Talk:Preppy/Archive 1

Major page overhaul
As has been discussed below, this page is in need of major overhaul. I have made major changes to it, and added a great deal of information. Not all of it has references yet.

Because so much information has been added, I felt it was necessary to bring this to the top of the talk page. If anyone wants to comment on my changes, they can of course put them here. If you want to talk to me personally, use my talk page.

The more people that are willing to help revise the page, the better it will be. So if you have something to add, please do.

--Astropastime (talk) 20:57, 24 March 2009 (UTC)


 * I reverted because most of the text you added seemed to consist of attempts to whitewash a basically derogatory term, and the current stubby form of the article seems far superior to me. Wikipedia is not the place to argue about whether being "preppy" is good or bad; it should merely report the basic meaning and history of the term.
 * Here are some of the passages that seemed very wrong to me.
 * Under the conventional usage of preppy, preps are social, friendly, and classy. Wearing timeless clothing styles, a traditionally preppy individual rarely conforms to popular clothing trends.
 * [...]
 * They dress simply and with an air of respectability.
 * In my experience this is not "the conventional usage" of the term, as the conventional usage is not nearly as flattering. Even if "preppy" actually did mean "really amazingly hoopy frood" to most people who use the term, Wikipedia would have use more neutral language to preserve NPOV. (Besides, is it not self-contradictory to describe members of a popular subculture as "rarely conforming to popular clothing trends" and then later going on to strongly associate them with a rather short list of specific brands?)
 * Preps are generally considered to have high ideals, as they originated in the WASP establishment.
 * Reading this I am unsure that we are talking about the same word. Can you cite any neutral source for this? Am I even reading it right? Does it really assert that being a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant is "generally considered" to correlate positively with "having high ideals"?
 * As such, teenagers often apply this slang label to popular clothing not characteristic of "prepdom" such as Abercrombie and Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, and Aéropostale.
 * Wikipedia is not the place to enforce a prescriptive view of language, especially slang. Frankly -- assuming that the content of the sentence is true -- teenagers make up a large portion of the users of this word, and their usage defines one valid meaning. Asserting that they're "wrong" breaks NPOV.
 * 193.157.233.98 (talk) 21:31, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

I'll look at revising it then. I'd appreciate if you'd help edit it. Just to note, I had very little time available to work on it, and as such, it was incomplete. A part of my edit (the part you complained about prescriptive language) was actually copied from an old version of the article. I see your point. I will try to correct it.

I am having considerable trouble finding resources to back up anything I say. Is WikiHow (it is user-edited) a true resource? Can I use Urban Dictionary as examples of varying opinions? Much of what I said in the article is common knowledge, but no reputable source seems to back it up. Thoughts, anyone?

I agree with you on the high ideals line. I definitely overstepped NPOV there.

When further editing the article, I will try to be as unassuming and non-biased as possible. I'm not a prep, so that hopefully shouldn't be too hard. Do you think I should focus more on the derogatory usage, as it is more common? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Astropastime (talk • contribs) 17:04, 28 March 2009 (UTC)

Addition
I added a school to your list of Boarding Schools cited in Birnbach's book. The Hill School (Pottstown,PA) was overlooked. It is cited on Page 47 for anyone who was interested. Cheers.

I'd like to add the REAL defnition of the word preppy, the definition that is used today, preppy as in the synonym of "popular": A prep is a person that is totally brainwashed by the media. They wear what brands the media tells them to such as A&F, AE, Aero, hollister, express, etc. They basically only listen to mainstream music. They make fun of people who aren't afraid to be themselves otherwise know as individuals. Preps are shallow. They are monkeys --> monkey see, monkey do. The media says something's cool, prep sees, prep thinks it's cool. As someone else on here said, "preps are the downfall of society". and they are. THOUGH, there ARE some people that are actually not snobby, wear the "prepy" clothes because they like them, and are smart and not shallow. These people are OK they are nice. They will not lead to the apocolypse like the rest of the preps. The media says jumping off a bridge is the cool and "in" right now. prep: Lyk OMG I'm lyk ssooooo jumpin off a briadgee todai. OMGOMG who wantz to com.

--from UrbanDictionary.com


 * That's valley girl. California. Not preppy. Get it right. I realize that a great majority of the American high school population might consider a preppy one whose parents can scratch together enough money for Abercrombie, American Eagle, or a bottle of hair gel, but the purpose of Wikipedia is to establish some truth in the roots of the word. So get over your bitterness. Edw28 09:52, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

A Vote for Deletion
nice alphalfalfa(talk) 06:22, 11 July 2017 (UTC)

Inane comments in "Colleges/Universities" list
I considered deleting them straightaway, but then realized that "preppy" itself is probably just as stereotyped. Still, the comments don't really seem to be written in good taste. --ab

Removals
I removed the reference to the Kennedys, since it is pointless without context. I could have added context, except it didn't seem particularly relevant anyway. I also removed the following paragraph because it makes lots of assertions with no evidence. To be frank, I don't believe that Southern preps are more likely to hunt or play football than row or play lacrosse, or that Washington & Lee is particularly preppy or that preps are more likely to added local public schools than private schools... feel free to provide some evidence to prove me wrong. I also removed all the lists, except for that part of one that was cited to a reference, and the entire see also section since it wasn't clear why those items were listed. Tuf-Kat 00:58, Jun 7, 2005 (UTC)
 * While the preppy lifestyle is traditionally associated with the Northeast -- the home of the Ivy League and many of the elite prep schools and liberal arts colleges -- it has also emerged in other areas. In the South, a uniquely Southern Preppy culture has emerged. In lieu of rowing crew or playing lacrosse, the Southern prep is more likely to hunt, hike, or play football. Among the top Southern prep schools are the McCallie School in Chattanooga and St. Marks in Dallas. Although some Southern preps head to a Northern private colleges like Hamilton or Princeton, or Southern private schools like Sewanee or Washington & Lee, they are actually most likely to attend their local public -- Ole Miss, the University of Virginia, University of South Carolina, or the University of Alabama, for example. Upon arriving at college, the Southern prep will immediately join a fraternity or sorority. Southern preps are famous for their good manners and chilvarous regard for ladies.

I agree 100% with this removal. This article has drawn a lot of unreferenced speculation, as well as prescriptive changes like the user who keeps claiming that the word "preppy" is now "misapplied". Rhobite 01:01, Jun 7, 2005 (UTC)
 * Just something to throw out there: I was a bartender (in Virginia and Maryland) for some time, and I don't recall ever seeing someone I would describe as "preppy" drink a Bloody Mary (with a few exceptions, no one under forty drinks Bloody Marys), and I don't associate preppies with gin & tonic or scotch whisky either (well, maybe gin and tonic...). And certainly not cheap American beer -- the first thing that came to mind as a preppy-drink was Corona (a cheap Mexican beer), though I also think of slippery nipples (not sure why on that one), vodka & ginger ale or some other light soda, maybe also beers like Bass Pale Ale or else microbrews and lagers and such (Yuengling Black & Tan comes to mind); preppies drinking Pabst or Natty Bo is an odd image indeed.  Of course, this would all be original research anyway, and I doubt that a person's "preppy" appearance can be used to draw conclusions about what they drink.  Perceptions of preppy drinks can be notable too, but these perceptions should attributed to those who hold them. Tuf-Kat 01:13, Jun 7, 2005 (UTC)
 * And also, I would hardly describe the Southern preppies that I've met as "chivalrous". In fact, AFAICT, most Southern preppies are quite misogynistic, cruel and self-centered; they do not act chivalrous towards women (in fact, I would describe 2/3 of the wife abusers that I've known as both "Southern" and "preppy"), and none of them did any major hiking, nor more than occasional hunting, and most didn't play football in high school or college. Also, out of the 4 Southern preps whose college choices I am aware of, not a single one chose to go to either a New England Ivy League school, nor a small Southern private school, nor a local Southern public school -- one travelled from Mississippi to Tennessee for a public school, another went to a private school in California, and the last two (brothers) went to school in Quebec. Tuf-Kat 01:20, Jun 7, 2005 (UTC)
 * I'd like respectfully disagree. I am a Southern preppy, and I dated Southern preps. the original description matches my experience and that of other Southern preps I know. My high school sweetheart was mannered and chivalrous, dressed in a manner readers of Birnbaum's book would recognize immediately, and went on to attend Sewanee. That school was in turn a bastion of Southern prep. Yes, the gentlemen there did/do in fact drink Bloodys and G&T's, I knew many other Southern preps at Emory in Atlanta, and at the University of Georgia in Athens; the tailgating good-old-boy network has a fair amount of overlap with Southern prep culture, though they're not exactly the same. My honest impression is that those commenting about this are neither prep, nor Southern.
 * What is, I believe, leading to much of the confusion and disagreement evident on this Talk Page, is that, while "preppy" culture originally stemmed from a Protestant wealthy social group, which educated its youth in certain private schools, two things have happened since the early 1900s: (1) The original culture has spread to other similar, but not identical groups. e.g. there are many Jewish students now enrolled in the premier private preparatory schools and universities; Princeton and Harvard have both had Jewish Presidents, for example. One can find Jewish and Catholic students in all the most exclusive schools (together with a numeral after their ethnically-identifiable names), and (2) more significantly, preppie culture has, through the process of mass culturization, found in all facets of American business and social life, spread to groups of people not originally part of the original group. e.g. the presence of distinctly middle-class (regardless of their religious or ethnic background) people within the student bodies of many schools formerly more exclusive, e.g. cheap-beer-drinking ill-mannered students at southern (and even northeastern) schools. I would suggest that the primary indicia of preppie culture are an identification with historical United States figures, an ease of attitude regarding money, good manners ("good breeding"), articulate spoken and written English, and some others I can't quite think of right now. 66.108.4.183 16:27, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Cleanup tag removed
The article clearly doesn't need cleanup. It's well-written enough and conforms to style standards. As far as the facts in it go, I'll leave that to other people to argue. The re-write after the VFD by the anonymous user was much worse than the current content, so I reverted it. -- Barfooz  (talk)  4 July 2005 04:32 (UTC)

Slang Usage
Personally, I'd contest the sentence In recent years, young people have begun to use the term "preppy" as slang to describe those who appear clean-cut or seem slightly better off financially than others in a given middle class environment. We were using the terms Prep and Preppie in that sense when I was in high school in 1980. Elde 16:43, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

I believe it is pointless to argue a single slang meaning to the word preppy, as I have read here on wikipedia, there are obviously many many meanings and conotations to the word preppy. Some see it as a negative, some a positive, but this site should be impartial so we should leave these out of the article.  I also contest that sencence. (Just to add, I am from New Canaan, CT, a predominantly preppy area.)

24 Aug, 2007 -Kactapuss

Canada?
"Preppy" is an almost ubiquitous thing in Canada, too. Someone has to expand on it in this context (i.e Upper Canada College, St. Michael's or any of the Toronto or Montreal anglo private boys' schools) and small universities like Bishop's or St. Francis Xavier. Maybe it's because of where I come from and my background, but I also associate "preppy" with the Rosedale crowd and even Forest Hill Jews; I don't think 'preppy' in the Canadian context necessarily means WASPy (Cote-St-Luc and Forest Hill specifically come to mind..) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bookmastaflex (talk • contribs)

This is true, I dress like a prep (I am in high school) and It's not a lifestyle of sailing and golf, most people in the area that are preppy are jocks who play football or wrestle or whatever.

Ok, you say you dress 'like' a prep. Therefore you are not a prep. This article is to define what the word preppy means, and what it entails. Preppiness is much more than a style of dress, and true preppiness is more than a lifestyle. Now that does not mean that someone who is preppy cannot play football, or that someone who doesn’t sail isn’t preppy. However in this article we are trying to gather traits that are considered predominately preppy. Aug 24, 2007 Kactapuss —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kactapuss (talk • contribs) 06:56, August 24, 2007 (UTC)

Preppy TOWNS?
Is it really appropriate to list entire towns as preppy? I know that it's published in a book somewhere, but I think this is staking way too much of a POV, by assuming that the prep-school culture dominates the entire community. I think we should delete that section and just stick to listing preppy schools and colleges. --M @ r ē ino 22:07, 25 February 2006 (UTC)

I can understand how you'd question this. Is everyone in the town a prep? No, of course not, but I'd argue that there are definitely some towns with higher concentrations of preps than others, and that, yes, prep culture is pervasive. That said, I definitely question the list on this page because while it is based on the original list in Ms. Birnbach's book there are a considerable number of additions which are very likely completely inaccurate (i.e. Laguna Beach). -gromitjc


 * Wouldn't her list be copyrighted? If it is, then we cannot reproduce the entire list here. And we cannot list only portions without introducing a selection bias. older ≠ wiser 13:13, 5 March 2006 (UTC)

Unfortunatley I think some of the list is very accurate. I live in one of the towns in New Jersey and I can say that my town as well as most of the NJ, are typically thought and described as preppy, althoug several are predominatley Catholic not protestant towns. Mac Domhnaill 20:51, 5 March 2006 (UTC)


 * Yeah, get rid of it. If we're reproducing the whole thing it's a copyright violation, and if we're only picking some towns it's POV. Rhobite 21:03, 5 March 2006 (UTC)


 * Indeed, we don't need such a long list, and what was preppy in 1980 may not be preppy now, especially since the defenition of the word has seemed to change as time goes on, explained in the Slang usage section.--Aleron235 03:50, 6 March 2006 (UTC)
 * Quite frankly I think the "slang" definition is simply misuse (I blame "Saved By The Bell"), and I don't think that because the term is so often misapplied that the original definition has changed. -gromitjc
 * You may be right, but it's not Wikipedia's job to choose which definition of a word is "correct" and which definition is "misapplied". Rhobite 05:11, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
 * That's true - it was just my opion, obviously the article needs to reflect NPOV - but I do want to make sure the two meanings and their origins stay clearly defined. Gromitjc 15:17, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

I think the "towns" section of the article should be removed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.59.225.24 (talk • contribs)

The towns section is just an invitation for vandalism, disputes, and POV nightmares. Since preppy is not a term that can be precisely quantified, the list needs to go. Since the consensus is definately that the list needs to go, I have removed it. --Hetar 04:47, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

Unfortunately I disagree with the decision to remove the towns section. I live in New Canaan, CT, next to Greenwich, and Darien, CT. All three of these towns are on the list, and for good reason. These towns are absolutely more preppy than most and for that reason I believe they should be included on a list and in this article. Now I don’t see why it would be so bad to use the list from the Official preppy handbook (Forgive me if I am missing something about the rules of fair use) if it is cited, as it is used on the wiki page Official Preppy Handbook. Aug 24, 2007 Kactapuss

Unfinished AfD by anon
Just to let everyone editing know that User:71.110.42.165 tried, but failed, to put this article up for deletion. After a few days, the half-finished tags were (sensibly) removed by User:Hetar. If an anon need help listing this, feel free to get in touch with me, (although the previous AfD showed a very strong keep consensus, and another attempt is unlikely to succeed.Inner Earth 08:39, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

Hollins College
Hollins College is now known as Hollins University. We are part of the Seven Sisters of the South, along with Sweet Briar College and Agnes Scott College. We are best known for our excellent equestrian and writing programs. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 207.38.194.174 (talk) 18:10, 28 December 2006 (UTC).

Unable to be defined
It seems that a lot of people are trying to conform "prep" to a sterotype of unintelligent, or exceedingly intelligent, or unoriginal, or trendsetting, or blah, blah, blah. It's also cited that the term is used in a derogatory context, which is not necessarily true. The thing we need to realize is that there ARE no preps. We're all just human beings who conform to society in some ways and disregard society in others. Granted, the media's portrayal of preppiness has earned a degree of satire, but come on. Everyone's wrong, in a sense, because a prep is a label, and you cannot categorize something that doesn't conform to everybody. However, everyone's right, because a prep is not something that has to conform to set of written rules to label themselves or to be labeled. I might wear Polo RL and live in suburbia, but I won't go to an Ivy League School. I could live in suburbia and go to an Ivy League School, yet dress like a homeless man. A "prep" is a personal definition of how you see someone, or, for the ignorant few, how someone categorizes themselves, as I said above.

Another example, say, to most high schoolers, a prep is someone who shops ad AE, Hollister, etc., but to New Englanders and those who attempt to trace is origins define it much further (consisting of towns, schools, etc.). Some people see it as a positive note, because they denote it to mean popular, intelligent, trendsetting, social, etc., while others in a negative connotation because of unintelligence, conformism, trend-whoring, or whatever.

Bottom line, both sides of the issue need to be presented. It seems everyone here seems to think, "No, THIS is right, not THAT," when in reality, both of them are based upon perception, therefore, both can be correct or incorrect.

You are correct; to be honest prep is a stereotype. We are trying to trace and define this stereotype to its origins. The 'slang' would be a place to add sentiments about Hollister etc. I would also contend that we are trying to keep the article neutral (ie: preppy as neither positive nor negative). The 'correctness' I believe we are trying to attain in the article is the origin of preppy (New Englanders blah blah). However I also do believe that there is room for the other interpretations of preppy, such as trend-whore, double popped collar, Abercrombie patrons in the 'slang' (maybe it should be other meanings?) section of the article. Aug 24, 2007 Kactapuss —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kactapuss (talk • contribs) 07:24, August 24, 2007 (UTC)
 * So, is this the prep in the article the same type that wears pink, white, etc. likes disney-style pop music, cliquey, obsessed with fashion preppy?  I hope someone could clarify and clean up this article.  Montgomery&#39; 39 (talk) 23:14, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Removed from the page
I removed the following:
 * In India, wealthy offspring of Punjabi families who equate themselves with the Preppies are termedc "Pappies", a derivative of the term "Pappaji" often deployed to connote a whiskey drinking, semi-comical Punjabi patriarch crossed with a Preppy. This reflects the growing cynicism of the Indian middle classes towards the Punjabi culture which has long dominated the Indian pupular culture scene.

because it would need some reliable sources. Perhaps there is something worth saving in it. - Taxman Talk 01:52, 25 July 2007 (UTC)

More info/ Further Reading/ Refrences
I put this here in hopes that someone more adept at writing than I could gain some sort of info out of this and better translate it to the article.

-Kactapuss Aug 24, 2007



St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture© on Preppy Preppy

The word "preppy" (also spelled "preppie") derives from "preparatory" and refers to someone who attends or has attended a college preparatory secondary school. In actual use, preppy implies a wide variety of assumptions about the class, style, and values of such a person. Preppy can be used as a noun ("She dresses like a preppy.") or an adjective ("I'm not interested in your preppy friends.") It can be congratulatory or condescending, though its use is usually humorous and to some degree derisive.

Though preppy was long in use among high school and college students, the word first gained wide national exposure in Erich Segal's 1970 romantic novel Love Story and the movie that was made from it. Set on the Harvard University campus, the novel describes the relationship between working-class Radcliffe student Jenny Cavilleri and blueblood Harvard jock Oliver Barrett. Jenny's personality is characterized by salty language, a blue-collar chip on her shoulder, and her hostile references to Oliver as "Preppy." The word preppy entered the national vocabulary at that point in its most common usage—an antagonistic epithet for the elite, used by those who are not in the upper classes.

In 1980, Lisa Birnbaum published The Official Preppy Handbook, a tongue-in-cheek look at the very real characteristics, quirks, and foibles of the privileged classes. She focuses her not-altogetherunloving mockery on the "old money" upper crust society of the East Coast, the alumni of such schools as Choate, Groton, Exeter, and Andover. By poking fun at their "Chip and Muffy" nicknames, and their expensive-shoes-without-socks pseudo-casual style, Birnbaum shined a revealing light on the quietly rich. Her book inspired imitators, including some that were more overtly hostile to her subject, such as Ralph Schoenstein's The I-Hate-Preppies Handbook: A Guide for the Rest of Us.

Part fashion, part breeding, and part attitude, preppiness denotes wealth, privilege, pomposity, and dissipation. The hostility with which the epithet preppy is hurled casts doubt on the reality behind the U.S. myth of the classless society. Preppy continues to be used regularly in the press, sometimes interchangeably with "yuppie," though yuppie does not carry the East Coast blueblood connotation that preppy does. One of the most memorable outbreaks of preppy in the headlines occurred in the fall of 1996, after Jennifer Levin was strangled in New York's Central Park by Robert Chambers. Levin and Chambers were both members of Manhattan's high-society prep-school elite, and Levin's death was immediately dubbed "The Preppy Murder" in newspapers across the country, giving credibility to the axiom that a particular form of public outrage is reserved for the misdeeds of those who have "all of the advantages."

Though the working classes may have their revenge on preppies in the press and in film, it is the preppies who continue to triumph. With elite boarding schools becoming almost as expensive as private colleges, the prep-school education is more out of reach than ever for working people. A 1997 Fortune magazine study showed that corporate executives with upper-class prep-school backgrounds are consistently paid higher salaries than those executives with more middle-class upbringings. Preppies may be targets of fun and ridicule, but grown-up preppies become the power elite who perhaps see themselves safely insulated from the impact of jokes made at their expense.

Further Reading:

Birnbach, Lisa. The Official Preppy Handbook. New York, Workman Publishing, 1980.

Flippin, Royce. Save an Alligator, Shoot a Preppie: A Terrorist Guide. New York, A & W Visual Library, 1981.

Schoenstein, Ralph. The I-Hate-Preppies Handbook: A Guide for the Rest of Us. New York, Simon & Schuster, 1981. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kactapuss (talk • contribs) 07:34, August 24, 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia Subculture Pages
They're all completely idiotic, especially the bitching on the talk pages "Emo is so totally not blah blah". They are an embarrassment to wikipedia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.20.137.59 (talk) 18:54, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Bay Head, New Jersey
I keep adding Bay Head, New Jersey to the list of preppy vacation spots, but someone who obviously has a problem with my beloved Bay Head, keeps taking it off the list. For preps living in NYC, North Jersey, Princeton and the Philadelphia area, Bay Head is a tremendous preppy locale-- I should know, it's my hometown.

Anyone who disagees:

The Bay Head Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most prestigious yacht clubs on the East Coast Many people who summer/live in Bay Head are heavy into sailing, golf, tennis, squash, etc. Bay Head is the epitome of a preppy WASPy shore town The beaches are quite private and secluded There is a clothing store named THE WASP Bay Head has a Mark, Fore, Strike store

BAY HEAD MAY NOT BE AS FAMOUS AS NANTUCKET OR THE VINEYARD FOR BEING PREPPY BUT ARE NOT TWO OF THE "VIRTUES" OF BEING PREPPY NONCHALANCE AND CHARM??? Bay Head is exactly that, an unassuming, delicate, low key, nonchalant, charming summer town indeed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Patrikswim (talk • contribs) 16:37, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

Coffee
This is just plain stupid. "Coffee - Starbucks" I won't even explain the stupidity behind it. I say to remove that entire, useless section. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 151.205.67.9 (talk) 04:56, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

uh idk
i just think it should be put that us goths HATE preppies soooooooooo much... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 4.157.74.56 (talk) 00:21, 24 May 2008 (UTC) yea i hate them to. but in my school everyone hates the preppies :D (exsept the preppies them selfs) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.135.129.129 (talk) 03:29, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Preppies, Athletes..?
Ok, let me put this in high school/college terms: Preppies are those teens that shop at A&F, wear bright clothes, seem like they have money and have a lot of friends. And higher class teens at private prep schools are also preppies, and seem to be snobbish. Like the alpha boys and girls from Animal House.

But what about the Archie, frat boy/sorority girl types? I used to think they were "preppies" but now I'm at a loss for what to call them? Their type doesn't seem to have much economic distinction. You know the type: school jackets, team pride, cheerleaders, star athletes, heavy drinking/partying, and stereotypically hazing, etc. Dude, totally! What's up?

They're not the kind you'd see in A&F. They're more state university type than private school types. So what are they? 69.220.2.188 (talk) 02:14, 18 June 2008 (UTC)

The style describes people that dress well and are from the upper-class families. Bright clothes are not necessarily preppy, rather cackie pants, sweaters, polos, spring dresses, and such are preppy dress. Tarheelz123 (talk) 18:35, 26 April 2009 (UTC)

all true but you missed one part. THERE ALL JERKS. just saying its the truth :/

Drinks
Somebody already undid this once. The list of "preppy drinks" is (with the exception of Pimms) a list of types of alcohol, not brands. Gin is a type of alcohol, Beefeater is a brand. I'm not sure how the quoted book refers to it, but I don't particularly think it should matter. Holshy (talk) 22:09, 24 July 2008 (UTC)


 * / in my school its the oppisite normal people like alcohol and preppies hate it (and the people who like it) but there all a**holes so know one cares what they think >:D  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.135.129.129 (talk) 03:36, 15 January 2011 (UTC)

Removed
" 'Where do you summer?' is a quintessential prep question, since a prep's vacation location is as important to his or her status as where he or she primarily lives. Locations tend to be predominately in the Northeast, but other warmer climates can serve as wintertime retreats. It is important to note that preps generally vacation at the same location year after year and often own real estate there."

While these sentences contain some truth, I believe it needs to be reworded to be more accurate. 'Where do you summer?' is also something that I have never heard among the preppy crowd, and I meet all standards of a preppy person, as do the vast majority of my friends. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.78.17.180 (talk) 19:15, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

Page is now completely meaningless
With all of the infighting and edit waring this page is now almost totally meaningless. It doesn't actually explain what Preppy actually means. What are the characteristics of a preppy person? If the word is used as a derogatory term how is it applied? For all anybody reading this entry knows preppy could mean that somebody is characteristically a manic depressive homophode, or that they are a religious fanatic, or anything. Could somebody please add and actual definition of the word Preppy.

CrazyChinaGal (talk) 17:44, 8 February 2009 (UTC)

I'm new to editing on Wikipedia, but I have used it for years. When I looked up preppy, I had no desire to edit it at all. I wanted to know exactly what a preppy was, as I have always "disliked" them, but that was because I fell for the stereotypical definition - a stuck up kid that wears Abercrombie. And now it turns out that I like the preppy style.

Therefore, I am going to attempt to overhaul the article. As you said, it gives no information on what preppy actually is, and instead focuses on extremely trivial subjective viewpoints.

I'll try to keep the article as balanced as possible, and in the traditional spirit of Wikipedia, the more people I can get to help me edit simultaneously, the better the final article is likely to be.

As an aside, is WikiHow OK to use as a reference, or do I need to find something more steady?

--Astropastime (talk) 22:39, 22 March 2009 (UTC)

preppies are jerks!!!
so does anyone eles here think preppies are a**holes (cause they are) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.135.129.129 (talk) 03:42, 15 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia is not a forum. See WP:FORUM. yonnie (talk) 15:55, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

East coast-centric?
Is it just me or does the tone of this entire article seem East-coast/New England-centric? That is certainly where the style, or clique, originated, but it has permeated throughout the USA, and even the world. They aren't restricted to the Northeast at all. yonnie (talk) 15:55, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

I agree with your comment. Some of the things in this article seem off to me. I am not from the east coast area. --RichardMills65 (talk) 01:31, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

preps
i my they pick out preps by the way people dress!!no it is not the way people dress if anything it is more of the additude! people call me a prep because i wear hollister and ambercrombie and fitch and also areopostle,but who doesnt wear that stuff!? so the next time you call some one a prep think why do i think they are preps is it there clothes or is it there additude it should just be judged on ther additude!!:) but preps are people with the additude of thinking they are better than everyone else. or if some one bullies you bysaying they are prettier than you or calling ryou ugly than they are probly prep do more research on preps at a website there are lots start of by typing in www.preps.com(thanks for your time  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.50.248.22 (talk) 21:47, 24 August 2012 (UTC)

Upper-Middle Class; Not "Upper Class"
The Official Preppy Handbook, which I own and have read 30+ times, does not mention the phrase "upper class" once, instead referring to preps as upper-middle class. The books Ivy Style: Radical Conformists, True Prep, Seven Sisters, etc. all mention that preps are upper-middle class. The famous website Ivy-style.com, run by Ivy clothing expert and museum curator, Christian Chensvold repeatedly refers to the prep wasps as "upper-middle class." This article does the curious reader a massive disservice by misinforming them in stating that genuine northeast New England region preps are the 1%. It's completely untrue. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.242.121.108 (talk) 16:27, 11 December 2014 (UTC)

Here is a link to a recent article by Ivy/Prep history expert Christian Chensvold explaining in detail why WASP preps were never the 1% and, in fact, came out of the upper-middle class: http://www.ivy-style.com/style-over-substance-the-decline-of-preppy-values.html

It is a misconception that has no place on an encyclopedia where FACTS are all the matter. How can anyone gain a genuine understanding of real preps when right off the bat they are mislead into thinking preps are the 1%? In fact, preps are generally in the top 5%-10% (see wikipedia article on "upper middle class"). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.242.121.108 (talk) 16:45, 12 December 2014 (UTC)

Use in sports
A rather different but common use of the word "prep" (but not "preppy") is as a synonym for "high school", typically either in the sports section of a newspaper or TV or radio broadcast. Wschart (talk) 05:22, 28 January 2015 (UTC)

Written by arrivistes?
Quite extraordinary that neither the article on Ralph Lauren, Ivy League (clothes) or this article on “Preppy” fail to mention the evident influence of British style (actually on all three). Seems constructive to mention this. Lauren’s, er, reproduction of the old money aesthetic surely owes a great deal to people like the Duke of Windsor, and the preppy style was indubitably shaped to a certain extent by English / British clothing traditions and customs. The absence of even a brief allusion to this is assuredly one example of many of the often unscholarly American partisanship in this encyclopedia. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.148.251.166 (talk) 21:20, 13 February 2015 (UTC)

No preppy pictures?
There is not a single picture of some preppy guy. I am disappointed. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.245.34.153 (talk) 18:35, 17 March 2015 (UTC)

Not the term I remember
I went to high school in the early 80s in north central Pennsylvania. The term "preppy" as used in my high school referred to the social clique of kids from the wealthier families in town (usually business owners) who were going to college after high school - that is, they were "college prep." They were such a group that it was perceived as a "step down" for them to associate with and/or befriend someone who probably wasn't going to college (excepting the top jocks who could get a scholarship). While the term used in my school was clearly related to the term used in this article, preppy had a different social class connotation when I was in school. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.131.120.184 (talk) 15:03, 29 October 2016 (UTC)
 * As a UK citizen, who also went to (UK) school in the early eighties, I have to agree that when I first came across the term (from the Atari 800 game Preppie) it was explained that the term defined a group as you describe above. I'm kind of inclined to search to see if references can be found to support this viewpoint as well - while I acknowledge that two opinions don't define a genre, there must have been some source to get that description all the way across the Atlantic ocean.  Chaheel Riens (talk) 15:26, 29 October 2016 (UTC)

Revert
Some dude named Domanator vadalised this page. I have reverted it. EDIT: it wasn't him, it was some other guy. Sorry about confusion.

If you had to read the official preppy handbook to understand preppy, you're not preppy. --Kactapuss 07:37, 24 August 2007 (UTC)


 * I would agree. It is very fun to read though! 129.63.157.32 (talk) 15:30, 6 May 2022 (UTC)

Observations
---> everyone needs to stop changing the sports actually read the Preppy handbook before you site from it or at least look at its wikipage sports named: no football or any of that jock crap soo many of you associate with preppyness
 * Fencing
 * Sailing
 * Crew
 * Field Hockey
 * Ice Hockey
 * Lacrosse
 * Rugby
 * Skiing
 * Soccer
 * Squash
 * Tennis
 * Golf
 * Cheerleading

--->How is soccer preppy? Its played all over the world, even in developing countries.

--->Boxing a preppy sport? I don't think so... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.255.76.204 (talk) 18:53, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

---> The 1980s List of colleges are very outdated. I don't know someone is trying to delete the 2006 Yale guide as it is very accurate.

---> Stop deleting the athletics and the prep schools list these were both cited from the Preppy Handbook.

---> The term "preppy" was used way before the 1970s Love Story so stop putting that in

---> The old definition does nothing to describe preppy. It should reference what being preppy is which was best desrcibed in Lisa Birnback in her "Preppy Handbook", She defined eight elements of the "preppy value system" which included: consistency, nonchalance, charm, drinking, effortlessness, athleticism, discipline, and public spirtedness.

---> Yeah, "charm," sure, charm as in ruining the lives of many intelligent young people by making them outcasts and spreading rumours about them! My life was RUINED by preps! I got expelled because of them! Abercrombie IS preppy! So is American Eagle! There is a NEW definition of "preppy" preps! Stop trying to disassociate yourself with it! I think the definition of "preppy" is much more accurate on www.UrbanDictionary.com than here. Look it up.
 * ^ Spam. Tarheelz123 (talk) 18:38, 26 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Soccer is preppy because, in the United States, it is not played by anyone lower than middle class. Yes, this means that non preps play soccer. However, it means preps do play soccer. Hence it is preppy. Is it as preppy as hockey? No. But it is preppy and should be on the list. 129.63.157.32 (talk) 15:32, 6 May 2022 (UTC)

->I would call everything you just said an opinion. You seem to have had a bad experience with someone who clearly was pseudo preppy (we have pretty definitively decided that Abercrombie and American Eagle are not preppy). The NEW definition of preppy is not the definition of preppy we are looking for in this article, but there might be some room for it in the 'slang usage' section.--70.181.41.166 21:28, 24 August 2007 (UTC)

---> Polo Ralph Lauren is "preppy". Stop grouping it with Abercrombie and American Eagle.


 * Response: 129.59.35.95, this message regards your changes to preppy. Please don't take the reversions in a bad way; I, too, had a hard time when I began.  I see from your contribution history that you're new to editing Wikipedia.  I reverted the article for several reasons:


 * 1) The categories/lists were far too arbitrary. If you wish to include all those categories based on the Oficial Preppy Handbook, by all means put them in that article instead.  There have been categories/lists like that in Preppy before, but a moderator always changes them back due to their arbitrary quality.
 * 2) The "see also" section of a Wikipedia article should not refer to links otherwise included in the article. See the Wikipedia guidelines for more information.
 * 3) You deleted the "slang usage" section, and referred to this distinction in a brief and arbitrary discussion of "preppy" clothing. Distingtuishing "preppy" based on clothing is too arbitrary for this article.  There is a definite difference - agreed upon in the discussion below - between the traditional and slang use of the term "preppy."
 * 4) Your changes were too unilateral, and deviated from the long, evolving editing history of this article. The article has been unilaterally changed many times, but moderators always revert it back.  Wikipedia discourages unilateral changes, except for articles that a moderator has noted need to be "cleaned up," "put into correct format," or are a "stub."  This article had no such notations from moderators.  See the Wikipedia guidelines for more information.
 * 5) Polo Ralph Lauren belongs in the "slang usage" section. Ralph Lauren (nee Ralph Lifschitz) began his company in 1967, uses 3rd world manufacturing, and is an imitation of traditional styling like Brooks Brothers, J. Press, and Paul Stuart.  His object is not to sell to "preppies" in the traditional sense, but rather in the sense noted in the "slang usage" section.  Note that even Ms. Birnbach did not include him in her book.
 * 6) Lisa Birnbach's book is not an encyclopedia, but rather is a tongue-in-cheek "joke," as she makes abundantly clear. She is not and was not the arbitrator of all things "preppy."  Categories based solely on her book belong in that article.  The colleges section of this version, as upheld by moderators, is but an example.
 * 7) Indeed, the term "preppy" existed before Love Story. Nonetheless, it was with the film that the term entered the majority American popular culture, as the previous version noted.
 * Thanks for your understanding, 129.59.35.95, and welcome to the contentious world of editing Wikipedia. =)  65.28.2.172 Oct 26, 2005 (UTC)
 * "5) Polo Ralph Lauren belongs in the 'slang usage' section. Ralph Lauren (nee Ralph Lifschitz) began his company in 1967,"
 * You appear to be trying to draw attention to the fact that Ralph Lauren is Jewish. For what purpose? - Skaraoke 16:30, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
 * "Note that even Ms. Birnbach did not include him in her book."
 * She did include him. She mentioned that he started by selling ties at Brooks Brothers. - Skaraoke 16:30, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Sorry, 65.28.2.172, but Polo IS preppy. Ms. Birnbach may not have included it in her book, but that was only because it had not gained full acceptance at the time. Today, preps have embraced Polo, therefore making it preppy. Just take a look at any elitist prep school's campus. Polo, among brands like Lacoste, J.Crew, Brooks Brothers, Ben Silver, Andover Shop, but NOT Abercrombie and American Eagle, make up the modern prep's outfit.


 * I disagree with your sentiments, unsigned contributor. The point to the "slang usage" section is to illustrate the change in usage of the term "preppy" between socioeconomic groups and at different times.  Whereas traditionally the moniker "preppy" is confined to "the characteristics of White, Anglo-Saxon, patrician Protestants (usually with some personal or familial connection to New England, even if only historic) who attend or attended major private, secondary university-preparatory schools", now (younger) people use the term to describe characteristics of people who use material trappings to resemble a stereotypical physical appearance traditionally associated with "preppies."  The application of "preppy" to Polo Ralph Lauren (like your arbitrary list above) is an excellent example of this slang usage, as the company openly seeks to capitalize on Middle America's desire for cheaply-manufactured "status symbol" goods (often produced in the Third World) that imitate other, "less fashionable" longstanding manufacturers, thereby allowing the consumer to self-associate by means of physical appearance with a socioeconomic stratum to which he/she otherwise would not belong.  As such, Polo Ralph Lauren belongs in the "slang usage" section just as much as any other clothier named therein.  134.193.105.50 19:28, 21 November 2005 (UTC)

I think the person "in charge" of this article has a strong bias against Ralph Lauren for some unknown reason. Ralph Lauren has long been embraced by Preppies (as a student at Dartmouth, I know many authentic, blue-blood New England preppies). Lauren makes quality clothing; as for this point of the clothing being made in 3rd world countries, I own Brooks Brothers clothing, and its made in China. Making clothes in the third world is not a unique "flaw" of Lauren. -Sri


 * nobody is "in charge" of this article. that is how things work with wikipedia. Mathmo 11:03, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

- Agreed, Polo has been a preppy fixture for decades. And just as a sidenote, Ralph Lauren actually worked for Brooks Brothers in his early years in New York City and bought the Polo logo from Brooks Brothers to branch off and start his own company.

--- im sorry to whoever keeps changing it but Banana Republic, Club Monaco, Hollister, American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch,  and south beach are definitly not preppie brands or vacation areas

I am from New Canaan, CT (currently 'summering' [nobody says that anymore] in Naragansett, RI]). I consider New Canaan and Fairfield county CT a breeding ground for preps. I take my information from observation not the preppy handbook or anyones opinion but my own.

Clothes: I would like to agree with the sentiment that Ralph Lauren IS preppy, and that Abercrombie and Fitch (while they may have been preppy in the 70's), hollister, American Eagle, etc are not preppy  (if you disagree with me about abercrombie read the wiki article on it, its labled as a 'teen apparel merchandiser' as of 1988). I would like to add for consideration the brands, Nautica and Tommy Hilfiger. Any oposition/reaction?

On the preppy handbook: This is not the bible of preppiness. It was written as an observation of preppiness. That being said, much of the information in the book is widely regarded as accurate. The values (of preps) on the other hand are the opinion of the author of the book, not the values that all preps are required to live by. I, however, do think it is important to the article because the book is widely considered an accurate resource, but it must be introduced for what it is, an observation by Birnbach, nothing more. It is inapropriate to say that true preps 'Adhere' to the book, preppiness is a family tradition. (Its like the great gatsby, old rich vs. new rich. (something like 'you can't buy breeding)).

On The origion of Preppy: someone can add this as a refrence.

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=preppy

preppy 2 entries found for preppy. To select an entry, click on it. preppy[1,noun]preppy[2,adjective]

Main Entry: 1prep·py Variant(s): or prep·pie /'pre-pE/ Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural prep·pies Etymology: 1prep 1 : a student at or a graduate of a preparatory school 2 : a person deemed to dress or behave like a preppy

and

preppy 2 entries found for preppy. To select an entry, click on it. preppy[1,noun]preppy[2,adjective]

Main Entry: 1prep·py Variant(s): or prep·pie /'pre-pE/ Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural prep·pies Etymology: 1prep 1 : a student at or a graduate of a preparatory school 2 : a person deemed to dress or behave like a preppy —Preceding Kactapuss Aug 24, 2007 unsigned comment added by Kactapuss (talk • contribs) 06:20, August 24, 2007 (UTC)

OBSERVATIONS
As this entry notes, the term "preppy" is often wrongly applied to people who are merely wealthy, smart or clean cut. There are many perfectly nice clothing manufacturers (Banana Republic and Abercrombie & Fitch), excellent colleges and universities (Berkeley, Chicago and Providence), and upper-class cities and suburbs (Tulsa, Palo Alto, Beverly Hills and Scottsdale) that aren't "preppy" in the traditional sense of the word. If you're confused about this, check out the Official Preppy Handbook before you edit the page. I know it's incredibly silly for me to care, but I find it kind of annoying that this page keeps getting misleading edits. Preppy: http://www.bensilver.com. Not preppy: http://www.bananarepublic.com.

Um, yeah the term preppy does NOT apply to people who are smart. See my definition above. The people who are smart are quite the opposite of preppy. I've never met a smart preppy person in my life. It's an oxymoron! Preps are the people that P!nk talks about in her song "Stupid Girls." Preps don't go to Berkely, smart liberal HIPPIES go to Berkely.


 * Um, yeah the term smart does NOT apply to the above, clearly. Judegments such as "I've never met a smart preppy person in my life" are interesting to say the least when you forget that prep takes its root in College Preparatory School, and the lifestyle takes its roots in the Ivy League schools. You clearly do not fall into the category "smart" when you spell Berkeley "Berkely". I'll also put up a picture, to be hilarious and clarify things. Hugs and Kisses. Edw28 09:52, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Please don't make value judgements like "misapplied". Those violate the NPOV policy. Thanks. Rhobite 20:47, Jun 5, 2005 (UTC)
 * How does "misapplied" violate the NPOV policy? If there's a very common misperception regarding the definition of a certain word, it seems perfectly reasonable to point out the nature of that misperception and correct it. NPOV doesn't entail complete and total relativism. Take, for example, the Wikipedia page for the British racial slang word "wog." The author of that page notes that the term evolved from the word "golliwog," and observes that several other attempts to explain the word's origin "are apocryphal at best and have no foundation in fact." This is helpful to the reader, who is informed of the true origin of the word and finds out that other commonly-held views are in fact erroneous and misleading.
 * On some level, any attempt to define any term involves a set of "value judgments." For example, I might say that Aruba is a bit chilly most of the year, that the Washington Post is generally considered to be the paper of record in the United States, or that The Who were a great British heavy metal band. These would all be "viewpoints" -- but so would be the assertion that Aruba is quite warm, that the Washington Post is generally considered to be second to the New York Times, and that The Who influenced heavy metal without falling into that category themselves. All of these potentially controversial viewpoints, and many more, are found on Wikipedia pages -- and in the interest of accuracy, I think we can be thankful for their inclusion.
 * In this case, it is simply a fact that the word "preppy" has not traditionally referred to clothing like that manufactured by Abercrombie & Fitch or Banana Republic. This page will be misleading at best (and innacurate at worst) to the extent that it fails to correct that understandable misapprehension on the part of its readers.
 * Wikipedia is not a prescriptive guide to the use of language. If someone has written about the word being misapplied, then cite them in the article. Otherwise, please don't add your opinion on the correct definition of "preppy" to the text. Rhobite 04:40, Jun 9, 2005 (UTC)

I thought this page was better before but someone poorly edited the introduction.

For Example: "Moreover, many people who have these characteristics are not preppy, for example new money show-offs at some of the elite schools."

I think this isn't relevant or doesn't add to the preppy definition. I edited the part where someone wrote that Harvard and Yale are full of nerds, etc. Also, J. Crew was started in the north and it is inaccurate to say it was created as a southern tradition.

prep music?
what kind of music is normal accociated w. preps?

dmb


 * I'd argue DMB fans would generally fall under the "slang usage" definition - wealthy nouveau riche kids from the 'burbs. Gromitjc 16:01, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Prep music? Pop of course! Family friendly lyrics! Actually they're too stupid to listen to the lyrics. Rap for the preppy boy wiggers and pop for the preppy girls! DUH!!! They accept whatever the media tells them too! Geez, do you listen to ANYTHING I'm saying?! Don't fight over what clothes are and aren't preppy; prep clothes are slutty and trendy. That's all you need to know. Preps are about being popular and only caring about what's popular. For girls, it's about how they can attract boys and appear sexy. For boys, it's about how they can look more "gangsta" and make themselves look good.
 * I know this isn't really contributing much, but I had to comment. "Gangsta" is most def (sorry, I had to say "most def," since we're talking about preps and whoever said the above comment) not the intention of any male prep.  "Gangsta" implies they were blue jean shorts, "doo rags" (or whatever they're called) and a giant dollar-sign necklace.  Now, has anyone seen a prep with any of these?  I mean, blue jean shorts definately class with the prep dressing style. W Ed 22:55, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

College Ambient (DMB, OAR, Dispatch), Classic Rock (Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Allman Brothers), and Jam Bands (Phish, Grateful Dead, SCI, etc.)


 * Prep music which I would call classical, pop, family lyrics, elton john (No offense), and for the girls, Christiana Aguleria...or however you spell it... oh and justin biber (cause honestly other than preppys who lisens to him XD ) or the radio disniy

As I have prefaced many entries in the Talk section, I am from New Canaan, CT (very preppy). From my observation the only type of music that I think could be added to this article would be classic rock. It is impossible to label a specific type of music as preppy. I would agree that while preps I know listen to OAR, Dispatch, etc, I would not label it as preppy. I would agree with Classic Rock and Jam Bands. I think though that type of music is getting a little to specific. Soon there will be a category about what type of toothpaste preps use, and to me that is too specific to say. Aug 24, 2007 Kactapuss —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kactapuss (talk • contribs) 07:15, August 24, 2007 (UTC)

WASPs?
I know this is subjective, but the requirement of preppy people being Anglo-Saxon Protestants seems too restrictive. I've seen many people who are described as preppy and they are Nordic, Alpine, and Catholic. Something to think about. I think the more general definition that preppy students are students who go to preparatory schools is more commonsense.

--Knowledge-is-power (talk) 01:05, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Yes, I agree sort of. 151.205.67.9 (talk) 04:54, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Sorry, preppie is not the same as being WASP. You can be a WASP and not be preppie - similarly you can be preppie and not be WASP. Sounds like someone is casting a racial, socioeconomic stereotype here - fortunately this subject is of zero importance (just followed it from a wikipedia advertising page for some sort of sporting goods store called REI - was looking for information on Reaction Engineering Inc.) Many WASPS have never worn a IZOD, LLBean, etc. piece of crap in their lives - neither have they ever went to a prep school or had any desire to emulate someone who did. Suggest someone clearly rethink what the f**k they're trying to do with this article or better yet dump it entirely and point people to an online dictionary which can clear up the definition in about 10 words. Alternatively just tell them to get a life and stop clogging the internet with a bunch of useless junk - oh, and also junk any wikipedia articles whose only references are marketing pages by the companies that the articles are about...jmdeur 11:00 1 May 2008 (UTC)

There is no reply button for the comment above so let me say this. You can be Preppy and not be a WASP. You can't be a WASP and not be Preppy, not really. Because the moment you stop being preppy you stop being a wasp and become just a person who happens to be white anglo-s and from a protestant family. -Signed Anonymous

WASP means White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. There are very many White people who are Anglo-Saxons who are Protestants who are very poor and go to public schools. I know some of them. These people would laugh if someone called them preppy. I have no idea where the WASP idea comes in. I especially know very many Catholics who go to preparatory school and are labeled by many as preppy. I think therefore that any mention of WASP just doesn't make any sense. Based on the hedonistic lifestyle I see most preppies live, it would be logical to deduce that most of them are atheists. Since Protestants by definition believe in Sola Scriptura they are forbidden from lust (see Matthew 5:27-29 in the Bible).

--Knowledge-is-power (talk) 12:32, 18 June 2008 (UTC)

Pictures Are Not Accurate
The pictures in this article or horrid. Clint Eastwood and some foolish looking boy? They aren't preppy at all.

Preppy: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT800PSXxhEQxWaXPP95aRfyE2C5NMtAy2oyA&usqp=CAU

Preppy: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/37/62/6a/37626af4f1ac175c8bfdba3b44931e08.jpg

Preppy: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/91/df/a1/91dfa16495598ff26d2de415e7a78f8f.jpg

The pictures in this article are garish and rampant with flash in the pan fashion. Better to just use pages from the handbook for crying out loud. Satire is closer to truth than the tragic mistakes currently pictured.

Clint Eastwood photo
I'm at a loss to understand the inclusion of the photo of Clint Eastwood "wearing white golfing V neck sweater and racing green polo shirt with oversized collar, 1981" (as the caption reads). Vee-necked sweaters are not particularly "preppy", nor are polo shirts with oversized collars. It gives a very poor representation of the style in question. I suggest it be replaced with something more accurately characteristic. Bricology (talk) 18:12, 16 July 2018 (UTC)


 * 4 years later and I just posted the same statement. 129.63.157.32 (talk) 15:42, 6 May 2022 (UTC)
 * The Clint Eastwood image was placed into the article by a troll who inserts ugly photos into articles related to fashions.
 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Osama57
 * It should be removed. 129.63.157.32 (talk) 13:44, 9 May 2022 (UTC)

Removed Pictures
I removed the two pictures. They were 100% not preppy.

If anyone wants to add new pictures that would be great. But I would suggest they be of actually preppy people. Not clint eastwood in a garish and gigantic clown shirt with gold chains. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.63.157.32 (talk) 15:48, 6 May 2022 (UTC)
 * I've reinstated the pictures. Both of them meet preppy characteristics over the years, and as such demonstrate the culture.  There are no gold chains in the Eastwood image, so that's ok then.  Chaheel Riens (talk) 17:43, 6 May 2022 (UTC)
 * In no way is the Eastwood picture preppy.
 * Here is what google image comes up when you google preppy.
 * https://www.google.com/search?q=preppy&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS992US992&sxsrf=ALiCzsbkjkL01zlvzR0oJDd-or9ttcbOrg:1651862749030&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi1i_6ixMv3AhXRmuAKHXHoDIMQ_AUoAXoECAIQAw&biw=1536&bih=722&dpr=1.25
 * Please find one instance that matches the Eastwood image.
 * I am removing it again. 129.63.157.32 (talk) 18:46, 6 May 2022 (UTC)
 * It is a pen, I thought it was a necklace.
 * Nothing in the Eastwood image is preppy from any time period. That isn't a polo shirt. The glasses. The hair. The sweater itself. It is all wrong. 129.63.157.32 (talk) 18:54, 6 May 2022 (UTC)
 * Still disagree. The preppy term is inclusive, not exclusive.  Additionally, while the content is discussed - as per WP:BRD - the original version stays in place.
 * There's no pen in the image either. It is a polo shirt.  I don't think wearing glasses automatically excludes a person from being preppy, especially as the other article image also has the subject wearing glasses.  Chaheel Riens (talk) 06:12, 7 May 2022 (UTC)
 * 1) On the Pen:
 * There is an item clipped to the left side of the neckhole of the v-neck sweater.
 * Here are examples of polo shirts from 1981 the year the Eastwood photo was taken.
 * https://www.pinterest.es/pin/849350810964795241/
 * https://vintagedancer.com/1980s/80s-mens-fashion-clothing-for-guys/#80s_Mens_Shirts
 * Here is an actual catalogue from Brooks Brothers from 1981. Do you see any OVERSIZED COLLARS? No. Because what is going on there in the Eastwood picture is not. Repeat not. A preppy look.
 * https://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/threads/brooks-brothers-catalog-fall-winter-and-christmas-1981.80112/
 * Preppy is not subject to trends. One can agree that preppy clothes are not and do not have to be only possessed by those in or somehow associated with prep schools. However...that is the biggest but however in the history of howevers, preppy is not subject to the whims of fashion itself meaning collars do to not, repeat do not, become oversized. It stops being preppy then.
 * 2: The Other Image:
 * Is wrong as well! The glasses in particular since you reference them are even less preppy than Eastwoods. Neither image is right. Eastwood strays farther from preppy because A) An oversized collar is 0% preppy. B) The glasses are not great..they are suspect. But whatever. D) The hair is not a good example of preppy hair if only because it is being blown out of shape. I again point you towards the brooks catalog from 1981 as an example of preppy hair. Likewise the other image while paying homage to preppiness also is not preppy. A) He has hair like a grunge band singer. It isn't a good example of preppy hair.


 * Preppy Haircuts


 * https://www.google.com/search?q=prep+school+haircut&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS992US992&sxsrf=ALiCzsbSbB-wkb-XzVDGRw7aAAyCZPlFZQ:1652102243626&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi9m_S6wNL3AhW0lWoFHcJEBkQQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1536&bih=722&dpr=1.25


 * B) The glasses are painful. They are far too...they are not preppy. They are fashion house. So very not preppy.C) The white paints...the white shoes. They are not preppy. What is going on with that image is almost a mockery of being preppy, like a cartoon version. It is a working class version of an image of dressing a certain way. That person is a poser in that image, not a preppy. It is what a person who doesn't know what preppy is imagines preppy to possibly be. The image should be accurate not a cartoonish imitation.


 * 3) On Glasses
 * You said "I don't think wearing glasses automatically excludes a person from being preppy, especially as the other article image also has the subject wearing glasses..."
 * Glasses do not exclude someone from being preppy. But the right kind of glasses...
 * The glasses in image one look like they are Gucci or from some other fashion house. The glasses in Eastwoods image are less offensive. But the writing on them is suspect unless the are perhaps from AO or Randolph. But they look like commercial glasses.
 * Preppy Sunglasses would be wayfarers or AO or RE, tortoiseshell sunglasses would be a good example.


 * Preppy Sunglasses


 * https://www.google.com/search?q=prep+sunglasses&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwi579-7wNL3AhWjr3IEHWYlCoIQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=prep+sunglasses&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzIGCAAQBRAeOgcIIxDvAxAnOgYIABAIEB46BQgAEIAEOgsIABCABBCxAxCDAToECAAQHlDzBViEHWCaHmgBcAB4AIABkAGIAZELkgEEMTYuMpgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=ZRR5YvmoF6PfytMP5sqokAg&bih=722&biw=1536&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS992US992


 * Overall and specifically these are not good examples of preppiness. Why the obstinance to replacing them unless we want to give the exact opposite impression of the subject matter of the article. Because these images move the reader away from the meaning of the text and information contained in the article. They are bad examples. 129.63.157.32 (talk) 13:12, 9 May 2022 (UTC)
 * HELLO THERE!
 * So hiiiii...
 * The image in question was placed into the article on 15 July 2016‎ by Osama57 without discussion by a troll who wilfully and maliciously inserted an inappropriate image into the article.
 * If you look at Osama57 you will find that the user is a troll. Osama57 inserts actively negative images into articles per their own mission statement.
 * According to the user in their profile..."Hey, I'm Osama and I love to force to include ugly photos in fashion pages. I'm a Dork person ever. And I love my goats."
 * The user loves to force ugly photos into articles. The image is not a useful reference. I ask that it be removed and I would suggest that the user needs to be banned for vandalizing this and other articles. This guy...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Osama57
 * 129.63.157.32 (talk) 13:38, 9 May 2022 (UTC)

Your argument is sound, even if your method of putting it across is not. There is no "obstinance", merely a request that you rationalise your desire to change the article. Based on your investigation, I have no bones about removal of the Eastwood image. Chaheel Riens (talk) 16:38, 9 May 2022 (UTC)


 * How imperious of you. Thanks! 129.63.157.32 (talk) 17:00, 9 May 2022 (UTC)
 * Ironic, given that you were the one trying to force your preferred version prior to consensus, but hey ho - appreciate the thanks. Chaheel Riens (talk) 20:54, 9 May 2022 (UTC)

Vandalism (Images)
The Clint Eastwood image was placed into the article by a troll who inserts ugly photos into articles related to clothing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Osama57

It should be removed. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.63.157.32 (talk) 13:45, 9 May 2022 (UTC)

Just for fun in case anyone is here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA4Z_7l25Tc

Explanation of what preppy is.... — Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.63.157.32 (talk) 13:55, 9 May 2022 (UTC)

Idk About you
afk pls pls stop talking yippee 97.122.255.83 (talk) 00:55, 24 September 2023 (UTC)

2000s and beyond
this article would benefit from some additional information about how the style has changed and regained popularity in recent years. I will try to find some appropriate sources. RassGroots (talk) 15:39, 7 November 2023 (UTC)

"old money"?
This extremely narrow definition is hardly how the term is used today, or used by anyone born after, say, 1980 (ironically the year Birnbach's book was published). Jonathan f1 (talk) 00:38, 4 April 2024 (UTC)