Off Brand: 'Old Money' Style Rides Again

 

"Prep is back -- kind of. This time around, however, it's called the "old-money aesthetic," and it describes a complicated and divisive trend that's been proliferating on social media. On TikTok and YouTube videos and Pinterest mood boards, slideshows cycle through aspirational images: romantic 1980s and '90s Ralph Lauren ads full of tweed and jodhpurs; country-club tennis matches; "Great Gatsby"-ish parties filled with white dresses and tuxes; Ivy League students on the quad in V-neck sweaters and chinos; "Talented Mr. Ripley"-style sailboat siestas; and neo-prep stills from "Gossip Girl" -- the headband-filled early 2000s version.

Beige cashmere is suddenly as buzzy as bra tops.

The old-money look isn't confined to internet trend holes. It's visible on the runway, in the equestrian boots and St. Moritz coats Rhuigi Villasenor designs for Bally, and the undone trenches and slouchy knits at Tory Burch. We can see it in the Barbour-and-Loro-Piana-filled world of HBO's "Succession."

Everything old and frayed is new again.

The timing of this resurgence in prep could not be more head-scratching. Bastions of prep-wear Brooks Brothers and J.Crew both filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020, and have faced store closures and declining sales in recent years. The same Ivy League colleges held up as picture-perfect ideals on TikToks face debates over admissions and inclusion. America's racial wealth gap shows that inequity persists over access to generational wealth. And on top of all of that, the turmoil of inflation and a banking crisis threaten all money, whether "old" or "new."

So why, amid this upheaval, are young people revisiting polo shirts and pearls? Is it a counterintuitive embrace of traditional values? A rebellious reappropriation of outdated codes? A reaction to Kardashian-era "new money" excess? Or simply an attraction to tried-and-true quality fashion?

The old-money aesthetic comprises elements that are familiar to those who have survived previous iterations of preppy style: neutral-colored sweaters, bonus points for being tied around the shoulders; frayed oxford shirts; tweed jackets; navy blazers with gold buttons; penny loafers, white pleated tennis skirts; and subtle-yet-luxe accessories like Hermes scarves, Cartier watches and Grandma's gold. In general, the older and more scuffed, the better.

Inevitably, people disagree on what constitutes old-money style: a double-G-logo Gucci belt, for example, could be seen as classy to some and gauche to others. Reddit threads debate questions such as whether ironing is "old money" or "new money," and which shades of neutrals are acceptable.

"This battle over what is the 'old-money look' and what isn't is not new," said Maggie Bullock, author of the new book "The Kingdom of Prep: The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J.Crew."

Some of the icons who are now held up as beacons of the old-money aesthetic -- Princess Diana, Ralph Lauren, the fictional Jay Gatsby -- could all be seen as newcomers who revealed their arriviste status by dressing almost too well.

Despite prep's history as a way to convey belonging to an exclusive and homogenous group, its clean-and-classic codes have been reinterpreted time and again over the years. Japan's preppy craze first crested in 1965 with the publication of "Take Ivy," a book of midcentury photos of American Ivy League campuses taken by Teruyoshi Hayashida. In "Black Ivy: A Revolt in Style," published in 2021, Jason Jules describes how Black men including James Baldwin and Sidney Poitier dressed in their own spins on prep.

That sense of diversity is present in today's version. "I feel like some people think that the old-money look can only come from Caucasian people, but I personally don't agree with that," said Hikari Fleurr, 29, a content creator in Brooklyn who has posted videos to her TikTok about the old-money look, favoring pieces like pearl earrings and white collared shirts.

Some contemporary brands, like the Los Angeles-based Sporty & Rich, are updating the codes of prep with a wink. The popular line features punchy brightly colored knits, tennis whites and striped poplin shirts that subvert classic prep with unexpected logos and abbreviated or oversize fits. Its lookbooks are photographed at stables or tennis courts, with vintage Cartier or Rolex watches and shabby Hermes bags mixed in.

Emily Oberg, the brand's founder, said, "I think people like myself have always admired this old-money look, but it really just means you have generational wealth and that's not something that I had. Growing up, it was always something that I wanted and aspired to have in my life. And that's where Sporty and Rich also was born from, just idealizing and fantasizing about this aspirational way of life."

Ms. Oberg mused that sustainability might be part of the move to prep. After all, Brooks Brothers oxford shirts and J.Crew sweaters can be found for less than $10 at thrift stores, and they last for decades. "I feel like Gen Z is more into this idea of reusing and repurposing rather than constantly acquiring," Ms. Oberg said." [1]

1. Off Brand: 'Old Money' Style Rides Again
Satran, Rory.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 28 Mar 2023: A.9.