• Audry Hepburn ala Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Black dress and pearls
• Princess Kate – Perfect excuse to wear a tiara and put on a pretty dress.
• Tennis player – Wear your tennis whites, the more retro the better.
• Sailor – The preppiest of costumes, grab a striped shirt and your boat shoes and you are all set. Rope bracelet optional.
• International Spy – Great excuse to stay warm, wear dark glasses and a Burberry raincoat.
• Valley Girl – 1980s prep style
• Private School Student – Wear your old uniform, even better- wear your old gym uniform. This only works if you are past your high school days.
• Lilly Pulitzer – Excuse to wear all of your favorite Lilly clothes and accessories at once.
• Lacrosse Player – Everyone loves a lacrosse player!

Now that the Halloween costume is covered, check out these great tips for spook-ifying your house.

Check out the top 10 posts of 2010:

• Spring Prep Picks – My favorite items from the Spring
• Ask Preppy Girl: Winter Wonderland – Moving from California to Switzerland
• Adding a Little Sparkle to My Holiday Wardrobe – What to wear this Holiday Season
• Wedding Toasts – Cheers!
• Ask Preppy Girl: Back to School Style – What to wear this Fall
• Ask Preppy Girl: Bedroom Decor – Easy ways to spruce up your bedroom
• Back to School – How deal with the dreaded school uniform
• Ask Preppy Girl: Prepify your Wardrobe – Look Preppy
• Preppy Pooches – We love our doggies
• The History of the Polo Shirt – Who knew?

Bull Roast Must Haves:

• Classic Rock Band
• Middle-Aged Prepsters
• Cocktails
• Roast/Pit Beef
• Crab Cakes
• Steamed Shrimp
• Roasted or Mashed Potatoes
• Cheese Plate
• Fancy Desserts

Who doesn't love dining in a tent?

School Uniform Blahs

Three little words that still make me shudder. There is nothing worse than after a long summer of fashion freedom to be stuffed back into the often conservative and confining school uniform. Oh, but wait, there is a small glimmer of hope. Even the strictest of uniform codes…and I am talking no ankle socks, nuns measuring the length of your skirt, allow for a little room to express yourself. You just need to get a little creative.

Girls – Layer it!

• Sweaters: If you don’t have to wear a gross polyester blend from the school uniform company, sweaters are a great way to express your individuality. J. Crew, Old Navy, and Land’s End have many styles of cardigans to choose from. Cardis are great because you can even customize the buttons.

• Shoes: I had to wear saddle shoes—yes ladies—saddle shoes. But many schools who are more lenient in the shoe department. Most department stores carry cute styles of oxfords, flats, brogues, and penny loafers. I am sure you can find at least one pair to your liking…and who said you had to wear white crew socks?

• Jewelry: Whether you love traditional styles like signet rings and pearls or if boho jewelry more your thing, bracelets, rings, and earrings are a great way to show off your fashion sense (and comply with your school’s dress code.)

• Watch: Everyone is allowed to tell time, aren’t we? From silver to grosgrain, watches come in a variety of sizes and styles.

• Hair: Hairbands and barrettes just to name a few hair accessories. Time to try some new styles.

• Nails: Many schools do not have a rule about nail polish, so stock up on all of the fun shades.

• School bag: Who said you have to carry a traditional backpack? Try a stylish tote or a funky over-sized purse instead.

Guys – Color it!
Guys have it so much easier than girls in the uniform department. As long as you have a tie and a buttoned down shirt, you are golden. Many schools do not specify what color shirt or tie to wear, if that is the case at your school, you should take full advantage of it. Try pairing unexpected colors like a navy blue gingham dress shirt with a green tie.

• Sports jackets: Brooks Brothers, J. Crew, Jos. A Banks, Nantucket Reds, take your pick. Spruce up your look with a fancy handkerchief and a funky needlepoint belt.

Do you have any helpful tips on how to make your school uniform more fashionable? Send it here.

The Preppy Princess's pup, Tilly, in her adorable pink and green halter.

Cheryl's pooch Chico is looking snazzy in his preppy sweater from Old Navy.

Daisy keeping watch at the beach.

Miss Penny snoozes in her Crab and Sand Dollar Collar.

Mr. Ranger looking good at the beach.

And the ever preppy Golden Retrievers!

Boomer, Ashley Estill's preppy pup, soaking up the scene in Annapolis.

Mr. Max playing on the rocks.

Pretty Miss Priscilla of Newport Beach

Truman is ready for a night on the town!

For more preppy puppies, check out the Preppy Life’s Top 10 Preppy Dog Names.

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

Hi Preppy Girl!

First let me say I enjoy your blog…ALOT. And since I’m considering getting a car this winter a question popped up. Are Volkswagens considered preppy? I love Volkswagen, my second and thirst choices are BMW and Volvo…so are Volkswagens fit for a New England preppy?

Thanks a million,
New England Prep

Dear New England Prep,

Thanks for reading my blog, I am glad you like it. I am very biased when it comes to Volkswagens, I LOVE THEM! Volkswagens, BMWs, and Volvos are all preppy cars. Just make sure you get a car that you can afford, runs well, and is dependable. The last thing you want is a car that spends more time at the mechanic than it does on the road.

For more information check out this post about preppy cars.

Good luck with the car shopping!

Best,
P.G.

Lacoste: The Original Polo Shirt

Polos are the brainchild of the 7-time Grand Slam champion, René Lacoste. Called “the Crocodile” by his fans, Lacoste was unsatisfied with the stuffy and confining tennis attire of the 1920s. He took matters into his own hands and designed a short-sleeved, breathable piqué cotton shirt, which he premiered while playing in the 1926 U.S. Open. His meticulously designed shirt had thoughtful details ensuring comfort, wearability and style. For example, the shirt featured a longer shirttail to stay tucked-in and a stiff collar to protect his neck from the sun. In 1927, Lacoste placed a crocodile logo on the left side of his tennis shirt, ushering in the dawn of the Lacoste and logo clothing. Upon retiring from tennis, Lacoste formed Chemise Lacoste, a luxury sportswear company, who manufactures the ever-popular crocodile tennis shirt.

…but how did it get its name?

Preppy Prince William plays polo in a polo shirt. Photo by Simon Taylor.

Tennis players were not the only athletes dissatisfied with their athletic wardrobe. Disgruntled polo players took the field in long sleeved buttoned-down shirts called polo shirts. Hearing about Lacoste’s fabulous tennis shirt, the players tried it. Before long, Lacoste’s shirt was the standard garb for playing polo and referred to as the “polo” shirt. A young Ralph Lauren included the polo shirt in his fledgling 1972 clothing line, Polo.

Forty years later, and the polo shirt is still going strong. Hundreds of clothing companies have created polo knock-offs, but nothing can beat Lacoste, a true preppy original.

Here are a few of my favorite monogrammed items:

Sweet Pink Plaid Pillow by Letter Perfect Designs. $62

Preppy Pillow:
This perky pillow features dozens of rose pink buttons and was handmade by Letter Perfect Designs. The pillows can be customized for any letter.

Personalized Key Ring from Paige's Pastime $8

Cute Key Ring:
Never loose your keys again with a personalized key ring from Paige’s Pastime. Its the perfect gift for all of your preppy friends.

Monogrammed Duffel Bag from The Lazy Daisy Children's Shop $23

Delightful Duffel:
This adorable green and pink duffel bag from The Lazy Daisy Children’s Shop is great for your tweens. The bag can be personalized with 1, 2, or even 3 initials.

Personalized Vinyl Car Monogram by Southern Belle Boutique $10

Coolest Car:
You can now even personalize your car with a vinyl monogram from Southern Belle Boutique.

Monogramming Guidelines:

• Traditional three letter monograms feature the last name in the center of the design. The first name initial appears to the left and the middle name initial appears to the right.
• Married or engaged couples can use either a two letter monogram or create a new three letter monogram using their shared surname.
• Monogramming etiquette for the married couple varies according to the item being monogrammed. For example, bed linens place the woman’s initial first, followed by the couple’s shared surname initial, and then the man’s initial.

Source: Wikipedia