Aspects of New England and Ivy League Prep

With fall just beginning and students headed back to the classroom, it seemed best to talk more in depth about the Collegiate Style of Preppy before September ends. When most people think of preppy this is the first thing that pops to mind, which makes sense after all since the whole aesthetic was derived from Prep schools and Ivy League colleges. 

Earlier in American style, the wealthy and well-educated wanted to stand out and denote themselves as elevated and cultivated among the masses. Classic blazers, loafers, and button downs all lend themselves to this school uniform look. The oldest preppy brand in America, Brooks Brothers, is the epitome of this aesthetic. The whole stye has not changed much in over a hundred years... 

Much like the Collegiate Ivy League look, the New England Prep style has the same classic time tested vibes with it's classic lines, argyles, darker hues, and understated silhouettes. A prefect brand example of this would be Keil James Patrick launched from the iconic blog of "Classy Girls Wear Pearls." Perhaps the most recognizable brand for this category in most America closets though is Ralph Lauren. 

Staples for both looks include: plaids, tweed, loafers, argyle, chinos, and cable knits. Typically outfits are in darker fall hues as well such as hunter greens, browns, and deep plums and blues.

Here are some looks that would fit this aesthetic. The outfit below is in a lighter palette but still pulls in the argyle with classic chinos and a pair of lace up oxfords. Pearls are always a classic accessory as well.

For the look below, I used more classic staple pieces of the aesthetic. I paired a basic white button up  with a sweater vest and tucked both neatly into a belted sidewalk skirt. The outfit is completed with traditional preppy accessories of dark tights, a head band and loafers.

For the last look, I pulled from the "school uniform" vibe by using a tartan skirt with a coordinating cardigan. I kept the dark tights and went for a ladylike heel to finish the look.

Which of these 2 preppy styles is your favorite? Comment below... what are some of your go to fall looks? Be sure to subscribe for notice of future posts as they are published.

20 Must Do's for the Fall Season

 Fall is my absolute favorite season! While many see fall as an end or beginning of an end, and it is in a way.... I prefer to see the beauty in the colors of changing leaves, the crisper air, and new scents as a reminder of the beauty that can sometimes be in an ending. Below are my top 20 must do's to celebrate the season and enjoy the changes that come with it!

1. Pick sunflowers!

2. Visit fall farmer's market!

3. Make chili!

4. Enjoy anything apple.... especially maybe cider!

5. Decorate house for the season!

6. Indulge in new scents!

7. Pumpkin everything!

8. Don boots and plaids!

9. Take a country drive to enjoy the foliage!

10. Pick pumpkins!

11. Be young at heart and dress up for Halloween!

12. Bonfires!

13. Visit a haunted house!

14. Enjoy nature walks before the snow hits!

15. Enjoy a hayride!

16. Forget the calories... eat the Halloween candy!

17. Enjoy seasonal movies!

18.Escape a corn maze!

19. Attend a fall festival!

20. Make a list of everything you are grateful for!

What is on your bucket list for this fall? Comment below on your favorite things to do in the fall.

Fall 2022 Trend List

 Every year since as long as I can remember I loved getting the huge issues of Fall Vogue and Harper's Bazar.  I would browse the pages intent to try to mimic the models in the glossy photos. Of course now that I am older, I know I can never mimic those models or the fashions they are wearing but I still love flipping through those pages!

I have learned over the years that a classic and "preppy" style is what fits me best, however, that doesn't stop me from caring about the new trends and how they can realistically incorporate into my wardrobe. 

Here are a few things I noticed in this year's fall Vogue:

1. Plaid and tweed are becoming popular again and not just classic as illustrated by Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, and Dior.

2. Darker florals are a way to keep those flowers well into the daylight savings time as illustrated by the new Louis Vuitton Victorian buttercup print on their bags and Balenciaga's new dress prints. 

3. Black with lace and Gothic jewelry are mainstream as shown in the Chanel ads. This look was also shown with Versace.

4. Adding to this Gothic revival is the wider and wider widths of belts, almost to a corset like look as illustrated by Gucci, Karen Millen, and Versace.

5. Leather also is paring well with all of these new trends as illustrated by Givenchy and Fendi.

So how do these looks become mainstream everyday wear in a classic preppy wardrobe? With subtle interest is how...

Now of course finding those perfect pieces can also prove to be daunting and time consuming as well though.... Out of my passion for fashion I decided to open my own boutique of all the new pieces in one place. Coco & Dante has now launched as " A curated collection of classic & timeless pieces at affordable prices for the stylish woman!" 

Here is just a sampling of pieces for this fall that hit all the trends:

1. This woolen plaid blazer with leather elbow patch from the British Countryside collection not only shows the plaid trend but also the leather element.

2. For darker florals, this lace Boheme floral print dress definitely fits the bill.

3. If you do want to be daring and add in the leather/ gothic element without spending a fortune, why not pair the dark floral dresses with a leather corset belt? 

4. This mixed media of plaid and tweed dress  Riley dress gives the same vibe as the Dior looks for a fraction of the price and also would pair well with a corseted belt. 

5. Adding also to the leather trend, which is also really a classic though, why not trade your blue jeans in for a pair of leather trousers paired with a fair isle sweater? 

Comment down below, which new fall trend is your favorite? Which look can you see yourself wearing?

Is Coastal Grandma really just the new Nautical Preppy?

 Before we move away from the nautical prep look,  must address a new "trend" that emerged this summer called the Costal Grandma vibe. Not that this aesthetic is actually new at all.... 

So let's reexamine the nautical vibe... 

This style was derived around leisure activities such as sailing, yachting, island hopping in New England or being at a lake house. This color palette includes a lot of blue as well in a nod to the sea. Staple pieces for this Nautical Preppy look include: Chinos, cable sweaters in a slimmer fit, Sperry boat shoes, anchors, stripes, along with blue and light green tones. 

I recently went to the Berlin lake area to take some photographic examples for this post and have a perfect example of a nautical prep outfit below. I paired white cropped jeans with a simple blue and white striped tee adding a scarf I recently picked up from Chico's. Of course I finished off the look with my trusted Jack Rogers sandals. 

The Costal Grandma vibe has many of the same elements. To me the only difference is really the lighter color scheme, leaning less toward navy and more toward white, beige, and cream, accented with more muted beachy blues and greens inspired by the sea. Staple pieces here include: raffia bags and accessories, drawstring pants, and seaside hues. 

Below for this aesthetic I wore a simple white tee with beige and white striped drawstring capris from Amazon with an Amazon linen button up. To finish off the look I wore Beige leather slides and a raffia hat. For both looks I wore the same bracelet stack of delicate gold, pearls, and anchor accents. This has definitely been a go to outfit for me this summer, but is it really so different from my usual nautical looks in summer?

I pose that the 2 styles are truly not so different. Both are classic looks taking cues from being near the water. The new Costal Grandma is simply a more elevated and mature version of the classic nautical look with its more laid back seaside styling and muted hues. Staples of both include: striped boat necks, white jeans, cotton and linen fabrics, cable knits, boat shoes, leather sandals, seaside hues, and canvas totes. 

Which do you lean more towards? Are you nautical in navy or costal Grandma in beige? Comment below on your favorite looks.