I’ve always found preppy style interesting. As a manner of dress, it is impervious to seasonal trends, cuts, and colors, which means there is very little need to update one’s wardrobe every three months. It holds its own, and has continued to do so decade after decade.
It’s not bling. It’s not dapper. It’s not fashionable by any standard. It’s a uniform, and a very elegant one at that.
However, prep is more than just about the fashion. It depicts a rich subculture composed of exclusive Ivy League universities, Summer homes, and expensive hobbies and sports. This is the kind of aspirational clean-cut look that I’ve always wanted to dress in (you can actually spot a few L.L.Bean sweater vests in my closet), but it’s just not feasible unless I move to Connecticut.
Having said that, I feel that I can still wear some elements of the aesthetic and incorporate them into a more sustainable everyday look. This is what I had in mind when I teamed up with Aeropostale Arabia. From their Fall/Winter 2015 collection, I created a look based on the hallmarks of prep style – stripes and bright hues – with urban underpinnings thrown in to paint the big city lifestyle we all have in Dubai. It’s the mix of traditional and industrial, from the grid of the tank top to the gauge-like face of the watch, that lends this outfit significant wearability.
Wearing:
Shirt, tank, trousers and wristwatch by Aeropostale
Our weekly installment of Fashion Chameleon, a men’s fashion and lifestyle blog written by Jim Joquico the founder of La Moda Dubai. Read previous posts here .