Preppy Sneakers
Okay so first of all I apologize for using the word preppy in just about every title, but it helps the blog rank better in google, so I get more visitors which is worth it for me. So please bear with me…
Anyways back to the topic at hand. I got a suggestion to talk about shoes and so I thought I would. Today I am going to talk about sneakers, because I am young, and besides sandals, they are what I wear most of the time. Also, I am only going to talk about ones that are under $100. I understand that most preppy clothes are quite expensive, and you are paying for quality, but since it is my blog, and I don’t have the resources to spend $200-$400 on a pair of casual shoes, I am going to talk about ones that I could afford.
When going for the preppy look, there isn’t a huge variety of sneakers, but I do like the selection. I would like to mention first that an excellent alternative to sneakers would be Sperry Authentic Original Tops
iders. Sperry does have a great deal of other shoes, most of which are very nice, all of which are extremely well made, but for the preppy look, you have to go with the classic Authentic Originals. I grew up in these things, and although they can be stiff and uncomfortable at first, once they are worn in they are a damn good shoe. Topsiders, not only have a preppy feel, but unlike sneakers they can be both casual and semi formal. Of course you couldn’t wear these with a suit, but they can certainly be worn to certain parties and summer events. Sperry Topsiders are pretty affordable at $65, but ones like the Gold Cup shoes are a little out of my budget at $160. For a very similar look check out Brooks Brothers Boat shoes here
, or find other traditional ones here at J Crew
When I said before that there wasn’t a very big variety of sneakers, I kind of lied. But the truth is that most of the variations aren’t very appealing to me, mostly because many are uncreative. Preppy sneakers have become almost an after thought, because it is assumed that they aren’t really a particularly preppy item. So while skateboard companies are producing thousands of different shoes, because that is what their customers want, preppy companies make far fewer. So I’m only going to talk about sneakers that I would certainly wear, and ones that I think look good with most clothes that a preppy person would wear.
The main two variations are leather and canvas, and I think I’ve gotten a pretty good mix of both. Canvas sneakers are not quite as sturdy or thick as leather ones, but they have a much preppier feel and look.
Lacoste Shakespeare 3: A sort of blend between the boat shoe and the sneaker. These a
re $130 on Zappos, so a little pricey, but very nice looking. The alligator on the side I feel really adds something and goes well with the navy and white laces. These are good for when you don’t want to wear boat shoes, but still want a slightly preppier look than normal sneakers.
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Next there is the Ralph Lauren Roster 3 Leather Sneakers. Although I am not a huge fan
of the white and dark green, these are a sharp looking pair of sneakers, and the pony on the tongueis a nice touch. These look more like sneakers you would run in or play a sport, rather than just every day use, but they are preppy enough to go with some outfits. At $65 they are reasonably priced as well.
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Third, there is the Lacoste Recoil 2. This shoe is similar to the Roster 3 in that it has a more sporty than everyday feel, but with the flat laces and streamlined shape, it is a little bit more functional with preppy clothes. Like all Lacoste shoes however, it is expensive and somewhat hard to find. Zappos does not carry it and it can’t be found in Lacoste’s online store so I assume its quite new. Like the other Recoil sneakers, I expect it to cost around $125, when it does become available.
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Now on to canvas sneakers. The first pair I like is the Lacoste L34 Canvas Sneaker
s. These cream colored shoes look a little thicker than most canvas sneakers, so I assume they are a little more comfortable. Since they are cream colored, they go with a lot of different outfits and can be worn with both shorts and pants. That’s what I love about canvas sneakers, they can be worn with shorts without looking goofy, when leather sneakers usually cannot. The Lacoste L34’s here cost $90.
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I particularly like these Ralph Lauren Brendall Canvas Sneakers from Ralph Lauren. The gold stripes on the side make them a little more interesting, and the navy with the white toe, is very preppy looking. Just like white or cream shoes, these navy ones can be worn with a wide variety of clothes, and aren’t too expensive at $69.
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The final pair of canvas sneakers that I like are the Ralph Lauren Blake Herringbone Canvas Sneakers. A very simple and slightly retro look, these shoes have a nice logo on the tongue and le
ather back to keep them interesting. Like the Brendall sneakers, they are preppy enough to be worn with most outfits including shorts. At $59 they are also affordable. Ralph Lauren usually lowers the price of their sneakers significantly towards the end of their lifespan, so I picked up a pair of Dungan washed Canvas Sneakers for only $39 recently.
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So there you have it. Event though its the summer now, and most people are wearing sandals, its still a good time to examine your sneakers. I have a friend who thinks he dresses preppy, but he only wears white New Balances. Sorry but that just doesn’t cut it. These shoes show that there are preppy sneakers out there, and that it is still possible to have a good looking preppy outfit with a pair of sneakers.
Next time I’ll talk about Loafers and mocasins, the other types of casual shoe, and after that Sandals. I don’t know if there’s really a need to talk about formal shoes, as there aren’t really any that are considered preppy. Preppy people dress in nice clothes , and since all formal clothes are nice clothes, formal shoes don’t really have anything to do with preppiness…
Preppy Clothing Sales
I went to the mall the day before yesterday to get new Ipod headphones and as I was walking past all the stores I saw that nearly every one was having a sale. Express, Banana Republic, Gap, Am
erican Eagle to name just a few. I picked up this shirt at Express just because everything was on sale.
Does anyone know why everything is on sale right now? I mean it was like a Tuesday at the beginning of summer. I guess they were just trying to make room for new summer stuff, but I assumed they did that earlier, like in the Spring…
Wimbledon
Well, besides perhaps polo and sailing, tennis is probably one of the preppiest sports out there, so with the Wimbledon Championships going on until July 6th, I thought I would talk about it. A classic tournament, part of the Grand Slam, it is particularly preppy due to the grass courts. I have never played on grass, but I hear, its a very interesting experience. Before I talk about Wimbledon, I should say that I have only played tennis for a few years, but it is a sport I am very passionate about.
One qualm I have though, is the amount of time and money that must be invested. With other sports, like basketball example, it is easy to just get a hoop, and practice freethrows or shoot around with your friends. However tennis requires expensive clothes, rackets being restrung, and nearly always a membership at a club, in addition to court fees. And that’s just to have fun with friends, or practice. First you must take dozens of $75 an hour lessons, to either fix your backhand or unlearn some bad habit with your stroke or serve. It is a sport that requires appointments and commitment just to practice and play.
Once one gets around this though, and begins to improve, it can be very rewarding. When the ball goes over just perfectly, or you ace a serve, it is quite gratifying. On the other hand it is an enormously frustrating sport when you make mistakes, as every shot’s fate is decided by you. In team sports you feel like you can blame others as well as yourself for loses or mistakes, but with singles tennis its all on you. That’s what I love about tennis; every shot can be decided by you, and comebacks from being down, are particularly exciting.
But I digress. This year, the Wimbledon Championships are as exciting as ever, and as preppy as ever. Since 2006 Ralph Lauren has provided the uniforms for the officials and ball boys, and I think they did a terrific job. For an event with such tradition as Wimbledon, to invite an American Fashion house to freshen up and change the uniforms was a big move, but it certainly paid off ($10 million dollars to be exact…).
Although they are about two years old, these uniforms are a real breath of fresh air from the old green ones that they used to have. Ralph Lauren did an excellent job of keeping a very prestigious English feel to the uniforms, especially with the thick white lines, and sharp collars. I can’t quite remember how the old green uniforms used to be since its been a few years, but I imagine it must get very hot in those blazers at times. Luckily its only about 70 degrees and breezy today.
While the line judges and officials are busy being preppy in their Ralph Lauren Blazers, the players themselves are in a way preppy as well. Whether its Nadal always in his signature capris, or Federer and others who are always in Men’s Vogue and GQ, tennis is a sport that is also in some way about fashion.
Like all sports with high entry prices, although one can play in normal clothes, few choose to do so. Take snowboarding for example. Who would have thought that kids and adults who were thought of as punks and slackers would have cared so much about how they look when they ride, but they do. Yes, most choose not to match their clothes, but many snowboarders spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on new 59fifty hats, oakley goggles, or new cargo board pants. With tennis it is all about not only playing well, but having a good collared tennis shirt to play in as well as other expensive clothes and equipment. While wearing capris like Nadal isn’t exactly preppy, the fact that men and women alike often care about what they wear while playing is interesting. Wearing nice clothes won’t make you a better tennis player, but you’ll feel better than you would in regular gym clothes.
The third preppy part of Wimbledon and tennis in general is the preppiness of the crowd. Although tickets are just as expensive as any sporting event, Wimbledon always attracts people to dress up. Similar to events like The America’s Cup, and The Triple Crown races, most people dress up in their finest summer attire to watch the matches.
As you can see from this shot, the crowd is a sea of pastel colors and expensive polos and button-down shirts. You can also see the old green uniform on the guy behind Federer. Although I have never been to Wimbledon myself, living in a preppy town with many tennis enthusiats I know a few people who got the chance to go, and of course they dressed up for the matches. Although I have not gone to Wimbledon I have been to both England and Ireland multiple times, and it seems like dressing up for events like this is somewhat common. In America sure, people will dress up to go to a basketball game maybe or something like that, but over there events have a different feel. Horse races are not just for the very rich, as many of my working class cousins often dressed up and went to races. I think this should be more prevalent in the US. Wearing your favorite player’s shirt is great for going to a game; when there’s a sea of red in the stadium for a Red Sox game, or a sea of green or white for the Celtics (Sorry I live in MA…) its uplifting for a team or fan to see. But all too often people spend copious amounts of money on tickets and look like they are just dressed to do errands or something. If you’re going to spend $100+ for tickets for a few hours, and you’re not going to wear a jersey or shirt to support the team, for goodness sake, throw on a collared shirt or something.
So while I have no chance whatsoever of being good enough at tennis to play at Wimbledon, at least someday I hope to dress the part and experience the tradition that is the Championships. Here’s to good tennis…