In the past week or so, I have experienced many, many frightening things.
1. Last Friday:
A certain boy in my class told me that I was "not preppy". He said, "(Insert name here of girls in grade that wear things like this:)
are preppy. Not you Royar, you're not preppy at all."
Now, I am not bashing these clothes or this style in any way, but this is not preppy to me. And I'm not saying you have to wear a certain brand of clothes to be preppy, but to me, Lilly Pulitzer, J. Crew and the like are preppy to me. Am I wrong here? It was insulting to me, since I consider myself to be the preppiest person in my grade, if not my school. I'm not trying to brag, however, I'm trying to be honest.
2. Monday:
I will admit it, I recently purchased a pair of Wallabies. And I am proud of it. However, yet another boy (how did this post end up being all about boys?) has a pair of Wallabies and he wears them every. single. day. When I wore them on Monday, a few boys in my English class thought it was funny that I was wearing them and that they were boys shoes. I got a few more comments after that, but on the bright side, a lot of girls thought they were cute. Among that, I also wear oxfords. Boys have to wear button-downs every single day at PHS. Sometimes, I wear oxfords because I like them. This is lost on the boys and most girls at my school.
3. Yesterday:
Another boy (they're so clueless!) tells me in history class after I said "Y'all" to someone that y'all isn't a word.
Child, please.
He tried to tell me that it "was a contraction, but not a word." I had to take several deep breaths after that one.
One thing I have learned in my years at PS,
you can put them in a tie, button down and khakis everyday,
but you can't make them preppy.
I used to think I lived south of the Mason-Dixon.
Apparently, not far south enough for my taste.
xoxo,
Royar
{The Young Southern Prep}
PS Sorry if this turned into a rant, y'all. It's been a rough week. But on the bright side...only two more days until the weekend!
Oh Royar, I'm glad you're not letting those comments get to you. You seem to have a great head on your shoulders and are very sure of who you are! Wallabees are definitely not "boy's shoes", practically every girl in my Sorority has at LEAST one pair! Hope you have a better day! On the bright side, it's almost Friday!!!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you feel! I moved from TN to CT, and I get the "y'all" thing all the time! Also, I've learned that there are very, very few people who are preppy and that are very blind to what actually IS preppy...we just have to get used to them!
ReplyDeleteI don't think those clothes are even considered preppy at least not in my book. And I love my Wallabies and need a new pair as I have worn mine out.
ReplyDeleteGlad you aren't letting those silly boys get to you.
I wear wallabees with oxfords all the time. And as for the y'all comment...tell him to come down south and tell people that isn't a word.
ReplyDeleteRoyar, you go girrrl! Don't worry about those stupid guys. Preppy to them is probably just as off as they are all together. And those clothes definitely aren't preppy in my book. I hope you have a better week! :]
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't change after high school either! I wear oxford button downs all the time, brown bucks and weejuns on my feet, and any other preppy "unisex" thing you can think of and my best guy friends to this day still poke fun at me for how I dress.. they just don't understand!!
ReplyDeleteRoyar,
ReplyDeleteFirst, let me say that as the mother of an almost 18 yr. old daughter (No funny business here...I married my high school sweetheart right after graduating.), I would be proud to claim you as my daughter as well. There are not enough strong, proud, young women in this world. Although my daughter probably doesn't dress in a way that would be considered preppy (still figuring out just what that means), she still dresses modestly and maintains who she is despite the kind teasing from friends. One of her friends actually compared her to the American Girls from the American Girls book series. She wasn't sure if it was meant as a compliment or put down, but she didn't let it bother her. The original Nancy Drew has been a big influence in her life growing up. She has read just about all of the books and loves playing the Nancy Drew games. All that to say that you remind me of my own daughter, whom I am very proud of for sticking to her guns in regards to who she is amongst peer pressure. She definitely doesn't follow the crowd.
In regards to what is preppy, I'm still confused about that. I'm just learning what is/is not considered preppy. There seems to be a range in thought on that. You mention J. Crew, and I've read elsewhere that J. Crew is not considered true preppy clothing. So, what defines what's preppy? I get the sense that it's not only about style, but quality as well. So, maybe some do not see J. Crew as being true preppy because the quality is not quite as good as other designer's clothing??? I'm just guessing here, and hoping that you or others have some thoughts to share on this topic as well.
Lilly is one designer that I'm a little confused about. I see her referred to all the time on preppy blogs, but I thought one of the defining qualities of the preppy look is its timelessness. A lot of Lilly's looks, although put in the preppy category, seem to be current fashions that will come and go according to what is current in the moment. Am I wrong about this? There seems to be a group that supports timeless preppy fashion, and another group that supports changing preppy fashion.