Talk:Preppy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fashion Portal

This article is within the scope of the Fashion WikiProject. Please work to improve this article, or visit our project page to find other ways of helping. Thanks!

Start

This article has been rated as Start-Class on the assessment scale.

Mid

This article is on a subject of Mid-importance within fashion.

Article Grading: The article has been rated for quality and/or importance but has no comments yet. If appropriate, please review the article and then leave comments here to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the article and what work it will need.

	It is requested that a photograph or photographs be included in this article to improve its quality.
	The Free Image Search Tool (FIST) may be able to locate suitable images on Flickr and other web sites.

[edit] WASPs?

I know this is subjective, but the requirement of preppy people being Anglo-Saxon Protestants seems too restrictive. I've seen many people who are described as preppy and they are Nordic, Alpine, and Catholic. Something to think about. I think the more general definition that preppy students are students who go to preparatory schools is more commonsense.

--Knowledge-is-power (talk) 01:05, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Yes, I agree sort of. 151.205.67.9 (talk) 04:54, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Sorry, preppie is not the same as being WASP. You can be a WASP and not be preppie - similarly you can be preppie and not be WASP. Sounds like someone is casting a racial, socioeconomic stereotype here - fortunately this subject is of zero importance (just followed it from a wikipedia advertising page for some sort of sporting goods store called REI - was looking for information on Reaction Engineering Inc.) Many WASPS have never worn a IZOD, LLBean, etc. piece of crap in their lives - neither have they ever went to a prep school or had any desire to emulate someone who did. Suggest someone clearly rethink what the f**k they're trying to do with this article or better yet dump it entirely and point people to an online dictionary which can clear up the definition in about 10 words. Alternatively just tell them to get a life and stop clogging the internet with a bunch of useless junk - oh, and also junk any wikipedia articles whose only references are marketing pages by the companies that the articles are about...jmdeur 11:00 1 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Revert

Some dude named Domanator vadalised this page. I have reverted it.

EDIT: it wasn't him, it was some other guy. Sorry about confusion.

If you had to read the official preppy handbook to understand preppy, you're not preppy. --Kactapuss 07:37, 24 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Addition

I added a school to your list of Boarding Schools cited in Birnbach's book. The Hill School (Pottstown,PA) was overlooked. It is cited on Page 47 for anyone who was interested. Cheers.

I'd like to add the REAL defnition of the word preppy, the definition that is used today, preppy as in the synonym of "popular": A prep is a person that is totally brainwashed by the media. They wear what brands the media tells them to such as A&F, AE, Aero, hollister, express, etc. They basically only listen to mainstream music. They make fun of people who aren't afraid to be themselves otherwise know as individuals. Preps are shallow. They are monkeys --> monkey see, monkey do. The media says something's cool, prep sees, prep thinks it's cool.

As someone else on here said, "preps are the downfall of society". and they are. 
THOUGH, there ARE some people that are actually not snobby, wear the "prepy" clothes because they like them, and are smart and not shallow. These people are OK they are nice. They will not lead to the apocolypse like the rest of the preps. 
 
The media says jumping off a bridge is the cool and "in" right now. 
prep: Lyk OMG I'm lyk ssooooo jumpin off a briadgee todai. OMGOMG who wantz to com.

--from UrbanDictionary.com

That's valley girl. California. Not preppy. Get it right. I realize that a great majority of the American high school population might consider a preppy one whose parents can scratch together enough money for Abercrombie, American Eagle, or a bottle of hair gel, but the purpose of Wikipedia is to establish some truth in the roots of the word. So get over your bitterness. Edw28 09:52, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Observations

---> everyone needs to stop changing the sports actually read the Preppy handbook before you site from it or at least look at its wikipage sports named:

no football or any of that jock crap soo many of you associate with preppyness

---> The 1980s List of colleges are very outdated. I don't know someone is trying to delete the 2006 Yale guide as it is very accurate.

---> Stop deleting the athletics and the prep schools list these were both cited from the Preppy Handbook.

---> The term "preppy" was used way before the 1970s Love Story so stop putting that in

---> The old definition does nothing to describe preppy. It should reference what being preppy is which was best desrcibed in Lisa Birnback in her "Preppy Handbook", She defined eight elements of the "preppy value system" which included: consistency, nonchalance, charm, drinking, effortlessness, athleticism, discipline, and public spirtedness.

---> Yeah, "charm," sure, charm as in ruining the lives of many intelligent young people by making them outcasts and spreading rumours about them! My life was RUINED by preps! I got expelled because of them! Abercrombie IS preppy! So is American Eagle! There is a NEW definition of "preppy" preps! Stop trying to disassociate yourself with it! I think the definition of "preppy" is much more accurate on www.UrbanDictionary.com than here. Look it up.

>I would call everything you just said an opinion. You seem to have had a bad experience with someone who clearly was pseudo preppy (we have pretty definitively decided that Abercrombie and American Eagle are not preppy). The NEW definition of preppy is not the definition of preppy we are looking for in this article, but there might be some room for it in the 'slang usage' section.--70.181.41.166 21:28, 24 August 2007 (UTC)

---> Polo Ralph Lauren is "preppy". Stop grouping it with Abercrombie and American Eagle.

Response: 129.59.35.95, this message regards your changes to preppy. Please don't take the reversions in a bad way; I, too, had a hard time when I began. I see from your contribution history that you're new to editing Wikipedia. I reverted the article for several reasons:

1) The categories/lists were far too arbitrary. If you wish to include all those categories based on the Oficial Preppy Handbook, by all means put them in that article instead. There have been categories/lists like that in Preppy before, but a moderator always changes them back due to their arbitrary quality.

2) The "see also" section of a Wikipedia article should not refer to links otherwise included in the article. See the Wikipedia guidelines for more information.

3) You deleted the "slang usage" section, and referred to this distinction in a brief and arbitrary discussion of "preppy" clothing. Distingtuishing "preppy" based on clothing is too arbitrary for this article. There is a definite difference - agreed upon in the discussion below - between the traditional and slang use of the term "preppy."

4) Your changes were too unilateral, and deviated from the long, evolving editing history of this article. The article has been unilaterally changed many times, but moderators always revert it back. Wikipedia discourages unilateral changes, except for articles that a moderator has noted need to be "cleaned up," "put into correct format," or are a "stub." This article had no such notations from moderators. See the Wikipedia guidelines for more information.

5) Polo Ralph Lauren belongs in the "slang usage" section. Ralph Lauren (nee Ralph Lifschitz) began his company in 1967, uses 3rd world manufacturing, and is an imitation of traditional styling like Brooks Brothers, J. Press, and Paul Stuart. His object is not to sell to "preppies" in the traditional sense, but rather in the sense noted in the "slang usage" section. Note that even Ms. Birnbach did not include him in her book.

6) Lisa Birnbach's book is not an encyclopedia, but rather is a tongue-in-cheek "joke," as she makes abundantly clear. She is not and was not the arbitrator of all things "preppy." Categories based solely on her book belong in that article. The colleges section of this version, as upheld by moderators, is but an example.

7) Indeed, the term "preppy" existed before Love Story. Nonetheless, it was with the film that the term entered the majority American popular culture, as the previous version noted.

Thanks for your understanding, 129.59.35.95, and welcome to the contentious world of editing Wikipedia. =) 65.28.2.172 Oct 26, 2005 (UTC)

5) Polo Ralph Lauren belongs in the "slang usage" section. Ralph Lauren (nee Ralph Lifschitz) began his company in 1967,

You appear to be trying to draw attention to the fact that Ralph Lauren is Jewish. For what purpose? - Skaraoke 16:30, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Note that even Ms. Birnbach did not include him in her book.

She did include him. She mentioned that he started by selling ties at Brooks Brothers. - Skaraoke 16:30, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Sorry, 65.28.2.172, but Polo IS preppy. Ms. Birnbach may not have included it in her book, but that was only because it had not gained full acceptance at the time. Today, preps have embraced Polo, therefore making it preppy. Just take a look at any elitist prep school's campus. Polo, among brands like Lacoste, J.Crew, Brooks Brothers, Ben Silver, Andover Shop, but NOT Abercrombie and American Eagle, make up the modern prep's outfit.

I disagree with your sentiments, unsigned contributor. The point to the "slang usage" section is to illustrate the change in usage of the term "preppy" between socioeconomic groups and at different times. Whereas traditionally the moniker "preppy" is confined to "the characteristics of White, Anglo-Saxon, patrician Protestants (usually with some personal or familial connection to New England, even if only historic) who attend or attended major private, secondary university-preparatory schools", now (younger) people use the term to describe characteristics of people who use material trappings to resemble a stereotypical physical appearance traditionally associated with "preppies." The application of "preppy" to Polo Ralph Lauren (like your arbitrary list above) is an excellent example of this slang usage, as the company openly seeks to capitalize on Middle America's desire for cheaply-manufactured "status symbol" goods (often produced in the Third World) that imitate other, "less fashionable" longstanding manufacturers, thereby allowing the consumer to self-associate by means of physical appearance with a socioeconomic stratum to which he/she otherwise would not belong. As such, Polo Ralph Lauren belongs in the "slang usage" section just as much as any other clothier named therein. 134.193.105.50 19:28, 21 November 2005 (UTC)

I think the person "in charge" of this article has a strong bias against Ralph Lauren for some unknown reason. Ralph Lauren has long been embraced by Preppies (as a student at Dartmouth, I know many authentic, blue-blood New England preppies). Lauren makes quality clothing; as for this point of the clothing being made in 3rd world countries, I own Brooks Brothers clothing, and its made in China. Making clothes in the third world is not a unique "flaw" of Lauren. -Sri

nobody is "in charge" of this article. that is how things work with wikipedia. Mathmo 11:03, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

- Agreed, Polo has been a preppy fixture for decades. And just as a sidenote, Ralph Lauren actually worked for Brooks Brothers in his early years in New York City and bought the Polo logo from Brooks Brothers to branch off and start his own company.

--- im sorry to whoever keeps changing it but Banana Republic, Club Monaco, Hollister, American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch, and south beach are definitly not preppie brands or vacation areas

I am from New Canaan, CT (currently 'summering' [nobody says that anymore] in Naragansett, RI]). I consider New Canaan and Fairfield county CT a breeding ground for preps. I take my information from observation not the preppy handbook or anyones opinion but my own.

Clothes: I would like to agree with the sentiment that Ralph Lauren IS preppy, and that Abercrombie and Fitch (while they may have been preppy in the 70's), hollister, American Eagle, etc are not preppy (if you disagree with me about abercrombie read the wiki article on it, its labled as a 'teen apparel merchandiser' as of 1988). I would like to add for consideration the brands, Nautica and Tommy Hilfiger. Any oposition/reaction?

On the preppy handbook: This is not the bible of preppiness. It was written as an observation of preppiness. That being said, much of the information in the book is widely regarded as accurate. The values (of preps) on the other hand are the opinion of the author of the book, not the values that all preps are required to live by. I, however, do think it is important to the article because the book is widely considered an accurate resource, but it must be introduced for what it is, an observation by Birnbach, nothing more. It is inapropriate to say that true preps 'Adhere' to the book, preppiness is a family tradition. (Its like the great gatsby, old rich vs. new rich. (something like 'you can't buy breeding)).

On The origion of Preppy: someone can add this as a refrence.

  http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=preppy

preppy 2 entries found for preppy. To select an entry, click on it.

 preppy[1,noun]preppy[2,adjective]

and

preppy 2 entries found for preppy. To select an entry, click on it.

 preppy[1,noun]preppy[2,adjective]

Main Entry: 1prep·py Variant(s): or prep·pie /'pre-pE/ Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural prep·pies Etymology: 1prep 1 : a student at or a graduate of a preparatory school 2 : a person deemed to dress or behave like a preppy —Preceding Kactapuss Aug 24, 2007 unsigned comment added by Kactapuss (talk • contribs) 06:20, August 24, 2007 (UTC)

[edit] A Vote for Deletion

[edit] OBSERVATIONS

As this entry notes, the term "preppy" is often wrongly applied to people who are merely wealthy, smart or clean cut. There are many perfectly nice clothing manufacturers (Banana Republic and Abercrombie & Fitch), excellent colleges and universities (Berkeley, Chicago and Providence), and upper-class cities and suburbs (Tulsa, Palo Alto, Beverly Hills and Scottsdale) that aren't "preppy" in the traditional sense of the word. If you're confused about this, check out the Official Preppy Handbook before you edit the page. I know it's incredibly silly for me to care, but I find it kind of annoying that this page keeps getting misleading edits. Preppy: http://www.bensilver.com. Not preppy: http://www.bananarepublic.com.

Um, yeah the term preppy does NOT apply to people who are smart. See my definition above. The people who are smart are quite the opposite of preppy. I've never met a smart preppy person in my life. It's an oxymoron! Preps are the people that P!nk talks about in her song "Stupid Girls." Preps don't go to Berkely, smart liberal HIPPIES go to Berkely.

Um, yeah the term smart does NOT apply to the above, clearly. Judegments such as "I've never met a smart preppy person in my life" are interesting to say the least when you forget that prep takes its root in College Preparatory School, and the lifestyle takes its roots in the Ivy League schools. You clearly do not fall into the category "smart" when you spell Berkeley "Berkely". I'll also put up a picture, to be hilarious and clarify things. Hugs and Kisses. Edw28 09:52, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Please don't make value judgements like "misapplied". Those violate the NPOV policy. Thanks. Rhobite 20:47, Jun 5, 2005 (UTC)

How does "misapplied" violate the NPOV policy? If there's a very common misperception regarding the definition of a certain word, it seems perfectly reasonable to point out the nature of that misperception and correct it. NPOV doesn't entail complete and total relativism. Take, for example, the Wikipedia page for the British racial slang word "wog." The author of that page notes that the term evolved from the word "golliwog," and observes that several other attempts to explain the word's origin "are apocryphal at best and have no foundation in fact." This is helpful to the reader, who is informed of the true origin of the word and finds out that other commonly-held views are in fact erroneous and misleading.

On some level, any attempt to define any term involves a set of "value judgments." For example, I might say that Aruba is a bit chilly most of the year, that the Washington Post is generally considered to be the paper of record in the United States, or that The Who were a great British heavy metal band. These would all be "viewpoints" -- but so would be the assertion that Aruba is quite warm, that the Washington Post is generally considered to be second to the New York Times, and that The Who influenced heavy metal without falling into that category themselves. All of these potentially controversial viewpoints, and many more, are found on Wikipedia pages -- and in the interest of accuracy, I think we can be thankful for their inclusion.

In this case, it is simply a fact that the word "preppy" has not traditionally referred to clothing like that manufactured by Abercrombie & Fitch or Banana Republic. This page will be misleading at best (and innacurate at worst) to the extent that it fails to correct that understandable misapprehension on the part of its readers.

Wikipedia is not a prescriptive guide to the use of language. If someone has written about the word being misapplied, then cite them in the article. Otherwise, please don't add your opinion on the correct definition of "preppy" to the text. Rhobite 04:40, Jun 9, 2005 (UTC)

I thought this page was better before but someone poorly edited the introduction.

For Example: "Moreover, many people who have these characteristics are not preppy, for example new money show-offs at some of the elite schools."

I think this isn't relevant or doesn't add to the preppy definition. I edited the part where someone wrote that Harvard and Yale are full of nerds, etc. Also, J. Crew was started in the north and it is inaccurate to say it was created as a southern tradition.

[edit] Inane comments in "Colleges/Universities" list

I considered deleting them straightaway, but then realized that "preppy" itself is probably just as stereotyped. Still, the comments don't really seem to be written in good taste. --ab

[edit] Removals

I removed the reference to the Kennedys, since it is pointless without context. I could have added context, except it didn't seem particularly relevant anyway. I also removed the following paragraph because it makes lots of assertions with no evidence. To be frank, I don't believe that Southern preps are more likely to hunt or play football than row or play lacrosse, or that Washington & Lee is particularly preppy or that preps are more likely to added local public schools than private schools... feel free to provide some evidence to prove me wrong. I also removed all the lists, except for that part of one that was cited to a reference, and the entire see also section since it wasn't clear why those items were listed. Tuf-Kat 00:58, Jun 7, 2005 (UTC)

While the preppy lifestyle is traditionally associated with the Northeast -- the home of the Ivy League and many of the elite prep schools and liberal arts colleges -- it has also emerged in other areas. In the South, a uniquely Southern Preppy culture has emerged. In lieu of rowing crew or playing lacrosse, the Southern prep is more likely to hunt, hike, or play football. Among the top Southern prep schools are the McCallie School in Chattanooga and St. Marks in Dallas. Although some Southern preps head to a Northern private colleges like Hamilton or Princeton, or Southern private schools like Sewanee or Washington & Lee, they are actually most likely to attend their local public -- Ole Miss, the University of Virginia, University of South Carolina, or the University of Alabama, for example. Upon arriving at college, the Southern prep will immediately join a fraternity or sorority. Southern preps are famous for their good manners and chilvarous regard for ladies.

I agree 100% with this removal. This article has drawn a lot of unreferenced speculation, as well as prescriptive changes like the user who keeps claiming that the word "preppy" is now "misapplied". Rhobite 01:01, Jun 7, 2005 (UTC)

Just something to throw out there: I was a bartender (in Virginia and Maryland) for some time, and I don't recall ever seeing someone I would describe as "preppy" drink a Bloody Mary (with a few exceptions, no one under forty drinks Bloody Marys), and I don't associate preppies with gin & tonic or scotch whisky either (well, maybe gin and tonic...). And certainly not cheap American beer -- the first thing that came to mind as a preppy-drink was Corona (a cheap Mexican beer), though I also think of slippery nipples (not sure why on that one), vodka & ginger ale or some other light soda, maybe also beers like Bass Pale Ale or else microbrews and lagers and such (Yuengling Black & Tan comes to mind); preppies drinking Pabst or Natty Bo is an odd image indeed. Of course, this would all be original research anyway, and I doubt that a person's "preppy" appearance can be used to draw conclusions about what they drink. Perceptions of preppy drinks can be notable too, but these perceptions should attributed to those who hold them. Tuf-Kat 01:13, Jun 7, 2005 (UTC)

And also, I would hardly describe the Southern preppies that I've met as "chivalrous". In fact, AFAICT, most Southern preppies are quite misogynistic, cruel and self-centered; they do not act chivalrous towards women (in fact, I would describe 2/3 of the wife abusers that I've known as both "Southern" and "preppy"), and none of them did any major hiking, nor more than occasional hunting, and most didn't play football in high school or college. Also, out of the 4 Southern preps whose college choices I am aware of, not a single one chose to go to either a New England Ivy League school, nor a small Southern private school, nor a local Southern public school -- one travelled from Mississippi to Tennessee for a public school, another went to a private school in California, and the last two (brothers) went to school in Quebec. Tuf-Kat 01:20, Jun 7, 2005 (UTC)

I'd like respectfully disagree. I am a Southern preppy, and I dated Southern preps. the original description matches my experience and that of other Southern preps I know. My high school sweetheart was mannered and chivalrous, dressed in a manner readers of Birnbaum's book would recognize immediately, and went on to attend Sewanee. That school was in turn a bastion of Southern prep. Yes, the gentlemen there did/do in fact drink Bloodys and G&T's, I knew many other Southern preps at Emory in Atlanta, and at the University of Georgia in Athens; the tailgating good-old-boy network has a fair amount of overlap with Southern prep culture, though they're not exactly the same. My honest impression is that those commenting about this are neither prep, nor Southern.

What is, I believe, leading to much of the confusion and disagreement evident on this Talk Page, is that, while "preppy" culture originally stemmed from a Protestant wealthy social group, which educated its youth in certain private schools, two things have happened since the early 1900s: (1) The original culture has spread to other similar, but not identical groups. e.g. there are many Jewish students now enrolled in the premier private preparatory schools and universities; Princeton and Harvard have both had Jewish Presidents, for example. One can find Jewish and Catholic students in all the most exclusive schools (together with a numeral after their ethnically-identifiable names), and (2) more significantly, preppie culture has, through the process of mass culturization, found in all facets of American business and social life, spread to groups of people not originally part of the original group. e.g. the presence of distinctly middle-class (regardless of their religious or ethnic background) people within the student bodies of many schools formerly more exclusive, e.g. cheap-beer-drinking ill-mannered students at southern (and even northeastern) schools. I would suggest that the primary indicia of preppie culture are an identification with historical United States figures, an ease of attitude regarding money, good manners ("good breeding"), articulate spoken and written English, and some others I can't quite think of right now. 66.108.4.183 16:27, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Cleanup tag removed

The article clearly doesn't need cleanup. It's well-written enough and conforms to style standards. As far as the facts in it go, I'll leave that to other people to argue. The re-write after the VFD by the anonymous user was much worse than the current content, so I reverted it. --Barfooz (talk) 4 July 2005 04:32 (UTC)

[edit] Slang Usage

Personally, I'd contest the sentence In recent years, young people have begun to use the term "preppy" as slang to describe those who appear clean-cut or seem slightly better off financially than others in a given middle class environment. We were using the terms Prep and Preppie in that sense when I was in high school in 1980. Elde 16:43, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

I believe it is pointless to argue a single slang meaning to the word preppy, as I have read here on wikipedia, there are obviously many many meanings and conotations to the word preppy. Some see it as a negative, some a positive, but this site should be impartial so we should leave these out of the article. I also contest that sencence. (Just to add, I am from New Canaan, CT, a predominantly preppy area.)

24 Aug, 2007 -Kactapuss

[edit] Canada?

"Preppy" is an almost ubiquitous thing in Canada, too. Someone has to expand on it in this context (i.e Upper Canada College, St. Michael's or any of the Toronto or Montreal anglo private boys' schools) and small universities like Bishop's or St. Francis Xavier. Maybe it's because of where I come from and my background, but I also associate "preppy" with the Rosedale crowd and even Forest Hill Jews; I don't think 'preppy' in the Canadian context necessarily means WASPy (Cote-St-Luc and Forest Hill specifically come to mind..) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bookmastaflex (talk • contribs)

This is true, I dress like a prep (I am in high school) and It's not a lifestyle of sailing and golf, most people in the area that are preppy are jocks who play football or wrestle or whatever.

Ok, you say you dress 'like' a prep. Therefore you are not a prep. This article is to define what the word preppy means, and what it entails. Preppiness is much more than a style of dress, and true preppiness is more than a lifestyle. Now that does not mean that someone who is preppy cannot play football, or that someone who doesn’t sail isn’t preppy. However in this article we are trying to gather traits that are considered predominately preppy. Aug 24, 2007 Kactapuss —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kactapuss (talk • contribs) 06:56, August 24, 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Preppy TOWNS?

Is it really appropriate to list entire towns as preppy? I know that it's published in a book somewhere, but I think this is staking way too much of a POV, by assuming that the prep-school culture dominates the entire community. I think we should delete that section and just stick to listing preppy schools and colleges. --M @r ē ino 22:07, 25 February 2006 (UTC)

I can understand how you'd question this. Is everyone in the town a prep? No, of course not, but I'd argue that there are definitely some towns with higher concentrations of preps than others, and that, yes, prep culture is pervasive. That said, I definitely question the list on this page because while it is based on the original list in Ms. Birnbach's book there are a considerable number of additions which are very likely completely inaccurate (i.e. Laguna Beach). -gromitjc

Wouldn't her list be copyrighted? If it is, then we cannot reproduce the entire list here. And we cannot list only portions without introducing a selection bias. older ≠ wiser 13:13, 5 March 2006 (UTC)

Unfortunatley I think some of the list is very accurate. I live in one of the towns in New Jersey and I can say that my town as well as most of the NJ, are typically thought and described as preppy, althoug several are predominatley Catholic not protestant towns. Mac Domhnaill 20:51, 5 March 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, get rid of it. If we're reproducing the whole thing it's a copyright violation, and if we're only picking some towns it's POV. Rhobite 21:03, 5 March 2006 (UTC)

Indeed, we don't need such a long list, and what was preppy in 1980 may not be preppy now, especially since the defenition of the word has seemed to change as time goes on, explained in the Slang usage section.--Aleron235 03:50, 6 March 2006 (UTC)

Quite frankly I think the "slang" definition is simply misuse (I blame "Saved By The Bell"), and I don't think that because the term is so often misapplied that the original definition has changed. -gromitjc

You may be right, but it's not Wikipedia's job to choose which definition of a word is "correct" and which definition is "misapplied". Rhobite 05:11, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

That's true - it was just my opion, obviously the article needs to reflect NPOV - but I do want to make sure the two meanings and their origins stay clearly defined. Gromitjc 15:17, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

I think the "towns" section of the article should be removed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.59.225.24 (talk • contribs)

The towns section is just an invitation for vandalism, disputes, and POV nightmares. Since preppy is not a term that can be precisely quantified, the list needs to go. Since the consensus is definately that the list needs to go, I have removed it. --Hetar 04:47, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

Unfortunately I disagree with the decision to remove the towns section. I live in New Canaan, CT, next to Greenwich, and Darien, CT. All three of these towns are on the list, and for good reason. These towns are absolutely more preppy than most and for that reason I believe they should be included on a list and in this article. Now I don’t see why it would be so bad to use the list from the Official preppy handbook (Forgive me if I am missing something about the rules of fair use) if it is cited, as it is used on the wiki page Official Preppy Handbook. Aug 24, 2007 Kactapuss

[edit] Unfinished AfD by anon

Just to let everyone editing know that User:71.110.42.165 tried, but failed, to put this article up for deletion. After a few days, the half-finished tags were (sensibly) removed by User:Hetar. If an anon need help listing this, feel free to get in touch with me, (although the previous AfD showed a very strong keep consensus, and another attempt is unlikely to succeed.Inner Earth 08:39, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] prep music?

what kind of music is normal accociated w. preps?

dmb

I'd argue DMB fans would generally fall under the "slang usage" definition - wealthy nouveau riche kids from the 'burbs. Gromitjc 16:01, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Prep music? Pop of course! Family friendly lyrics! Actually they're too stupid to listen to the lyrics. Rap for the preppy boy wiggers and pop for the preppy girls! DUH!!! They accept whatever the media tells them too! Geez, do you listen to ANYTHING I'm saying?! Don't fight over what clothes are and aren't preppy; prep clothes are slutty and trendy. That's all you need to know. Preps are about being popular and only caring about what's popular. For girls, it's about how they can attract boys and appear sexy. For boys, it's about how they can look more "gangsta" and make themselves look good.

I know this isn't really contributing much, but I had to comment. "Gangsta" is most def (sorry, I had to say "most def," since we're talking about preps and whoever said the above comment) not the intention of any male prep. "Gangsta" implies they were blue jean shorts, "doo rags" (or whatever they're called) and a giant dollar-sign necklace. Now, has anyone seen a prep with any of these? I mean, blue jean shorts definately class with the prep dressing style. W Ed 22:55, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

College Ambient (DMB, OAR, Dispatch), Classic Rock (Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Allman Brothers), and Jam Bands (Phish, Grateful Dead, SCI, etc.)

Prep music which I would call classical, pop, family lyrics, elton john (No offense), and for the girls, Christiana Aguleria...or however you spell it...

As I have prefaced many entries in the Talk section, I am from New Canaan, CT (very preppy). From my observation the only type of music that I think could be added to this article would be classic rock. It is impossible to label a specific type of music as preppy. I would agree that while preps I know listen to OAR, Dispatch, etc, I would not label it as preppy. I would agree with Classic Rock and Jam Bands. I think though that type of music is getting a little to specific. Soon there will be a category about what type of toothpaste preps use, and to me that is too specific to say. Aug 24, 2007 Kactapuss —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kactapuss (talk • contribs) 07:15, August 24, 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Hollins College

Hollins College is now known as Hollins University. We are part of the Seven Sisters of the South, along with Sweet Briar College and Agnes Scott College. We are best known for our excellent equestrian and writing programs. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 207.38.194.174 (talk) 18:10, 28 December 2006 (UTC).

[edit] Unable to be defined

It seems that a lot of people are trying to conform "prep" to a sterotype of unintelligent, or exceedingly intelligent, or unoriginal, or trendsetting, or blah, blah, blah. It's also cited that the term is used in a derogatory context, which is not necessarily true. The thing we need to realize is that there ARE no preps. We're all just human beings who conform to society in some ways and disregard society in others. Granted, the media's portrayal of preppiness has earned a degree of satire, but come on. Everyone's wrong, in a sense, because a prep is a label, and you cannot categorize something that doesn't conform to everybody. However, everyone's right, because a prep is not something that has to conform to set of written rules to label themselves or to be labeled. I might wear Polo RL and live in suburbia, but I won't go to an Ivy League School. I could live in suburbia and go to an Ivy League School, yet dress like a homeless man. A "prep" is a personal definition of how you see someone, or, for the ignorant few, how someone categorizes themselves, as I said above.

Another example, say, to most high schoolers, a prep is someone who shops ad AE, Hollister, etc., but to New Englanders and those who attempt to trace is origins define it much further (consisting of towns, schools, etc.). Some people see it as a positive note, because they denote it to mean popular, intelligent, trendsetting, social, etc., while others in a negative connotation because of unintelligence, conformism, trend-whoring, or whatever.

Bottom line, both sides of the issue need to be presented. It seems everyone here seems to think, "No, THIS is right, not THAT," when in reality, both of them are based upon perception, therefore, both can be correct or incorrect. (Joseph Housel)

You are correct; to be honest prep is a stereotype. We are trying to trace and define this stereotype to its origins. The 'slang' would be a place to add sentiments about Hollister etc. I would also contend that we are trying to keep the article neutral (ie: preppy as neither positive nor negative). The 'correctness' I believe we are trying to attain in the article is the origin of preppy (New Englanders blah blah). However I also do believe that there is room for the other interpretations of preppy, such as trend-whore, double popped collar, Abercrombie patrons in the 'slang' (maybe it should be other meanings?) section of the article. Aug 24, 2007 Kactapuss —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kactapuss (talk • contribs) 07:24, August 24, 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Removed from the page

I removed the following:

In India, wealthy offspring of Punjabi families who equate themselves with the Preppies are termedc "Pappies", a derivative of the term "Pappaji" often deployed to connote a whiskey drinking, semi-comical Punjabi patriarch crossed with a Preppy. This reflects the growing cynicism of the Indian middle classes towards the Punjabi culture which has long dominated the Indian pupular culture scene.

because it would need some reliable sources. Perhaps there is something worth saving in it. - Taxman ^Talk 01:52, 25 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] More info/ Further Reading/ Refrences

I put this here in hopes that someone more adept at writing than I could gain some sort of info out of this and better translate it to the article.

-Kactapuss Aug 24, 2007

[1]

The word "preppy" (also spelled "preppie") derives from "preparatory" and refers to someone who attends or has attended a college preparatory secondary school. In actual use, preppy implies a wide variety of assumptions about the class, style, and values of such a person. Preppy can be used as a noun ("She dresses like a preppy.") or an adjective ("I'm not interested in your preppy friends.") It can be congratulatory or condescending, though its use is usually humorous and to some degree derisive.

Though preppy was long in use among high school and college students, the word first gained wide national exposure in Erich Segal's 1970 romantic novel Love Story and the movie that was made from it. Set on the Harvard University campus, the novel describes the relationship between working-class Radcliffe student Jenny Cavilleri and blueblood Harvard jock Oliver Barrett. Jenny's personality is characterized by salty language, a blue-collar chip on her shoulder, and her hostile references to Oliver as "Preppy." The word preppy entered the national vocabulary at that point in its most common usage—an antagonistic epithet for the elite, used by those who are not in the upper classes.

In 1980, Lisa Birnbaum published The Official Preppy Handbook, a tongue-in-cheek look at the very real characteristics, quirks, and foibles of the privileged classes. She focuses her not-altogetherunloving mockery on the "old money" upper crust society of the East Coast, the alumni of such schools as Choate, Groton, Exeter, and Andover. By poking fun at their "Chip and Muffy" nicknames, and their expensive-shoes-without-socks pseudo-casual style, Birnbaum shined a revealing light on the quietly rich. Her book inspired imitators, including some that were more overtly hostile to her subject, such as Ralph Schoenstein's The I-Hate-Preppies Handbook: A Guide for the Rest of Us.

Part fashion, part breeding, and part attitude, preppiness denotes wealth, privilege, pomposity, and dissipation. The hostility with which the epithet preppy is hurled casts doubt on the reality behind the U.S. myth of the classless society. Preppy continues to be used regularly in the press, sometimes interchangeably with "yuppie," though yuppie does not carry the East Coast blueblood connotation that preppy does. One of the most memorable outbreaks of preppy in the headlines occurred in the fall of 1996, after Jennifer Levin was strangled in New York's Central Park by Robert Chambers. Levin and Chambers were both members of Manhattan's high-society prep-school elite, and Levin's death was immediately dubbed "The Preppy Murder" in newspapers across the country, giving credibility to the axiom that a particular form of public outrage is reserved for the misdeeds of those who have "all of the advantages."

Though the working classes may have their revenge on preppies in the press and in film, it is the preppies who continue to triumph. With elite boarding schools becoming almost as expensive as private colleges, the prep-school education is more out of reach than ever for working people. A 1997 Fortune magazine study showed that corporate executives with upper-class prep-school backgrounds are consistently paid higher salaries than those executives with more middle-class upbringings. Preppies may be targets of fun and ridicule, but grown-up preppies become the power elite who perhaps see themselves safely insulated from the impact of jokes made at their expense.

[edit] Wikipedia Subculture Pages

They're all completely idiotic, especially the bitching on the talk pages "Emo is so totally not blah blah". They are an embarrassment to wikipedia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.20.137.59 (talk) 18:54, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bay Head, New Jersey

I keep adding Bay Head, New Jersey to the list of preppy vacation spots, but someone who obviously has a problem with my beloved Bay Head, keeps taking it off the list. For preps living in NYC, North Jersey, Princeton and the Philadelphia area, Bay Head is a tremendous preppy locale-- I should know, it's my hometown.

Anyone who disagees:

The Bay Head Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most prestigious yacht clubs on the East Coast Many people who summer/live in Bay Head are heavy into sailing, golf, tennis, squash, etc. Bay Head is the epitome of a preppy WASPy shore town The beaches are quite private and secluded There is a clothing store named THE WASP Bay Head has a Mark, Fore, Strike store

BAY HEAD MAY NOT BE AS FAMOUS AS NANTUCKET OR THE VINEYARD FOR BEING PREPPY BUT ARE NOT TWO OF THE "VIRTUES" OF BEING PREPPY NONCHALANCE AND CHARM??? Bay Head is exactly that, an unassuming, delicate, low key, nonchalant, charming summer town indeed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Patrikswim (talk • contribs) 16:37, 3 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Coffee

This is just plain stupid. "Coffee - Starbucks" I won't even explain the stupidity behind it. I say to remove that entire, useless section. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 151.205.67.9 (talk) 04:56, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] uh idk

i just think it should be put that us goths HATE preppies soooooooooo much... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 4.157.74.56 (talk) 00:21, 24 May 2008 (UTC)