The Prep School Stigma

It’s no secret that prep schools have a certain stigma behind them. One of the most prevalent is the stereotype towards what prep school students wear to school. According to the reference source Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms, the “preppy” style became popularized in the 1980s, and was mostly used to describe the expensive clothes that prep school students wore. However, “by the 2000s… it’s meaning had become less negative, simply describing the button-down collars and loafers that are considered the preppy style.” This thinking has somewhat changed, because now “preppy clothing” is associated with brands like Vineyard Vines or Lilly Pullitzer.

Although we are a prep school, I wouldn’t describe Gov’s as stereotypically preppy. More and more, I have been noticing students branch out with the brands they are wearing that totally break the stigma behind how prep school kids dress. Girls in boho, Free People sundresses can be spotted scattered throughout the Phillips courtyard on the warm spring days that are hopefully approaching. “Hypebeast” brands like Supreme and Off White are displayed on sweatshirts and tees sported by both boys and girls alike. Gov’s is so much more than the stereotypical, prep school clothing that pops into people’s minds when they think of private schools. We are allowed to express ourselves through our clothing and not be defined by what people think we wear.

Another misconception is that prep school students wear the blazer and tie uniforms that are so often portrayed in TV and movies. Govs doesn’t have a school uniform and we actually never have. Luckily, we instead have a dress code that is surprisingly flexible compared to some other schools. The uniforms that people envision when they think of prep schools are actually more similar to the types of blazers and ties that men wore here in the late 60’s, so this thinking is somewhat outdated. The stigma behind what we wear isn’t going away anytime soon, but hopefully people will start to realize that private school kids shop at stores other than Vineyard Vines and Lilly Pullitzer and aren’t wearing uniforms like those in The Princess Diaries movies.  

People normally imagine prep school kids as wearing the uniforms

so often portrayed in TV and movies, such as Glee (pictured right) or The Princess Diaries.

The clothing that the general public imagines prep school
students wearing more fits that of what was worn in the 1960s.

This picture from 2014 shows that the “preppy” style was still prominent

even just a few years ago.

The style of these Govs students in 2009 shows more polos and “preppy” style than we see now.

These floral, boho style dresses from the 2018 Morse Flag Ceremony show that students are not just wearing preppy styles anymore.