From the entrepreneurial minds of Kiel James Patrick and Sarah Vickers of KJP or Shep and Ian Murray of Vineyard Vines to the carefree lifestyle of Hamptonians, Floridians and every other nautical vacationer spending their time yachting, golfing and playing polo to the frat and “srat” lifestyle of every social Greek life member on campuses across the nation, there is one statement that rings true when dealing with the preppy lifestyle and that is: “Navy is my neutral.”
Taking cues from the original prepster, Ralph Lauren, and drawing inspiration from his spring 2016 menswear collection, navy does not necessary translate to dull, boring or predictable. What is very evident in Lauren’s collection is that bold colors are back. Whether it is a very loud yellow, red or green, the color jumps out at you and is a sure staple in Lauren’s concept. However, perhaps very subtle is the navy of it all, whether it is an accessory or accent color, navy finds its place in almost each piece Lauren put out on the runway. From full ensembles, to suit jackets, to shoes, to belts, to shirts, to even ties, navy is be remarkably displayed—maybe not as the star attraction, but definitely a welcomed and polished supporting act.
That is the power of navy and how it has spread into the outfits of so many preps of all ages, generations and regions of this country. Like the ocean hits upon the shore, navy definitely made a splash in prep’s wardrobes everywhere. In my case, I went big with navy and made it a huge piece of my outfit by picking a shirt that color. Next I contrasted the bold one color with some nautical striped shorts that would definitely make Ralph Lauren proud. Lastly, I wore some comfy shoes because Ralph Lauren is all about versatility, so why sacrifice comfort for style when you can have both. All together, the outfit does not imitate a runway look but definitely matches the theme of the collection while allowing me to add my personal Fashionisto style into the ensemble.
Get My Look: 1. A navy button-up. 2. Some nautical shorts. 3. Your comfiest yet classiest pair of shoes.
