Georgina Ingledew - American Prep DE0064

‘THE SEVEN SISTERS’ ‘Preppy is far more than the stereotypical “pink and green” philosophy: it is a style that has fascinating and inspiring roots of American culture’

AMERICAN PREP RESEARCH - GEORGINA INGLEDEW

‘the seven sisters’ AMERICA’S COLLEGE GIRLS IN 1935, HARPER’S BAZAAR ANNOUNCED : ‘ [THE COLLEGE GIRL’S]CONTRIBUTION TO FASHION IS AS AMERICAN AS COCA-COLA, BASEBALL AND HITCH-HIKING. IT IS AS TRUE TO HER CHARACTER AS THE STARCHED BODICE TO THE GIBSON GIRL, GRAYED FLANNELSTO THE ENGLISHMAN, BLACK TO THE FRENCH WOMAN.’

BARNARD BRYN MAWR MOUNT HOLYOKE RADCLIFFE SMITH VASSAR WELLESLEY

‘the seven sisters’

‘TO BE TO WOMEN WHAT HARVARD AND YALE ARE TO YOUNG MEN’

‘seven sisters style’ icons

DIANE SAWYER

MARTHA STEWART

KATHERINE HEPBURN

JAQUELINE BOUVIER KENNEDY

jacqueline bovier kennedy

‘I want to live my life, not record it.’ Jackie O’

‘The ultimate pin-up girl for Seven Sisters style’ Jackie O’ is one of the most recognised representations of Seven Sister style. Although she never actually graduated from Vassar, her elegance and clean cut style inspired many

Wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy

equestrian sport influences Equestrian and preppy styles have always fitted together perfectly from the tailored Jackets to the leather boots, creating an effortless athletic and academic look.

Horse riding was a very popular sport amongst the Seven Sisters of which were wealthy enough to afford it.

Jacqueline Bovier Kennedy (Onassis) was very passionate about the equestrian world and regularly competed around America.

ivy league influences Athletic Yale Uni Cheerleaders 1916

Prestige

Vassar Field Hockey Team

Seven Sisters supporting Yale Uni

Anna McCann, Wellesley 1954

Classic 1950s Ivy Style

Exclusive

Academic

Ivy league style was about creating a sense of belonging to a student community as well as promoting elite academia; a look the Seven Sisters found highly appealing

Lettermen sweats and appliques

‘A pink V on a Vassar girl’s sweater means that she has broken a record.

Symbol of ability, key to many good things in life, the athletic freshman longs for this letter with all her soul’

Ivy League Influences Brooks Brothers

‘Given this opening, more and more women have enroached upon the whole store,greedily discovering other items of male appparel that they can take over fo themselves’ - Life on the rise of female shoppers at Brooks Brothers, April 1954

key garment research Bermuda shorts (casual knee-length shorts)

Emilia Wickstead, Tibi & J.Crew Spotted @ PFW

current market research Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger appropriated Seven Sisters style to their own ends. Prep became a elegant catwalk look, with the ragged jeans getting a clean-up and the scratchy camel polo coats reworked in luxurious silk mixes. the preppy look became something to aspire to as opposed to something a woman would wear on the way to lectures.

current market research

preppy street style London

preppy street style @PFW

Preppy Fashion - Film & TV

In 1934 Levi Strauss & Co. unveiled the ‘Lady Levi’s’ a new offering designed to appeal to women who wanted a more fitted and stylish pair of jeans.

denim

‘The most controversial garment to become incorperated into the Seven Sisters campus style was denim jeans’ ‘The jeans must be worn or dirty’

Multicoloured cotton distressed paint splatter jeans from Polo Ralph Lauren

DENIM SAMPLES AND EXPERIMENTATION IN MY

FABRIC JOURNAL denim

the denim jacket

ss17 New Arrivals American Optimism is our attitude. Casual style is our aesthetic.

Doris and Don Fisher opened the first Gap store in 1969 with a simple idea — to make it easier to find a pair of jeans and a commitment to do more

ss17 New Arrivals

(named after a bar in Paris)

Founded in 1994 and making current American fashion essentials accessible for every family.