we think of preppy.

It’s not like the 1980s yuppies that we tie to the look. We cut off hems, and made them jagged. The fabrics aren’t tidy and perfect, they are wrinkled and dishevelled.

We altered it and made it modern.

Isn’t that kind of exciting?

The preppy aesthetic ball started rolling with the Miu Miu micro mini skirt that became viral a few seasons ago.

You know, the one that was so short that the pockets hung out?

It was like naughty preppy.

It brings me back to when we rolled the waistband of our catholic uniform skirts.

They were pretty short.

This preppy is like going braless under a button-down, cutting off the length of your cable knit sweater, wearing your trousers low rise, or wearing your oversized button-down pantless.

I’m not sure if I will reach pantless levels though, but I enjoy having the option.

It’s like 80s traditional preps meet the early aughts, throw in some Gossip Girl, and then introduce the mix to modern times.

Can you envision it yet?

Prep today isn’t used to blend in or show your wealth. It’s to make you stand out individually.

It’s funny because The Yuppie Handbook which was a sartorial satire from the early 80s has a description of what a Yuppie is and it just so happens to fit this time period perfectly.

Especially this part, “lives on aspirations of glory, prestige, recognition, fame, social status, power, money, or any and all combinations of the above.”

Sound familiar?

Anyway, the origin of preppy staples was menswear which is absolutely something I love. So bring that back and integrate those menswear pieces.

The navy cashmere sweater I added is men’s because I find that although they are cut similar to women’s the proportions are more relaxed and the overall fit is one that I prefer.

I can get a similar fit by going up a few sizes in women’s, but this isn’t always a viable option so try a men’s to see.

Use every tool at your disposal and try shopping in both departments. It opens up a whole new world… and they often have much better colour choices.

This new preppy style is for the women who wear it unlike the preppy of the 00s which were for the male gaze.

We want to inject it with enough spunk and creativity that the pairings make sense to us, but make someone else go “huh?”

So instead of the perfectly creased and hemmed khakis we are going to grab them from our clothes chair in a slightly wrinkled look and haphazardly cuff them like you were in a rush, but it is intentional.

And if I want to wear my khakis perfectly pressed, do we pair them with a fitted sweater and some loafers?

Maybe?

But we could also try pairing them with a track jacket and loafers, but loafers that are super chunky or platform.

I included the silver platform loafers and a track jacket blazer hybrid for this reason. I love that blazer.

Maybe add that sweater too but tie it across your chest like a cross-body like in the first photo here. Use your pieces as accessories as well.

Make the most out of your wardrobe.

The khakis in this look would be like the anchor to the preppy while balancing out the more out of the box styling of the other pieces.

So the idea is to take the basic preppy uniform as the base. It is the anchor to the preppy aesthetic but we want to make it more.

So we keep mixing it with things that don’t feel like they will go together but once they are on it just works.

Alone a t-shirt dress is the preferred preppy classic staple. Usually paired with ballet flats or sandals and a bucket bag or straw bag.

Instead, try wearing it over jeans or trousers. Switch up the footwear based on the season and the look you are going for.

You could still do ballet flats or sandals because the jeans will be the main item that is distorting the look.

For accessories try wearing a belt bag instead of a straw tote, or a baguette in a bold colour.

But if the outfit leans more towards edgy then anchor it to preppy with a straw tote.

Do you see where I am going with this?

This is where you would use your style adjectives to guide you because everyone will have a different desired look.

For some of us, this concept may come naturally, but for the majority you might need a quick tip breakdown.

So to achieve distorted preppy try mixing and matching with other styles like a fitted button-up with oversized jeans.

Those pieces also play with proportions. Which could also be achieved by wearing an oversized blazer and a cropped polo shirt.

Use unexpected details like loafers with studs, or sweater with an extremely deep V.

Try stepping out of the preppy style classic colour box and try experimenting with colour. Like a bright pink polo shirt or a neon green blazer.

The concept is to not wear something that the yuppies would have approved of. Instead, try a version that is a little more effed up.

Trust me, it is going to be fun.

Distorted Preppy Outfit Ideas for Women

You might also like:
A Modern Classic Capsule Wardrobe for Spring
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Using Your Style Adjectives to Build a Spring Capsule Wardrobe
The Ultimate Spring Capsule Wardrobe and Spring Outfit Ideas
A Spring Capsule Wardrobe on a Budget
A Romantic Capsule Wardrobe for Spring
The Modern 90s Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe for Spring
An Edgy Spring Capsule Wardrobe With Style Adjectives
The Art of Dressing Like Yourself: A Personalized Capsule Wardrobe

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