by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I just finished reading The Beautiful and the Damned, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s fascinating tale of a society couple, whose life becomes entangled by the trappings of money and alcohol. The book follows the young life of Anthony Patch, a spoiled prep and supposed heir to his grandfather’s fortune, as he navigates through a rocky relationship with his beautiful wife Gloria. Though rather dark, Fitzgerald does an excellent job describing the energy and social scene of New York in the early 20s.

Preppy Rating: 3 bows

If you have a question for the Preppy Girl email it to me at preppygirl@thepreppylife.com.

Dear Preppy Girl,
Firstly, let me say I LOVE YOUR BLOG. It is so comprehensive in everything preppy! My question is: whenever I wear polos I feel like a boy; are there any preppy alternatives to consider?

xoxo,
Royar

Dear Royar,
That is a tough question! I know what you mean about polos. I have never been a big fan of them myself. One of my stylish friends suggests dressing up your polos with ultra feminine accessories like a cute pair of espadrilles, dainty jewelry, and a girlie belt. If you shop around you can find some great slim-fit polos or even a halter polo.

The Preppy Polo

Here are a few variations on the classic polo:

• Vineyard Vines Sleeveless Pique Polo
• Vineyard Vines Susie Fit Polo
• Lilly P. Michelle Sleeveless Polo

And here are a couple of stylish alternatives:

• Old Navy Ruffled Polo: A cute variation on the polo. Looks great with a pair of  short shorts, capris, or a skirt, and a few preppy accessories.

• Old Navy Embroidered Crinkle-Gauze Top: An fun alternative to the polo, still has sleeves, but a bit more feminine.

• The Limited Striped Bateau Top: This nautical top is a little bit more dressy than a traditional polo. Great for a casual dinner at the club.

Try to stock up on short sleeves now, there are a bunch of fantastic summer sales going on. I hope that helps!
-P.G.

Don’t fret, you didn’t miss the prep school dance. This little white dress is not your thugly graduation gown. Everyone from Michelle Obama to Kate Bosworth has been spotted this summer wearing the little white dress or LWD. This preppy style has been popping up at parties all over the east and west coasts. Think short, modern and clean and Lilly has about a dozen styles to choose from. The best thing about the LWD is you can pair it with anything: from sky-high heels and thick bangles to grosgrain belts and polka dot purses.

Kuku Strapless Ruched Cocktail Dress with Bubble Hem. Photo by Andeshita

Despite the farm equipment, I love the ruffles on this little white dress

Dalia MacPhee LWDs

For more summer prep fashion check out Preppy Summer Staples and Perfect Summer Dresses.

Whether cooling at the country club or chilling on the beach, here are a few preppy essentials to get you through this summer heat.

Franklin+Gower Coastal Cool

For Guys:

1. Nantucket Reds – Critter shorts, pants, polos and more
2. Retro School T’s – Preferably of the Ivy League
3. Lacoste – Great for those hot weather tennis matches and golf games
4. Shorts – F+G makes the coolest customizable bermudas
5. Seersucker – Why don’t more men wear seersucker suits?
6. Vineyard Vines tie – A staple at preppy summer weddings
7. Madras – It goes with everything
8. Grosgrain, needle point, & club belts – Can’t leave home with out one.
9. Boat Shoes – Ahoy!

Lilly Skirt and J. Crew Grosgrain Ribbon Flip Flops

For Gals:

1. Lilly – Skirts, dresses, bathing suits, you name it, Lilly makes it pretty.
2. A little white dress
3. Madras patchwork skirt – A summer essential that never goes out of style
4. Navy Blue anything
5. Plenty of polos
6. A classic tote bag ala L.L. Bean – Perfect for storing your snacks, books, and beach blanket.
7. J. Crew flip-flops – Simply the best
8. A floppy straw hat- A must have for the beach
9. Jackie O. Sunglasses – The bigger the better
10. Sailor Stripes: H&M, J. Crew, Old Navy, everyone is making them this year, it’s a perfect time to stock up!
    

    Stripes Galore at H&M

For more preppy fashion check out Preppy Style 101: Dressing the Part and Preppy Essentials.

If you have a question for the Preppy Girl email it to me at preppygirl@thepreppylife.com.

Dear Preppy Girl,
So I was at the mall yesterday and I saw a sign saying all ballet flats were 40% off. Naturally, I could not resist. However, the flats I bought did not get the sale price. What’s the difference between flats and ballet flats?

- Confused in Connecticut

Dear CC,
I am sorry to hear about your shopping faux pas. Just the other day, my friend Cheryl, the fashion expert, was telling me the difference between flats and ballet flats. Here are a few things to looks for:

Ballet Flats

• Ballet flats are a classically styled shoe, dating back to the 16th century and are always rounded in the toe.
• Ballet flats can come in a variety of colors but they are typically made from a soft material, like silk or suede.
• Ballet flats do not have a heel.

Flats

• Unlike ballet flats, regular flats can have small heels, think 1/4 of an inch.
• The toe can come in a variety of shapes, it may be pointy, square, open, or even peep toe.

Happy Shopping!

P.G.

the real ballet flats

Last Friday, the BF and I spent the night in NYC en route to a wedding in Hyde Park, New York. We had a wonderful time taking in the sights and smells of the city. We toured the Metropolitan Museum of Art and had cocktails on their swank rooftop garden which features a breath-taking view of the city. From the roof, you can even catch a glimpse of those magical penthouses of the Upper East Side…a girl can dream, can’t she?

The Met's Rooftop Garden

Must be nice!

For dinner we took a taxi to the West Village and had dinner at La Ripaille, a charming French restaurant with fabulous food and service. For dessert we walked to the famed Magnolia Bakery and stocked up on cupcakes: banana, chocolate, and butter cream. We headed back to midtown, ate a few cupcakes, and checked out the bar scene.

Our hotel in midtown Manhattan

On Saturday we did a little shopping and even stopped by the Mothership a.k.a. Tiffany’s flagship store. Sadly, I didn’t buy anything. We also cruised through Coach, H&M, Channel, Bloomingdale’s, and Burberry before hitting the road. It was a whirl-wind trip but I had a blast. Hoping to go back soon!

Ignoring my instincts, I went to Jiffy Lube this morning for an oil change. In and out in 10 minutes, it was great! I got on the highway to head back to the city when I heard a loud crashing noise emanating from beneath my car. F&$%!

I pulled over to discover the bottom casing of my car had fallen out. However, Fate was smiling at me. The pickup truck behind me also pulled over and its driver happened to be the owner of a tow truck company. He quickly pieced my broken car back together and escorted me to Jiffy Lube. Since Jiffy Lube said they were not responsible, the man kindly offered to fix my car himself.

With an unusual amount of blind faith I followed the man to his shop and watched as he screwed a few bolts into my car. He said normally when he tries to help people, they are too scared to get out of their car. That left me wondering, is our society so crime-ridden that we are scared to accept help from a Good Samaritan? I was fortunate to meet a kind gentleman on the road but even as I followed behind him, I found myself calling my boyfriend giving him a blow-by-blow of my location.

Needless to say, I was lucky. I am perfectly safe and my car is bolted back together. If it wasn’t for my Good Samaritan, I would have been stranded on the side of the road on a hot day. In gratitude, I promised to design a logo for his business. My friend said “it may have been his lucky day as well.” ; )

May we all have angels standing by.

If you have a question for the Preppy Girl email it to me at preppygirl@thepreppylife.com.

Dear Preppy Girl,
Are mini dachshunds preppy enough? I know labs are, but love my doxies! Also, where can I find grosgrain watch bands that will fit my watch? A lot of them I have tried are too fat for even my large watch.

- SEL

Dear SEL,
Thank you for the great questions. Miniature Dachshunds are extremely preppy; maybe even preppier than Labs. Who can resist their little stubby legs and long floppy ears? Dachshunds have three varieties of coat: long haired, short haired, and wire haired, and they are all equally adorable. Miniature Dachshunds, as we know them today, were first bread in Germany but have roots going back to Ancient Egypt. Talk about a distinguished family tree!

Preppy Dachshunds

As for the grosgrain ribbon watch bands, have you considered making your own? You could even make matching collars for your doxies. Here is a great site that has tips on making your own watch band using Velcro and a hot glue gun.

Good luck!
-P.G.

This year Wimbledon has seen its fair share of drama, Venus Williams and Roger Federer defeated in the quarterfinals and Venus and Serena losing the doubles competition in the quarterfinals to Russia’s Vera Zvonareva and Elena Vesnina. And on Friday to the great dismay of  David Beckham, we watched Rafael Nadal take down Andy Murray in three sets. That being said we have been able to witness a fair share of new talent  including Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova and Czech’s Tomas Berdych.

Breakfast at Wimbledon:
This year’s singles matches between Serena Williams & Vera Zvonareva and Rafael Nadal & Tomas Berdych will be action-packed. I have always wanted to have a Breakfast at Wimbledon party, however I am not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination.

Here are a few of the dishes that I would serve:

• English Breakfast Tea
• Scones and jam
• Eggs Benedict
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Asparagus
• Strawberries and Cream
• Mimosas

Cheerio!

Since I essentially live in a bachelor pad with the BF and Wonder Dog, I have to voice my decorating style on the sly. Slowly, I have been sneaking the lime green and sunshine yellow on the walls, transforming the BF’s brown-on-boring house into one of my budget coastal design. After scouring the Pottery Barn catalogue for ideas,  I went to IKEA and stocked up on jars, vases, and candles. I’m not an interior designer by any stretch of the imagination, but I thought these beachy accents made a huge improvement in the home.

To disguise the ugly glass table lamp, I added a few jars stuffed with sea shells

Candles and Shells add some serenity to the mess I call "The Mail"

a good way to store all of your sea shells from past vacays

Pussy Willow Branches in a large vase