True Prep: Archive

Prep-a-ween

Not my favorite holiday. In fact, I am the Ebenezer Scrooge of Halloween.

Okay, I’ll tell you why.

Unless you live in an apartment building or in a very warm climate (and I do live in an apartment building), one’s costume must always be compromised and covered by a coat. So you see little kids walking around with pumpkin heads and galoshes. Or a princess in a North Face parka, or something very wrong indeed.
Competitive mothers have asked me — though not recently — what I planned to make for my children’s costumes. I pretended I was hard of hearing. MAKE? The question (though so dull) is: What costumes will you be buying? And that doesn’t make for a riveting conversation.
Too many girls think they are witty when they dress up as a “prostitute.” Very unfunny.
The children get wired on sugar, and Halloween actually lasts at least 36 hours.
I get wired from purloined Baby Ruths and Charleston Chews — substances I don’t ordinarily permit in my ~~temple~~ um, body.
The bickering over the inevitable candy trades.
Candy wrappers for weeks.
Empty candy wrappers in my children’s pockets.
I just don’t like it.
Okay?

But if, after all my very strong points you decide you still want to dress up for Halloween, what would a preppy costume be?

An estate lawyer
An estate manager
A golf pro.
A sailor.
A trust fund baby.
An art restorer.
A decorator.
A second wife.
A prep school admissions officer.
A tennis pro.
A U.S. Senator.
A museum curator.
A volunteer.
An orthopedic surgeon
A woody wagon.

Oct 26, 20117 notes

how did you get the type writer on your page?

Sorry the answer took so long. Our Tumblr Leader wrote me the following:

The theme is by a designer named Idraki. It can be found here:http://www.tumblr.com/theme/17022

Oct 26, 2011

Hii, Mrs Birnabach, do u know of any affordable preppy clothing apart from Tommy Hilfiger cos i do want to spend to much on polo, lacoste, broooks brothers or vineyards vines Thank you

Hi There,

Sorry it took me a while to answer, but I’m positive you can find what you’re looking for: Brooks Brothers, Vineyard Vines, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, or Polo at vintage stores and outlet malls. LL Bean has many vital prep items at reasonable prices. (Also, look for other labels as J. Press, Cable Car Clothiers, Britches of Georgetown, Viyella, Paul Stuart, Barbour, and Gant on eBay or Amazon. You’ll be amazed what you can find.)

Thanks, GHK

Oct 26, 2011

Hi Lisa, I love your book True Prep and I am a huge preppy at heart. However, I am currently a freshman in college and I am finding it hard to keep my preppy identity even though I go to a rather preppy institution in Maryland. Do you have any tips on how I can stay preppy while at school? Sincerely, Christine (a huge closet preppy)

Hi Christine,

Thank you for the compliment. I find it easy to be preppy — especially on campus. Tell me where you go to school, and what is happening there. Is there an influx of bad clothing and bad taste? Have Uggs taken over? Is there a Juicy Revolution? Whatever it is, we can deal with it.

Lisa

Oct 26, 2011

im in need of the real prep list? i and i want to know the cheapest prep clothing i could wear? as a young man i do not want to spend too much like 70 dollars and above nooo maybe under 70 dollars mite do

Go to thrift shops. You can find wonderful pieces in vintage stores: old button-down shirts, Lacostes from when the shirttail was long, and beautiful ties. Thrift shops, flea markets, estate or tag sales are the best way to stock up on prepabilia while being gentle on your wallet.

Oct 26, 2011

Let's talk about sheathing our thingies, i.e. our smartphones. Encasing ("skinning" sounds terribly barbaric, don't you think?) our phones is supposed to protect them from damage while presenting an opportunity to display some "flair." I suspect you'd agree that "flair" is rife with potential for aesthetic disaster. I say a true prep allows their thingy to go au naturel. The accumulated dings and scratches will simply give the device some character, not unlike an old Volvo. What's your take?

All I ever do is talk about my thingies. I couldn’t agree more with you — and I quote: I suspect you’d agree that “flair” is rife with potential for aesthetic disaster. I say a true prep allows their thingy to go au naturel. The accumulated dings and scratches will simply give the device some character, not unlike an old Volvo.

My thingie, a Blackberry, is uncovered, unsheathed, and happy to be its own natural bad self. Just like the title character in the book Little Bear, which I read endlessly as a child.

(I’m afraid the iThingy has to be somewhat protected, because of all its glass, but I’m no iExpert.)

Oct 26, 2011

I started reading The Officially Preppy Handbook 5 years ago when I was twelve years old (My mother insisted), and I thought it was a very interesting book that I could relate to. The Officially Preppy Handbook is a book I did not want anyone else to have. So thank you for writing that book. Now, I was shopping in Brooks Brothers a few days ago and I noticed a book titled True Prep. I did not purchase the book but I did however do some research this week and I can now say that I own two of them.

Thanks, Pink Pony Leader!

I hope you like True Prep as much as The Preppy Handbook.

Best,

Lisa

Oct 20, 2011

Hi Lisa, I have recently been on the hunt for a proper preppy raincoat. I spent a wet afternoon last Friday sifting through Bloomingdales on Lex and to my chagrin couldn't find any unembellished, classic trenches in this preppy's price point. Where would you suggest I look for the perfect rain coat that costs less than a year's worth of tennis lessons? (And don't worry, I already have two pairs of wellies, so I'm not completely unprepared for precipitation).

Hi Clowney Downey,

If you’re in NYC — which it sounds as if you are — you can check out “flash fashion” vendors such as H&M, Zara, Uniglo (they definitely have trench coats there, but they may be fashioned out of all kinds of futuristic fibers). Thrift shops sometimes have great stuff — I stupidly donated a classic Burberry trench — idiot that I was/am — to the Irvington House thrift shop, R.I.P. It’s early sale season now; check out Kate Spade, Brooks Brothers, Tommy Hilfiger, maybe even Zara — and let me know what you find. — Lisa

Oct 20, 2011

True Prep

October 2011

8 posts