Wonder where to buy preppy clothes online?
In this post, I will show you the best preppy clothing brands and preppy stores where you will see classic and trendy preppy clothes!
Before that, if you wonder what should be in your preppy capsule wardrobe, this is the post you may want to see:
Alright, let’s check out the best preppy clothing brands and stores!
Best Preppy Clothing Brands & Preppy Stores Online
Brooks Brothers
- Brooks Brothers was established in 1818. It is said that it is the “Oldest Preppy Store Still Alive.” according to The Official Preppy Handbook.
- A lot of historical celebrities wore Brooks Brothers’s products including F. Scott Fitzgerald (The author of The Great Gatsby), and US presidents like Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy. (Nearly every US president except a few ones.)
- So many classic preppy items originated from or were popularized by Brooks Brothers, such as button-down shirts, repp ties, seersucker clothes, and argyle socks. (There are so many fascinating historical stories about Brooks Brothers on its Our Heritage page. I highly recommend you take a look, it will help you to learn more about preppy fashion history.)
- Unarguably, you will see the most iconic preppy clothes. That means if you want to dress like a traditional and authentic preppy, you will never go wrong with choosing the clothing here.
- Its womenswear seems modest, and it feels like it’s a perfect place to find sophisticated business casual attire.
- You can add personalized monogramming with an extra fee to make your look more “preppy”.
Ralph Lauren
- It all began with a passionate man, Ralph Lauren, who is the founder of this fashion empire and always creates the style he loves. He used to work at Brooks Brothers. Later he launched his first high-quality necktie line called “Polo”. (Ralph Lauren liked sports and he thinks polo is stylish even though he had never played polo.) Decades later, Ralph Lauren is one of the most successful lifestyle brands in the world. It perfectly embodies the American dream through the clothing, furniture, restaurants, atmospheres, etc. that make people aspire to the lifestyle of upper-class Americans. When it comes to timeless American style, Ralph Lauren is definitely one of the brands people will think of.
- Ralph Lauren has a lot of sub-brands that satisfy different customers. Among them, the only brand I want you to know is Polo Ralph Lauren. It is the core of Ralph Lauren brands and I think it is more “preppy” than any other sub-brands. It presents the preppy style extremely well. When you look at its clothes, you don’t doubt if they are preppy style or not. (Some other brands, you need to think about it) That means, when you wear Polo Ralph Lauren, you instantly look like a preppy. Precisely, you will look like “A youthful and confident preppy” (in my opinion).
- One of the biggest features of Polo Ralph Lauren is the iconic polo player logo. It is the symbol of Ralph Lauren and the symbol of preppy. I believe most people have seen it on a polo shirt, the fun thing is, it initially appeared on the cuff of Ralph Lauren’s first line of women’s shirts instead of on the chest of polo shirts. Today you can still see that logo on the cuff of some of its shirts. I personally prefer it on the cuff to the chest. It looks cleaner. And when you fold the cuff, the logo is hidden, which means you can choose to show or hide depending on the situation.
- A polo shirt is not only a timeless preppy style staple but also one of the most famous items of Ralph Lauren (the one with the polo player logo on the chest). It was not invented by Ralph Lauren but he certainly made it popular internationally. (LACOSTE’s “tennis shirt”, which has the same style as the polo shirt, was launched ahead of Ralph Lauren’s “polo shirt”. But most people recognize this type of garment as a “polo shirt” because of the popularity of Ralph Lauren.) The reason polo shirts are favored by people worldwide is very likely that they are sporty, casual, and sophisticated. They are pretty much appropriate for anyone to wear on any occasion. Therefore, they are worn by everyone regardless of wealth, fame, power, social status, culture, or occupation. How significant is Ralph Lauren’s Polo Shirt? It was selected as part of The Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition in 2017. There is even a book called Ralph Lauren’s Polo Shirt which exclusively talks about various polo shirts Ralph Lauren has produced in over 50 years.
- In addition to its basic preppy clothes, the other feature of Polo Ralph Lauren is its vivid and colorful clothes, which make you feel lively, energetic, and positive. (For instance, when you search the polo shirts on its website, you will see there are polo shirts in many different colors.) I have a small fashion tip for you: Mix and match basic items with one vivid item. The vivid color will be the accent of your preppy look and it will make you shine in the spring and summer season!
- If you’re looking for more feminine and elegant preppy items at more affordable prices or don’t want the polo player logo on your clothes, I recommend visiting Lauren Ralph Lauren instead of Polo Ralph Lauren.
- An easy way to have a sporty preppy look is to wear the RLX Golf collection. It is excellent visually and functionally, and most importantly, worn by professional golfers. It’s ok even if you’re not a real golf player, at least you will be cute in those preppy outfits! If you’re a fan of tennis, you gotta check out the Wimbledon Collection! There are some classic preppy style tennis outfits waiting for you!
- Do you know how to have a cute and playful preppy look? Wear a preppy item with the Polo Bear on it! I’m sure you will look youthful and as fashionable as this best-dressed bear (also known as Polo style icon).
- Wanna have a one-of-a-kind preppy look? No worries, you can create your own preppy clothing and accessories at Ralph Lauren! You can have custom embroidery and monogramming on your clothes and hats, create a sweater or cardigan with the color and design that you like, choose a customized graphic and print it on your top. Especially the polo shirt, it is available in hundreds of combinations and you can have custom text on the sleeves of your polo shirt. Sounds fun and exciting, doesn’t it? (You can literally be a designer of your clothing!) It would be a nice personalized gift for someone special too!
- Ralph Lauren’s Pink Pony Campaign is for fighting against cancer. When you purchase an item with a pink Polo Pony icon or any item in the Pink Pony Collection, 25% or 100% (depending on the item) of the purchase price is donated to the Pink Pony Fund of The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation or an international network of cancer charities. It helps benefit programs for cancer screenings, early treatment, research, and patient navigation. I absolutely love this campaign! The pink Polo Pony icon and the graphic of “LOVE” with the pink Polo Pony icon are super cute and look amazing on Ralph Lauren’s products. Why not be stylish and help others at the same time?
- If you’re truly passionate about preppy style, I recommend taking a look at Polo Ralph Lauren Home. It has preppy style home decor and practical items with the “Ralph Lauren” aesthetic which will make your everyday life delightful. For example, a mug, plate set, water bottle, tumbler, umbrella, towel, beach towel, throw blanket, throw pillow, etc.
J.Crew
- In the 1980s, when preppy fashion was mainstream, J.Crew targeted customers who wanted to have a Ralph Lauren look but spend less money. The name “J.Crew” was created to embody the preppy spirit. (I think it implies rowing, which is considered a preppy sport.)
- Decades later, J.Crew’s price is still lower than Ralph Lauren’s today. You can have a modern preppy look at a relatively affordable price at J.Crew. Also, unlike Polo Ralph Lauren, you will not see any logo on J.Crew’s clothing. That gives an understated look and I really like that.
- Compared to other preppy clothing brands, J.Crew attracts me the most. When I look at its products and models, they give me a feeling that “A young preppy who knows how to dress stylishly.” In other words, “A very chic preppy girl”. If I’m gonna dress like a preppy, I want to dress like that. If you want to look like that too, J.Crew can be the perfect preppy store for you.
- It has The Cashmere Shop where you can find high-quality sweaters, sweater vests, cardigans, etc. (Cashmere is considered a type of premium wool.) Since “preppy” has an upper-class image, it’s not weird at all that there are cashmere items in a preppy’s wardrobe. Plus, it’s so easy to create a preppy outfit with cashmere clothes or scarves.
- Did you know that you can get preppy clothes at better prices at J.Crew Factory? According to its website, there are ALWAYS deals. J.Crew Factory’s products are cute, but the options are not as many and trendy as J.Crew’s. Hopefully, you can find the item that you like!
Faherty
- This is a beach lifestyle-inspired clothing brand. Its clothes and accessories have preppy vibes but seem more casual and relaxed. If you’re looking for preppy style casual and vacation clothing, this brand is perfect for you to explore!
- Interestingly, Mike Faherty, co-founder and chief creative officer of this brand, worked at Ralph Lauren before founding Faherty. I guess the style of Faherty is more or less influenced by the style of Ralph Lauren.
Kiel James Patrick
- Some of you may know that part of the preppy fashion style is inspired by the preppies’ lifestyle in New England. This preppy clothing brand focuses on “Classic New England Clothing” and its flagship store is in Rhode Island, which is one of the states in the New England region of the Northeastern United States.
- There are not as many clothing as other bigger preppy clothing brands, but a lot of items here are quite unique and adorable!
- Most of its clothing and accessories include nautical elements, which is the preppy style’s essential element, such as sailboats and anchors.
- Its jewelry is also nice to look at. It has jewelry made of pearls and shells that will make you immediately think of the ocean.
- In addition to its men’s, women’s, and kids’ collections, it also has a pet collection! Why not let your pet be as fashionable as you?
GANT
- GANT was a shirtmaker until the late 1960s and was known for making high-quality shirts. It used to make shirts for other brands including Brooks Brothers.
- This clothing brand has a deep connection with the Ivy League Look, a dressing style that inspired the Preppy Look. GANT was located in New Haven, Connecticut. It is where Yale University (one of the members of the Ivy League) is and the home of the Ivy League Look (declared by LIFE magazine in 1954). As a shirtmaker, its button-down shirts were very popular among students at Yale University. It’s not hard to guess that shirts, especially button-down shirts became the essentials of the Ivy League Look and the Preppy Style.
- The perfect roll, back collar button, locker loop, and box pleat are the signatures of GANT’s shirts. Interestingly, the locker loop became a sign of relationship status at the time among Ivy League students. (A guy would remove the loop of his shirt when he had a steady relationship with a girl.) Even today, you can see those signatures on some of its timeless button-down shirts. (You may not see them on the shirts from other clothing brands. Especially the back collar button, it seems so rare nowadays.)
- GANT also helped popularize shirts with bold colors and fancier fabrics like Madras, candy-stripe, and tartan when plain white shirts had been the default for men. The Ivy League Look was not dull and nerdy anymore!
- In 1971, the product line was extended to American sportswear. Here, you can find not only great shirts but also various preppy items, such as polo shirts, shirt dresses, cable knit V-neck sweaters, dressy pants and shorts, etc. that give you a casual, smart, sporty preppy look.
- When I look at its products, I can feel the preppy vibe, but it’s not that obvious. I recommend wearing its clothes if you want to enjoy preppy fashion understatedly and don’t want to show off too much. Additionally, I like the color tone of its clothing. Most products are restrained, soft, and pleasing to the eye. It has some bold color products but they are not too bold to make you dislike them.
- If you’re wondering what sets GANT apart from other preppy clothing brands, here is what the former CEO of GANT said: “We represent American sportswear with European sophistication.” I think it makes sense because this clothing brand is rooted in the US and its headquarters is now in Sweden. If you desire that kind of preppy look, maybe this is the preppy store you’re looking for.
LACOSTE
- LACOSTE was founded in 1933 by tennis champion René Lacoste and his business partner. They started with a revolutionary tennis shirt (also known as a polo shirt). To this day, its polo shirt is still the most classic and iconic item of this fashion brand.
- I think it is reasonable to consider LACOSTE a preppy clothing brand because it is related to tennis, which is one of the sports preppies enjoy. It has plenty of sporty clothing and accessories that preppies would wear. (In The Official Preppy Handbook, LACOSTE’s polo shirt is introduced as a shirt for both female and male preppies.) So I recommend visiting this preppy store if you’re looking for sporty preppy clothes, especially for a tennis look. (By the way, when I looked at René Lacoste’s old photos, I found his personal clothing style quite “preppy”.)
- Besides sporty items, there are also some items that will remind you of the traditional preppy style, such as shirts, sweaters, cardigans, bags, etc.
- Even though this brand has a long history, its clothing and accessories are very modern, youthful, dynamic, colorful, and playful.
Those are the best preppy clothing brands and preppy stores that I want to recommend to you. There are still many preppy clothing brands I haven’t talked about yet. I will keep updating this post and you’re very welcome to come back whenever you want to dress like a preppy! Hope you find your favorite preppy clothes and enjoy your shopping!
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