5 Preppy Clothing Staples to Upgrade your Scholarly Style

Add some prep to your step.

Some of our favourite clothing items are considered “preppy” but it doesn’t mean we want to look like we just left boarding school when we wear them. When styling preppy clothes, it’s fun to add something unexpected to the look to make it edgier.

The Collegiate Shirt

Traditionally, the college shirt is styled with jeans or sweats (since you’d typically wear it walking running to classes or studying in your dorm). To make it more modern, try to channel Princess Di but more street style.

The Argyle Sweater Vest

People typically pair their Argyle vests with button-down shirts, so we went that route, go bolder and opted for a sweater vest dress and tall boots.

The Striped Breton Sweater

We’ve all seen the Breton sweater before because it comes back every season. It usually features navy and white, or black and white horizontal stripes. It’s minimalist but gives your outfit a bit of a pop. We always see Breton sweaters styled the same way – let’s pair it with something new, which is made up of two trends in one: leather cargo pants.

The Trench Coat

Wearing a monochromatic sweater vest look is a great way to style a trench. It’s totally a classic look that goes with everything, but this leather trench is just something else.

The Pleated Skirt

This look is inspired by Cher from Clueless. We’re making it modern by letting moms and curvy ladies know they can rock a short skirt too. You can make it edgier by pairing a cool pair of Doc Martens.