NeoPrep -

Originally Posted by Dedalus

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What's the difference between neoprep and trad? Is neoprep just trad in slimmer, more modern cuts?

I haven't been 'into' clothing for long, but I really love and respect academia. Naturally, I am gravitating towards acquiring more trad-inspired pieces as sort of a sartorial homage.

People often ask what the difference is between "Trad" & Preppy... The honest answer is about 23 years (Preppy was the hit of 1981, "Trad" came into being on AAAC in 2004).

NeoPrep seems to honestly take Preppy and update it & play with the idea for the current generation. Remember that Preppy was a contrived & made up thing back in its day. A work of journalism. I saw it come & go. NeoPrep just takes the style & moves it on.

"Trad" is actually based on Preppy. It's rules of dress are those of The Official Preppy Handbook - a spoof guide to Prepdom.

The style which pre-dates all this was called the Ivy League style and it was far broader & wider than AAAT's "Trad" can bare to admit.

There actually were pleats and darts. Shhhhh! And natural-shouldered double-breasted sack suits at Brooks Brothers...

With "Trad" you just get the rules of dress from the Preppy Handbook.

It limits you.

But its a good way into the look.

We all gotta start somewhere!

- Russ.

double post, look down.

Originally Posted by robin

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Where do these fit in? http://www.vineyardvines.com/index.c...-439a63c0e6e9/

Yeah, it's not my kind of thing, but I also recall Polo having a line of outfits like that. I don't care for it, but I don't mind VV or Polo experimenting and seeing what works. I almost consider it "Regatta Wear", but for the older set. Regatta clothing (which I have worn) usually similar in color scheme's, but they usually have a purpose and use your school colors. I would consider someone under 40 not at a slip, on a boat or at a country club wearing this a Douche.

Thom Browne fit into this? He would be part of the Michael Bastine crowd/era

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Bingo! Yeah, it's the higher end of the spectrum. Neoprep's take on dressy Trad. Notice it's got that classic American vibe mixed with the finer European inspired fit and finish/fabrics. Basically, take Europe and dress it down a bit... you need to look accessible, not above it all. http://men.style.com/fashion/collect...te/thumb/TBMEN

I am drawn to wear prep or trad or whatever you want to call it because I find it to be extremely versatile. A young person with just the following can be well dressed in almost all typical situations and for relatively cheap: blue jacket khaki pants, grey wool pants, jeans a few oxford cloth button downs a couple rep ties a pair of loafers or boat shoes and a pair of captoes I find it to be a good option for people just starting a wardrobe: it is a defined style, easy, cheap and is intended to be worn into the ground. However, I will not defend it as being exciting. No matter how many new/hip designers are spinning it off.

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Couldn't agree more. Anyone can get into this and look good/professional on VERY little money. Also, all the pieces, colors and fabrics are classic and durable so you can build on this over many years without worrying about something becoming outdated. Polo's, Oxfords, Khaki's, regimentals, Flat Fronts, loafers, Sperry's, cap toes, etc... They never go out of style. They might go out of season, but it'll always come back. Brands aren't a big deal either, almost everyone makes the basics. Sure in some circles it's important, but as I said before; fine pieces don't advertise, they speak for themselves. Those in the know will know, and that's much louder.

People often ask what the difference is between "Trad" & Preppy... The honest answer is about 23 years (Preppy was the hit of 1981, "Trad" came into being on AAAC in 2004). NeoPrep seems to honestly take Preppy and update it & play with the idea for the current generation. Remember that Preppy was a contrived & made up thing back in its day. A work of journalism. I saw it come & go. NeoPrep just takes the style & moves it on. "Trad" is actually based on Preppy. It's rules of dress are those of The Official Preppy Handbook - a spoof guide to Prepdom. The style which pre-dates all this was called the Ivy League style and it was far broader & wider than AAAT's "Trad" can bare to admit. There actually were pleats and darts. Shhhhh! And natural-shouldered double-breasted sack suits at Brooks Brothers... With "Trad" you just get the rules of dress from the Preppy Handbook. It limits you. But its a good way into the look. We all gotta start somewhere!

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Exactly. Like I also said before, this isn't coming out of the Ivy's this time, the push is coming from the other upper tier schools in the South and Mid-Atlantic like Duke and Georgetown (and lots of other Southern schools)... and it's getting a lot of play among the younger Capitol Hill Staffers. While the Trad/Preppy look never went away in New England (only evolved as wealth in the area increased and people wanted updates), they really have gone full bore into wanting to look New England. Check out the top schools where VV sells, and they're almost all the Southern schools (and Princeton, but that figures). I blame the resurgence of Seersucker on the Southern Neoprep push. I don't see how a Seersucker suit looks good on anyone outside of a Barbershop Quartet. Sure, one seersucker piece on at a time looks fine, but the whole suit? Ewww.

Oh, and about that conservative/Southern Neoprep push:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=2008

It's about the wanna-be New England style in DC. It's funny as hell to make fun of these guys and gals.

You really are on top of all this, Joe.

I had short-lived thread on FNB a bit ago which asked what we could actually say for sure about AAAT. Just the facts, not the mythology.

All we could really come up with was that it was an 'aspirational' style on the whole linked to ideas of looking 'higer class' in some way. It was more a Southern than a New England thing on the whole ("The Godfather of Trad", Harris, is from Virginia, although he originally claimed to be a Yankee just to throw us a curve ball maybe). And that it was a reappraisal of classic American style picking different elements from different eras and combining them to create"Trad" - Khakis in a 1940's GI cut and jackets in a 1960's Ivy League cut combined with Preppy grosgrains. A real pick and mix.

And that's fine. "Trad" presented as that is perfectly valid. Initial presentations of the style on AAAC, however, were that it was classic American style and not just a new take on the old style. That caused problems for people with long memories!

NeoPrep is smarter than that. It starts out by calling itself what it is. New Prep. No phoney-baloney (sp?) "tradition" for the style is being claimed, just an honest new look at classic American style.

I'm with Joe - All we are seeing now comes out of Preppy. The earlier Ivy League style is only present as a minor note in all this and even then it is only the element of Ivy style which was present in Preppy that you see being recognised - The no darts, no pleats aspect which was only a part of Ivy style.

Great discussion this - Thanks Joe for the concept of NeoPrep.

Best -

Originally Posted by PinkPantser

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..... [Any] person with just the following can be well dressed in almost all typical situations and for relatively cheap:

blue jacket
khaki pants, grey wool pants, jeans
a few oxford cloth button downs
a couple rep ties
a pair of loafers or boat shoes and a pair of captoes

I find it to be a good option for people just starting a wardrobe: it is a defined style, easy, cheap and is intended to be worn into the ground.

However, I will not defend it as being exciting. No matter how many new/hip designers are spinning it off.


+1
Sound advice for most.

SDF

^ A real strength of this style of dress. It's a working wardrobe.

'Workhorse' is (I think) the American term for all this.

Best -

Russell Street

I was looking forward to a making a nice morning bump with the declaration "Phylogeny for everyone!!" but I see that I don't have to.

Thom Browne is Avant Garde prep.

i like the idea of minimalist/techno prep...think Javier Bardem's oscar get up and throw in a pair of Oliver Goldsmiths for good measure, or anything along the lines of vintage Jil, Helmut worn in a slightly offbeat and geeky manner.

Originally Posted by dopey

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I was looking forward to a making a nice morning bump with the declaration "Phylogeny for everyone!!" but I see that I don't have to.

Yep, now if only we can get that idea into American politics, ha!

I think J needs to start a 'NeoPrep' forum here.

Originally Posted by dopey

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I was looking forward to a making a nice morning bump with the declaration "Phylogeny for everyone!!" but I see that I don't have to.

Brother, You're still on my buddy list here -

Where is Ted?

Best -

Originally Posted by AlanC

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I think J needs to start a 'NeoPrep' forum here.

Give Joe Woah time...

Quite an idea though, eh?

Originally Posted by Larry Lean

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Brother, You're still on my buddy list here -

Where is Ted?

Best -

What do you mean still? Who deserves it more than I do? there is no buddy like a dopey buddy.

Originally Posted by dopey

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What do you mean still? Who deserves it more than I do? there is no buddy like a dopey buddy.

Be warned - People will start to think that you are me if you're nice to me!



Have a good weekend my old chum -