Deconstructed Preppy: She said...

Phat Tony and I have found ourselves seeing eye to eye on all matters of taste since our early days at the McDowell School of Dance. Boiling down Fall 07's trend offerings into one shared theme is no exception. The notion has been brewing for some time now as we have recently explored both seersucker and summer plaid and the notion is: deconstructed preppy.

Here we have a unique situation where we've seen all the elements to a look before, yet somehow, when tweaked and recombined, we create something new without creating something, well, just plain crazy. Our favorite visual guide comes from Balenciaga:


Here's a great example of flow from season to season. All those loose-fitting dresses you were wearing this summer? Throw on a blazer, add some tights and the scarf of your choice and, voila, we arrive at something very new and current.

Before you go do anything bold like pop your collar, let's discuss what we mean by deconstructed. From both men and women, we're looking for the UNexpected here. So if Kanye West is doing it, did it three minutes ago or appeared at VMA's in it, we might want to rethink things. We're looking for something divergent from the irony of the preppy rapper, we're looking for something a bit more lived in. For example, for women, we hate the idea of pastels and pearls right now but we love the idea of a men's-style striped shirt and blazers over everything (especially where we wouldn't think they'd belong).

We also love some of the androgynous looks for women and deconstructed preppy happens to be one of the unique trends that crosses gender boundaries. More to come for the Men's point of view but until then I leave you with one last visual for inspiration. It's a bit reminiscent of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air's inside out jacket circa 1990 and yes, we love it.

Pop Goes the Collar

My words and my actions have never been at odds as they have been over the popped collar.

I've been known to wear a polo shirt, and for no reason whatsoever, pop that collar right up. Why? Do I have some lurid fear of the elements pelting the back of my neck? Do I think that what is beneath the fold of the collar is so much more attractive than what's on top? Do I think that country-club chic is here to stay?

No.

Here's the simple rule: with a polo shirt, never pop that collar on purpose. If, for some reason, your shirt is refreshingly untidy and the corners of that collar just happen to be grazing your ears, fine. But if you feel the need to check yourself out to make sure the corners are sticking up and jutting out just right, you're doing something wrong. This rule, of course, does not apply to jackets. This might be because a jacket is actually designed to protect against the elements, so flipping that collar up need not require an excuse.

So you're from Long Island. So Victoria Gotti raised you. So hair gel, spray, and mousse, working in conjunction, is the only way to show your head in public. You've got a lot working against you. Don't be a victim and pop that collar. The world (outside LI and Freeport, Maine, at least) will appreciate it.

(Betsy Addendum: I just wanted to address those who feel its appropriate to pop one's collar due to vague hip hop reasons. What's up House of Pain, just because Kanye West popped his collar for 10 minutes in 2003 is not an excuse.




I didn't see the Louis Vuitton backpack trend sweeping the nation.)

(Phat Tony Addendum to preceding Betsy Addendum: Agreed, and don't forget what Kanye's been seen on magazine covers... can you say "pink G-Shock watch"? We'd rather not.)