How to Be a Preppy Guy

Wear respectable brand name clothes. A sampling of such brands might include Polo, Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Lacoste, J. Crew, Hickey Freeman, Paul & Shark, Peter Millar, J. Press, Southern Tide, and Vineyard Vines. Hollister, Abercrombie, Aeropostale, and A.E are not the conventional preppy but some of their designs are classic.

Especially Rugby shirts, chinos in light colors and shirts make you look preppy.

Shop for clothes that come in classic colors, although this is by no means a definitive list: pink, sky blue, navy blue, lime green, Nantucket red, or yellow. Looking at some clothing from the brands above will probably give you a good idea. Buy clothes that have colors that match well and look good on you. For example, a redhead will look better with green than pink or lavender unless he has blue eyes.

Develop a comfortable but clean look. Find classic looking belts, preferably tan/light brown. Make sure the belt is leather if it is a dress belt, and canvas with leather tips if it is for casual occasions. Make sure it is not covered in little tacky bits or studs etc.

Wear leather moccasins, and boat shoes (top-siders) or leather flip flops in the summer. Wearing a pair of top-siders without socks is classic preppy.^[1]

Pick a scent and stick to it. Don't use different scents of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, aftershave, deodorant and cologne. Buy a matching set. Don't put too much on.^[2]

Consider that if you wear glasses, try wearing cool-looking glasses or consider contacts. Dark rimmed glasses are geeky or scene/emo/punk, etc. Try getting rim-less glasses and clean them everyday to look sophisticated. Lately though, Buddy Holly styled glasses have been making a comeback on the runway. If you wear nothing but preppy clothes, then this would completely work well with a nice cardigan or sweater. Also, many preppies in history (such as Barry Goldwater) have worn nerdy glasses, & the subculture often overlaps with preppies, so any glasses could work.

Keep simple hair. A common preppy hairstyle is the shaggy look or the fluffy look, or hair just parted on the side and short. Lately, many preppy guys are going away from the long hair styles and back to traditional shorter hairstyles. Think the 1940s and 1950s crop top and crew cut. No unnatural hair colors or shaved hair. If it is shaved, have it shaved modestly. Keep your hair looking natural! Hair gel is all right if it is done modestly, but don't overdo it.

Be fresh and neat. Have clean, trimmed fingernails.^[3] File and buff your nails to make them healthy - don't bite them. Keep your lips moisturized. Chapped, cracked lips are unsightly.^[4] Shave and comb your hair as often as you need to. Don't wear wrinkled or stained clothes. Stay away from ripped jeans; this is for wannabe preppy and ripped jeans are 1990s and 2000s fashions. Brush twice or thrice and floss your teeth once or twice a day.^[5] Whiten your teeth if necessary.^[6] Be well groomed. Avoid tattoos and getting pierced.

Look healthy. Get toned and take in some sun color, just don't overdo it. Don't burn your skin, use sunscreen.^[7] Don't use tanning beds either. Drink lots of water,^[8] take vitamins and eat lean protein. Take excellent care of your skin (use lotion),^[9] teeth,^[10] hair, and nails.^[11]

Participate in some kind of sport. Crew, Cross Country, horseback riding, lacrosse, track, polo, rugby, football, golf, sailing, skiing, squash and tennis are classic examples of preppy sports. If it is in the Olympics, it is preppy. Even if you don't do a sport, you should stay fit as possible.^[12] For high school sports, try sports such as tennis, Cross Country, golf, swimming, soccer, track etc. Lift weights for toning and staying lean but don't develop huge bodybuilder muscles.^[13]

Join the choir, preferably the madrigals or orchestra if you are musical. Don't start your own band. If you do play a band instrument, make sure you are in symphonic band, jazz band, or solo and ensemble contests. Don't obsess on marching or pep band. A community band is better than high school band.

Act friendly and outgoing... a little shy is OK, but be nice. Smile.^[14] Stand up straight.^[15] Avoid getting people angry. Forget talking about money - it can put people off.

Study hard and remember to keep your grades up, preferably 3.0 GPA at minimum and above, because preps are also known as being smart and hard working on top of their looks and lifestyle. They get into good preppy colleges because they try to work hard. Use good grammar. Many preps end up getting into Ivy League or Private Universities because of their grades, sports and high SAT scores.^[16] Keep up with what is going on in the world and financial markets. If you don't understand investing money basics - read books and learn.^[17]