THE OFFICIAL PREPPY HANDBOOK or of The Virtues of Wearing Pink and Green

There are a few book in this world that are atemporal and very much enjoyable. Lisa Birnbach's The Official Preppy Handbook (also known as TOPH) is by far one of my favourites.

Written in a half-satirical half-serious manner makes it a highly enjoyable read for anyone who is at least slightly familiar with the Prep culture of the United States. I personally dislike it when people over-analyze it in their reviews as I think Mrs. Birnbach wrote it such that it requires taking it just as it was written, flippantly serious.

I have attached the scanned version of the book for all of you who are having a harder and harder time to secure a copy, although I would suggest eBay or Amazon (new versions start at $179.99 however) if you would like a physical copy of the book.

Besides some of the less updated items in the book, like stores and addresses, most of the information is very much current and applicable although I sheepishly remind you not to take it too seriously ( we all know from history where that lead in the past when another book that chronicled it was followed word-by-word) ! Some of you might discover, either to your liking or to your dismay that you are a prep, while some of you might learn a little about the world that has always seemed so inaccesible for us mere mortals.

If you would like to convert to "Prepianity" however, I would suggest investing seriously in some etiquette classes (The Emily Post Institute can do wonders with all but the most entrenched of troglodytes), a country club membership and of course Prep attire (Ralph Lauren, Rugby Ralph Lauren, J.Crew, L.L.Bean, Vineyard Vines and sometimes Lacoste are all great choices IMO).

Enjoy the book and if you wish to read it offline, please click on the Follow Blog button on the right side and you will receive a message containing the download link for the book in pdf format!


Comments are always appreciated. Let me know what you think about the book, do you think it's contents still apply to our modern society? Is Prep dying out?

I would also like to introduce you to the long awaited True Prep: It's a Whole New Old world, which is an updated-to-modern-times version of the TOPH. Order True Prep here.

True Prep looks at how the old guard of natural-fiber-loving, dog-worshipping, G&T-soaked preppies adapts to the new order of the Internet, cell phones, rehab, political correctness, reality TV and…polar fleece 



Authors Lisa Birnbach and Chip Kidd, giving us a glimpse at the process of getting True Prep ready for publishing!



Here it is:

Wearing Your Shades In The Shade

Depending on where you live, sunglasses might or might not be within your possession at all times around the year. But regardless of that, we are all subjected to having to take the sunglasses off at one point or another. The question however is, what to do with said sunglasses at that moment in time?!

Tom Ford I love you!

We can start with what NOT to do!

1. Wearing your sunglasses on your head or on the back of your head

Sunglasses are definitely not a hair accessory boys and girls and therefore should not serve as an improvised headband. Therefore I vote NO to sunglasses on your head.

Wearing them on the back of your head can only have one outcome and that is making you look like a tool. Not only does it not look appealing but in the event your glasses were to slip off the back of your head, how will you ever catch them, eh?!

2. Wearing your sunglasses indoors and at night

Before deciding if this applies to you, please follow this very simple flowchart:

Thankfully, for most of us the answer is NO NO NO. Not only is it tacky but it's quite unsafe especially in darker rooms and at night. 

3. Wearing sunglasses around your neck

Unless you are too old to remember where you left your glasses, there is no excuse for needing your glasses to hang around your neck all day.

No Croakies....EVER!

In the land of TO DO however, the choices are less flexible.

1. Hanging your sunglasses on the neck of your t-shirt/blouse

Though not the most stylish way to don your sunglasses in times of shade, hanging it on your top garment is a much better option than any of the NOT to do ones. Just don't forget to hold your glasses when bending !

2. Putting your glasses in your front pocket

By far the best and most stylish way to sport sunglasses other than on your eyes is to slip them into your coat/t-shirt's front pocket,  remembering to orient them lens inward!

Just Give Me Blue Skies, Sunshine, Love.

Spring is definitely supposed to be on its way and nothing makes me more happy than seeing the return of blue skies, of warm sunlight and of budding romances that blossom with the cherry trees.

Ralph Lauren - Garrison Wool Crested Blazer ( $1295 )

Spring/Summer 2010 will be an "Ode to Nature" where vibrant colours such as that of this beautiful Ralph Lauren Blazer will resonate with the warm weather.

Here are three of the proposed colour palettes for this following season. I can't say I can choose one over the other but definitely look into different possible combinations and chromatic artifices (palettes courtesy of FashionTrendSetter)

As coats became the new thing in fashion in Mrs Wintour's vision while designing the infamous September 2007 Issue of Vogue Magazine, this SS season, blazers are in for the natty urban gent.

Ralph Lauren - Maidstone Crested Sport Coat ( $198 )

Don't forget that straying away from the classical colours can sometimes make a statement no navy blazer could ever make. 

Beautiful Persian Orange Blazer - notice how the apparent brightness of the coat is subdued by the dark pants and the matching handkerchief

Take Ivy

Corduroy slacks disgust me

Black leather jackets are vile

Long greasy hair and blue suede shoes

Transform my blood to bile.

If you want everyone to accept you

As a modern American male

You must dress the way the magazines say

They dress at Harvard and Yale

The Ivy League Look (excerpt) by Clark Gesner

Of all sartorial publications and materials, there has never been one as elusive and as rare as Japanese photographer, Teruyoshi Hayashida's Take Ivy. What has constituted the Ivy League Bible for the Japanese baby boomers, who were very much into the whole Ivy League Look, has been a very rare find in the West and has garnered auction prices as high as $2000. However there is very good news on the horizon as PowerHouse Books has announced that they will be republishing the famous book this August and it will sell for just $16.47(You can imagine my relief, as the only old edition found on the internet was selling for almost $500 on eBay). You can also pre-order it on Amazon: Take Ivy (Powerhouse Books)  Until then however, I give you the book in an online readable format, courtesy of The Trad. Enjoy and look out for it in August! 

If you would like to have Take IVY in a pdf format, just click Follow Blog on the right sidebar and you will receive a message with the download link!

Of Lives That Fit In Minuscule Enclosures

On pasts, on presents and on futures, my mind does often stop and ponder.

It looks in vain for lives worth living, but yet it does still makes me wonder,

If by our daily grind and tribulations we are deserving of, through lachrymose exposures,

Such lives that easily could fit, in teeny, tiny, minuscule enclosures.

The ASUS Waveface is one of the most revolutionary Notebooks currently available

The moment when most of our livelihoods are no longer part of our bodies has arrived. With the ever increasing rate of miniaturization, there are more and more people, who in one form or another, carry with them an electronic device on which they constantly depend on. One of the most important and complex of such devices is of course the notebook, a personal computer gone mini.

Bythreads' staple product, the Journalcase, which is both fit for business and offers that slight hint of rebellion

As the symbiosis matures and the severely one-sided inter-dependency deepens, one must find a comfortable, safe and stylish in which to carry their "E-Horcrux". This is where Bythreads, a new and up-and-coming Danish company, comes in. They focus on creating ethically sound products that are in tune with the simple Scandinavian influences that many other such companies have gotten us accustomed to.

The Granny Bag

Their Laptop Sleeves, Journal Cases, Shoulderbags  and my very favourites, the Grannybags, are the epitome of effortless functionality. Forget bulky, unappealing cases, laptop bags and totes and think more like sleek, ubiquitous and stylish.

The Natural Sleeve

While the products they feature are indeed Apple Notebooks, I see no reason why any other 13" and 15" notebooks wouldn't be compatible with their products.

The Natural Granny Combo

The products featured in this post are the following, from top to bottom and from left to right: JOURNALCASE (€230), GRANNYBAG (€110), NATURAL (€80), NATURAL+GRANNY (€160)

The B-Devs Wear DMAG !!!

Let's suppose an outside observer were to take a glance at Duke or any other U.S. campus for that matter and look at its student body as a whole. If what they saw was the two Duke students featured in this month's issue of DMAG (go towards the end of the post for more about this exciting publication) things could not be better. However his or her first impression of the college sense of style cannot be best described by a bell-curve distribution that ranges from the pathological slob to the campus fashionista as expected but is sadly rather more skewed towards the former category.

What I personally think is that the average Dukies alongside most other college students are quite lazy when it comes down to dressing up (pun intended) and going to class. I can vouch that my friends are probably already tired of me kindly reprimanding them for wearing sweats to class or flip-flops in sub-32 December weather although I hope that they do not take it amiss (It's all from the heart guys!).

I'm sure all of you Dukies reading this, have either heard, thought of or used one of the worn-out excuses of how strapped for time you are in the morning, how nobody cares about what they wear anyway or how seeing others slacking in terms of appearance justifies your doing the same.

Fashion should definitely not be a chore and nobody has ever said that you should leave your dorm room in the morning as if you were going to prom. All we're saying is that you should spend a bare minimum of 5 minutes every night or if otherwise occupied, in the morning, thinking about what you would like to wear. When I find myself strapped for time I utilize my daily shower time to try to think of something nice to wear. Now isn't that multitasking at its premium and is it too much to ask? I'm not going to go into much detail about what I approve of per se, because I and many others believe fashion is a choice of personal style, much like one's taste in music, food, etc but I will say that if you do tend to abuse that favourite Blue Hoodie, that matching pair of sweat pants or worse the matching Crocs, you are on your way to become a victim of your own doing. College is our last "playground" before actually stepping into the real world and if we don't all participate in this exciting game pr better yet this preamble of pretend, chances are the real world will not be too kind with you when your times come to really give those sweats away ( Just think how you would cope now without having ever played pretend shopping as a child. Would you be as able to shop for your daily items?). 

Now if you really can't quit wearing your Snuggie, Crocs or Sweats entirely, you can have at least a couple of days every week where you try putting on a nice pair of jeans or a clean ironed shirt, don a tie if you're a guy (or not if you are comfortable with it) even if you're not going to a semi-formal. and wear any pair of shoes other than your running sneakers, which if you were wondering are not actually meant for day-to-day use.

But enough annoying banter and more of what I am really excited to present to you. I have recently been introduced to a new publication, dubbed DMAG, created and published entirely by Duke students. DMag deals with fashion from a student's perspective and is more importantly written for students. This makes it more than perfect for a campus-wide distribution, maybe along with the Chronicle as a monthly supplement?! The writing style is very accessible for all student readers all the while keeping away from being over-pompous. The magazine features many interesting articles that deal with campus style, local fashion outlets, world fashion news and not only! I have especially enjoyed the pictorials featured in the magazine and I say this not only because I know quite a few of the people featured in them or that the setting is one of the locations that is most dear to me, but because they are well thought and quite aesthetically pleasing(the "Campus Sartorialist" on page 51 was definitely a kicker!).

You can find the online version of DMAG for free here and access the DMAG blog, which I predict will soon take off quite nicely, here.

I am definitely looking forward from seeing your next issue DMAG!

Strapping Surcingle Sashes

Out of the few things a man can add to his persona as an accessory, the belt is by far the most embraced by men  of all statures, classes and fashion senses.

The belt itself comes in many shapes, sizes and materials and I won't go into details in this post, but one of my most favourite types of belts is the Surcingle Belt. 

The term surcingle (Et.: Middle English sursengle, from Middle French surcengle, from sur- + cengle girdle, from Latin cingulum) is an equestrian term that represents a strap made of leather or leather-like synthetic materials such as nylon or neoprene, sometimes with elastic, that fastens around a horse's girth area, and in our case, around one's midsection.

While most belts are either made of solid leather or braided leather or rope or plain canvas, the surcingle is a combination of the most common types of belts and almost always features a leather buckle and either a canvas or rope body. The surcingle is both trendy in casual and less casual situations. While I do like to wear a surcingle belt with most pants just for the sake of having a belt, I use it most to add a little colour to a jeans/denim/chino and sports coat combination. I'm not sure if having lived in the south has taken its toll on me or not but I definitely approve more of a navy coat, pastel chino combination if it is all tied together by a mono- or two-toned surcingle belt ( Major major kudos points for anything Anatidean).

In terms of the body of the belt, the surcingle comes in either a stretch version, which from experience I can attest can get annoying to re-buckle, especially after a couple of drinks, and a normal non-stretch version.

Surcingle belts are fashionable, durable and compared to genuine leather belts more affordable. I see no reason why you should not invest in one this summer and add a little colour into your wardrobe. 

The belts featured in this post are as follows from top to bottom and from left to right: Rugby - TWO-TONE SURCINGLE BELT ($55), Dann Clothing - ENGLISH WOOL SURCINGLE BELTS ($52.5), J.Press - STRETCH SURCINGLE BELT ($45)

In COMPANY OF WE

'Tis often found that you and me,

Aroused from sleep by he or she,

Ask not what they can do for thee,

For you already are in company of we.

Company of We was born out of a desire to produce quality fashion at a lower price and many a fashion critics have expressed their bewilderment when seeing their collections, while some have compared it to bringing the runway to the department store. Although just a fledgling design line it has received tremendous attention from the press and the public.

 Beyond their desire to bring the public what it wants and what it can afford, Company of We offers a one-time 25% discount to anyone who signs up to their mailing list. No more excuses for not wanting to look at what they have to offer because in these times of recession there's naught as fit to benefit from a discount than the shop-a-holic within each of us.

As per usual, I've put together a small collage of my favourite items from this designer house:

The items featured in this collage are as follows, from top to bottom and left to right:
Augustene Cardigan Blazer in Clay ($138), Captain Leisure Jacket in Herringbone Grail ($259), Carter Pant in Gun Metal ($128), Flynn Button Down in Grey/Red Flannel ($82), Moses Toggle Coat in Ink ($325).

Looking forward to seeing your Spring/Summer 2010 CoWe!!!

An Autochtonous Revelation

In spite of centuries of toil and trouble,

In wild Wallachian lands of old,

The people are still unabated,

And each day brings more wonders to behold.

It rarely happens that Western Europe, with its "Meccan" centers of fashion, Paris and Milan, looks to the East for innovation and beauty in the form of fashionable creations.

I have had the luck of stumbling upon a little shop in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, a former Communist country that is voraciously enjoying and devouring Capitalism. Few would stop and look for innovation in a place where imitation is so rampant, but Mihaela Glavan's new store, Sepala, breaks from the confines of its geographical location and brings new ideas to light by means of its exquisite Men and Women's Shoe Collections.

With its three distinctive collections: Mihaela Glavan, Sepala and RSM (Reconstructed Style for Men ), its designer, Mihaela Glavan has had the opportunity to experience with bold colours such as bright red, neon green or light blue, which most shoe designers avoid like the plague. She has also redefined the standards of prime materials used in her shoes and has often varied their respective combinations. For that reason some of her creations include leather and suede and velcro, nubuck and leather and even leather and PVC.

The best thing about Sepala is that all shoes can be customized in store and ordered to size if unavailable.

The Sepala Store can be found at "24 Intrarea Tudor Stefan (Dorobanti area), Bucharest, Romania" or if you would like to contact them regarding  an order, online here.

Roll Me Up In Spring

Roll me up in spring and summer,

Lift me way above the clouds,

Show me sounds of endless summer

Give me never-ending crowds.

For us lucky ones that don't live in the north-east of the U.S., the weather has been steadily improving, bringing with higher temperatures and sunny skies. This is one of the turning-points of the year in terms of fashion, as one transitions from the Fall/Winter wardrobe to the Spring/Summer one, and one of my favourite things about spring is that the weather is chilly enough at times to wear a few lightweight layers but warm enough that you can shed the heavy Fall/Winter wool blazers.

Something that I keep seeing here in Europe is guys rolling up not only their shirt sleeves now, but also the sleeves of their blazers and cardigans. And although the neophyte's first reaction might we wondering why not just take the blazer off if you're too warm, the actual reason behind rolling one's sleeves has nothing to do with the temperature outside.

The whole trick to doing it, as our friends as Fashionbeans.com put it is pushing the sleeves on the jacket to just below the elbow and then folding the sleeve until it covers the ribbing, all this while remembering to have your cuff done up.

This look first came into mainstream view by means of Miami Vice, although the t-shirt under the rolled-up blazer look is not the best of combinations. I would advise either wearing a polo underneath and thus eliminating the need to roll 2 sets of sleeves or sporting a lightweight shirt that won't bunch-up too much when rolled. As for bottoms, some nice shorts look best in my opinion( but please no cargo shorts, burn them if you own any) or a nice pair of chinos that complement the look and give tribute to spring and summer( think spring colours, earthy pastels this year). 

In terms of shoes, if you choose the shorts recommendation, I would suggest going sock-less and sporting either a pair of loafers or a pair of nice leather oxfords or brogues. If you're not a fan of that either, go with the all safe boat shoe.

Items are, in order from top to bottom, left to right: Rugby - COTTON JERSEY CLUB BLAZER ( $168), photo courtesy of The Sartorialist, Rugby - SKULL BUTTON NAVY SPORT COAT ($398), Rugby - FOOTBALL CLUB FLEECE BLAZER ($79.99), photo courtesy of Swagger NYC.

Spiraling Shoelaces

Make a tepee. Come inside.
 Pull down tight so we can hide.
Around the mountain... here we go!
 Here's my arrow. Here's my bow.

We seldom think of what ties everything together in our daily tribulations yet it is what unifies almost all shoes on this earth. While there are almost 2 trillion ( that's 2,000,000,000,000) possible mathematical combinations of lacing a shoelace, practically there are only around 43,200 ways of tying the lace for he average 12 inlet shoe.


For some, tying their laces has become a form of expressing themselves while for others it's nothing more than a hassle. Here's a couple of the most interesting patterns around:

In practicality, most of us desire a more traditional pattern that channels sobriety and not the childish stereotype that funky shoelaces and shoelace patterns bring. To that end, Ian from Ian's Shoelace Site (yep, there's a website for everything nowadays) catalogues the different patterns on his website depending on simplicity, comfort, neatness and whether or not one pattern wears the shoe out more than others.


These are of few favourites of Ian and myself:



1. The Over-and-Under Lace

The alternating over and under pattern looks great on a pair of Converse although you shouldn't be afraid of straying away from the white shoelace. You can find the pattern and how to tie it here.


2. The Criss-Cross


The Criss-cross is the most common of patterns and is also one of the most comfortable as the crossover of laces takes place in the gap between the sides of the shoe. You can find the pattern and how to tie it here. 






3. The Ladder-Lacing


This pattern goes very well with boots and is often used by ceremonial guards, ice-skaters and paratroopers. The higher the boot the better this pattern looks. The pattern and how to tie it can be found here.





4. The Footbag Lacing


To end this post on shoelaces, I've chosen the Footbag Lace, designed to facilitate the catching of the ball in Footbag games. I personally think it works great on ankle-high Suede boots as well. Try it out and shoot me with a comment or a picture.

Wanna join the Rugby.com Student Union?!

My favourite brand of all time, Rugby.com, partner of Ralph Lauren, has started a new campaign called "The Rugby Student Union". As long as you are a student and have an e-mail address ending in .edu you're eligible to receive a 15% discount on any Rugby.com merchandise. Kudos to you Rugby.com, thanks for acknowledging your target consumer!