What Is Preppy Aesthetic? 7 Preppy Style Essentials

The Preppy aesthetics culture is officially back and trending on the internet. There are so many ways you can style an outfit inspired by this subculture. But what exactly is it? Read on to find out.

What is Preppy Aesthetics?

Often referred to as Prep or “preppie”, The Preppy aesthetic is an American sub-culture. The term stereotyped students that went to old private Northeastern university-preparatory schools.

This aesthetic is characterized by upper-class upbringing and often reflects values such as narcissism, snootiness, or elitism.

It inspired the “Old money aesthetic” TikTok subculture which is trending these days. There are countless outfits inspired by this aesthetic and you can style them too. In this post, we’ll break down the preppy aesthetic and how to build a preppy outfit.

Also Read: A Guide To Dark Academia Fashion

Preppy Aesthetics Fashion

The preppy aesthetic draws cues from the upper-class attending Ivy league schools. Naturally, preppy fashion is high-class, sophisticated, and elegant.

The preppy style incorporates nautical stripes, checks, and pastel colors.

Also Read: A Guide To Cottagecore Fashion

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Here are some staple items that you need to build preppy aesthetic outfits:

Polo Shirts

You can pair a polo shirt with a pleated skirt. The pleated skirt, mainly in muted gray color, is a must-have for the preppy aesthetic outfit. Lastly, put on white tennis shoes to complete the look.

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Pleated Skirts

Wear a checked pleated skirt or a plain white tennis skirt with a cropped cardigan to channel your inner Cher from Clueless.

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Knit V-neck Sweaters

Go for striped or cable knit v-neck sweaters and pair them with a tennis skirt or loose shorts.

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Cardigans

A nice warm cropped cardigan paired with a pleated skirt makes the perfect preppy look. You can go for cropped rib knit cardigans, striped v-neck cardigans, or maybe one in diamond check.

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Blazers

To get that elite look, blazers are essential! Double-breasted blazers in black or navy blue are great for that classy look. You can also wear a checked tweed jacket to look polished and chic.

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Trench Coats

Blair Waldorf is the perfect flag bearer of the Prep style. You can draw inspiration from her and pull off a trench coat to get that preppy look.

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Matching Sets

Preppy fashion is all about looking sophisticated and classy. Nothing looks more put together than a matching set of a tweed jacket and skirt.

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Preppy Fashion Inspirations & Outfit Ideas

Here are some ideas to inspire your next preppy style outfit.