Preppy Basics to Rock the Yacht Club

So you’ve got a date at the tennis club but you don’t know what to wear. You want to fit in but you don’t want to look like an extra on Gossip Girl. What to do?! OK, calm down, we’re here to help you look ivy league, without the tuition fees.

Rockin’ the Yacht Club with Preppy Style

It’s really easy to go overboard with preppy style, too many accessories and you’ll start to look like you just got back from your posh English boarding school. The key is to keep it simple and have fun. You only want to look like you take yourself that seriously.

Let’s start with some basics…

Bow ties.

You don’t need a tux and tails to wear them anymore! I don’t know about you, but I think bow ties are just about the best thing to come out of the preppy revival. Guys have been wearing them casually with button downs, or jazzing it up with blazers. They can show off your personality by being understated or loud and bold. A smart look for smart guys (they have to be if they can figure out how to tie one!)  

Blazers

This goes for guys and girls. The blazer is the staple of the prepsters wardrobe because it can basically go with anything. Want to make your dress more sophisticated? Blazer. Have a work party to go to? Blazer. Shorts? Blazer. It’s endless.

Color

One of the key’s to getting the country club look is color. Too monochrome and you start to look stuffy and way too formal. Too much color and you may look like an Easter egg. Try picking one or two colors and using them on big pieces, like green pants and a blue blazer.

Sunglasses 

How’d I even get this far without mentioning the glasses! This is a must have is you want to rock the yacht club. For guys, classic pieces like wayfarers or clubmasters will go perfectly with your blazers and boat shoes. For the ladies, stick to slightly oversize glasses in either rounded or slightly square, something more of a Jackie O look. Classic colors like black and tortoise shell will look great with your colorful cardigans and blazers. Unlike your other accessories, we want to keep these understated so they don’t complete.

So now you’re ready to walk to walk into the party like you’re walking onto a yacht.