Preppy is as preppy does

As I reflect on my personal style throughout my life, there is one contant: preppiness.

If you were to look through pictures of me as a child, you’d see that my mom dressed me in Polo Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Gap and many other brands that contributed to my style evolution. I also credit her and my dad for creating my shopping problem, but that's a topic for another article.

I’ve been infatuated with preppy style since I was young. The world built around preppy fashion usually has a deep history of quality, a well-crafted, tantalizing story and pieces that only get better with age.

Photo by Landon Morrison | The Miami Student
Morrison puts on his favorite shirt and pants from J.Crew.

Abercrombie & Fitch was my closet staple throughout middle school. The brand image, the quality, the history, the black and white ads, and the heavy smell of cologne wrapped me in.

That gave way to J.Crew in high school, and now J.Crew is nearly 100% of my closet in college, thanks to my job as a sales associate the summer of my first year.

Learning Miami University was also known as “J.Crew U” only made my obsession with the brand even more compulsive. If my friends ask me what I’m wearing, I just shake my head and tell them to guess — head-to-toe J.Crew.

Photo by Landon Morrison | The Miami Student
Morrison shows off what he purchased on a shopping trip at the mall.

J.Crew has crafted a world of quality pieces with a story that accompanies many of them. The bright neons and the neutral navies catch me every time, even if I already own three of the same roll neck sweater.

The first date, a business interview, a night out on the town — preppiness will never do you wrong.

Maybe this style came to be because of my upbringing in the preppy south of Lexington, Kentucky, but I found that I never gave in to trends that I saw fellow peers were doing throughout life. Preppy was always the way to go.

The easiest way to answer why my style is preppy is because it's timeless, versatile and it’ll never go out of style. I always stick with polo and khakis, rugby and sweats, and loafers and jeans. Preppy combinations are in your favor for every occasion of life.