The Preppy Life: Is There a Preppy Gene?

I’m starting to think that there is such thing as a preppy gene. It may seem absurd but I am seeing it more and more in my behavior everyday without my choosing or even being aware of it.

The Webster dictionary defines a prep as a '1 : a student at or a graduate of a preparatory school or 2 : a person deemed to dress or behave like a preppy.'

Behaving "preppy" means going to private schools, wearing classic clothing, Ralph Lauren, Lily Pulitzer, Brooks Brothers, Lacoste, driving cars whether understated or for status like Volvo or Beamers, jetsetting to vacation spots like Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and playing tennis and golf among other preppy staples, it is all about the overall lifestlye. I'm not particularly concerned with what it means to be preppy, my real concern these days is how it comes to define one's life.

The fact is, it is all encompassing. Even with the teenage and college years of rebellion aside, as you get older the lifestyle creeps into your life and is very difficult to avoid.

I come from a family of golfers, tennis players, athletic, conservative and classic dressers. Overall, the country club set. While the men in my family aren’t necessarily obsessed with fashion, my mother and grandmother built a wardrobe of staples, prided themselves on their education, staying in shape and of course being a fabulous hostess. Growing up I was engrossed in the lifestyle, whether I knew it or not but as I went off to college I thought I would start a new life and make my own way. I wanted to study anthropology and discover all that was out there. I wanted to redefine my life and my future. Then I joined a sorority and the prep lifestyle continued. A similar thing happened after college, I moved to LA and wanted to be international, sophisticated and do things differently than my parents and somehow edge myself out of the country club life.

Then a funny thing happened, I joined the events board at my church, started taking tennis lessons every Sunday and played more than I ever had, joined a women’s organization, moved to the nicest area in LA and run around the country club down the street almost every morning. When I go shopping, I can’t help but half-consciously run into J.Crew or Ralp Lauren on Rodeo and stock the closet with more monograms, cable knit, button ups and loafers. If I’m cold I unintentionally throw a sweater over my shoulders and I’m constantly volunteering to host brunches, cocktail parties and lending my time to charities and sending out thank you notes, buying perfect bouquets of flowers and can't help but look for that perfect prepped out partner.

While there is nothing wrong with any of this behavior and I realize it’s not a major issue; I still can’t help but wonder, where is this coming from?

As the months go by and as I become more traditional, the funny thing is I don’t have any hardcore prep influence around me. I’m in LA after all the land of flashy clothes, printed tees and a laid back attitude on etiquette and behavior. From the bars to the streets, the influence is - more is better and keep it modern, not less is more and keep it traditional. So this behavior, this preppy drive is obviously coming from somewhere internal that drives me to the tennis court, to the women’s club and toward graduate school on the east coast and while I wonder where it’s coming from at the same time I realize, it’s not that bad to live a lifestyle that’s classic, traditional and well-rounded.

More than anything if I'm doing anything that fits into this California lifestyle it's the fact that I'm being natural. I'm being myself and letting my life move organically from a source unknown but to a future that's truly me, preppy or not.