the penny loafer reinvented...by Ralph Lauren, himself!!Well, I was talking with a friend the other day about our love of penny loafers (as teens), when I realized that my inner preppy girl is alive and kicking within me. Sigh... the late eighties were good to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the jeans with untucked, button-down collared shirts, the jean mini-skirts, cotton sweaters, ballet flats, and (yes) penny loafers...with perfectly placed pennies, of course. Everything I bought was of natural materials...leather, cotton, linen...quality was every bit as important as quantity when it came to my wardrobe, and I thus worked at a variety of jobs, mainly to feed my teen-age clothes-shopping habit. Everything was pared down and casual...a simple strand of pearls and small gold hoop earings, Lauren perfume, Swatch watches, and the most basic of make-up...although lipgloss was a requirement!! There was certainly no overexposing of skin back then amongst the preppy set, and I didn't even mind the teasing I'd get from my siblings, so sure was I of my style. Back then, Ralph lauren was an icon to me, and names like Calvin Klein, Alfred Sung (Canadian), Roots, Benetton were on the tips of everyone's tongues. There was no such thing as big, teased hair if you were a preppy girl...not unless you were getting the style all wrong. No, bobs were all the rage, and I sheepishly admit this, but my hairstyle has varied very little in all that time. I can definitely chalk that up to having naturally curly/prone to frizziness hair, that required the bob's longer layers to sit flatter against my head! Still, maybe I also cling to the look because it reminds me of the "old me"...younger, freer, and flirting with boys drenched in POLO cologne!! Good memories!!
Things haven't changed much in preppy fashion, have they?? Err...wait...actually they've gotten better. I think I'm liking this fresh take on preppy:
photos above: www.jcrew.com
Sometimes, however, preppy just goes all wrong. Even in the hands of the master, himself: Ralph Lauren (all images below: www.ralphlauren.com )
That is a perfect example of why we shouldn't wear logos on our clothing...
...and sometimes, apparently, preppy style (in the wrong hands) can be a train wreck of sorts!!
"psst...buddy...you have bugs cruisin' up your pants"...oops, they're polo players!! So not good...
And if those don't make you cringe...well, I hate to show you this, but... oyyy...they're back.....deck shoes!! Some style advice: do not let the men in your life see these or wear these!! I don't care what anyone says...he'll look really pukey in them!!!
