The Importance of Prep

I close my eyes just for one minute to coordinate a prefect setting for the upcoming advertisments of Fall 2007 Ralph Lauren and/or Brooks Brothers. A quiet winter morning, the sky is overcast and lightly floating snow fills the air. The air is crisp and cold and sets the perfect occasion for a hot cup of coffee in hand on the way to your 10 am Economics tutorial. In my mind, I envision a classic east coast campus or an old campus such as Notre Dame in which the architecture is as old as the faculty. A prep school with colorful striped ties and the hustle and bustle of the early morning crew team dry land work out starts your day.

These images may stand out bold and may also provoke some distant memory of primary uniform school, boarding school, or just sunday at Grandma's house when you were younger. I have always been fond of being able to dress sharply. No matter what the occassion, I feel that a certain presence resonates over me and fills the room when I consciously pick my most distinguished looking ensemble. I am aware the levels of uncomfort oxfords can be on a daily basis, and wearing a blazer got tiresome and hot in the blazing heat of mid-june. Yet, I fondly reminisce over a time that the simple elegance and dignified manner in which I presented myself changed my overall outlook on the way I should go through the day. For instance, days in which I wore khakis, a weave leather brown belt, matching loafers and a polo, I felt more presentable and more orderly. This change of image also changed the way I interacted with others. I would sit up straight, answer questions in full and in somewhat formal English and I would avoid bad posture at all costs.
I could go on forever, breaking down points as to why I feel strongly about the importance of prep. Some of it's major drawbacks in today's society lies in that the look seems somewhat outdated and old english. Everything in the US has incorporated the word 'casual' to describe a better, laid back environment to which our stiff necks and our anxiety-filled personas can relax to a more worry-free state. Casual Friday's are brought to offices nationwide to reiterate the importance of feeling comfortable and less stressed, leaving more room for productivity. You always hear, "chill out", "relax", or how people "casually" change the subject. We are witnessing one of America's strongest weaknesses: How we have avoided the principal of order, presentation and seriousness. Our clothes have shifted as well. It has come to my attention that prep style has formed a specific stereotype that leaves individuals to think that preppy means jockish, Frat boy, pretentious or ahem... republican. While images of prep are synonymous to those of said stereotypes, I often find that to be a misconception of the highest level.

Prep offers a more composed sense of self and adheres to our traditional standard dress code. It shows cleanliness, composure, interest in higher learning and great levels of civilized behavior. We don't all have to be sticklers and walk about chin up to show a sense of dignified behavior, however, in our every day lives, it would be a great and extremely visible shift (and a beneficial one for that matter) to witness a change in behavior in many men solely from the way they present themselves through dress.