preppy
adjective
| PREP-ee
A cheery, sporty style popular among girls involving lots of pink; a girl who follows this style
What does preppy mean?
A new sense of an older term, preppy refers to a casual but upscale fashion trend, especially popular among preteen girls in the early 2020s, marked by bright colors and playful patterns. Some hallmarks include pastel pinks and blues, designs involving smiley faces and lightning bolts, athleisure, pleated miniskirts, baggy or cropped tops, hair bows, skincare products, and trendy accessories, with a premium placed on name brands.
The word is also a noun for a girl considered preppy in this way.
Examples of preppy
in my preppy era 🎀
—@shoplovejentry, Threads, 16 Jan. 2025
If anyone says I’m a preppy bc I have skin care ima cry😭
—I'm preppy and the only preppy things I have is a preppy bed, rollerskates and uggs
—Looking to be as cozy as possible — while still being cute and preppy? This oversized fleece pullover is just the thing, as long as you get it in preppy pink, of course.
—
Where does preppy come from?
The new sense of preppy is an outgrowth of its earlier—and continued—use for a fashion style, associated with the youth of wealthy prep schools, often involving such articles as polo shirts, argyle sweaters, navy blazers, headbands, and plaid skirts. This older sense of preppy dates back to the beginning of the 20th century.
The newer preppy is found as early as 2021 on TikTok, where the trend—and term—spread among preteen girls in 2022. In 2023, it prominently appeared in the phrase it’s so preppy in here, exclaimed by a young girl in a TikTok video that captured her excitement upon first visiting a boutique called Dear Hannah Prep, which sells clothing and accessories very much in the preppy style (and which may have subsequently influenced it). The video became subject to memes mocking the trend and girls associated with it.
How is preppy used?
Preppy is most widely used as an adjective, describing—and often marketing—branded clothing, decor, skincare products (and other accessories, such as trendy beverage containers and notebooks), that constitute the overall aesthetic. It is also used as a noun, referring to a girl who follows or admires preppy fashion.
Preppy can be used positively (especially among girls who embrace the fashion) as well as negatively (particularly among girls who ridicule their peers’ perceived fixation with it). In the former, it’s so preppy in here remains a popular way to compliment a display of preppiness. In the latter, preppy mocks qualities of the preppy girl, such as being too girly, attention-seeking, ‘basic,’ and—as with the older preppy—ostentatiously rich, as preppy brands are generally considered expensive.
Preppy is still widely used to refer to the earlier fashion, whose clean, elite look is sometimes called old preppy to distinguish it from the trending new preppy.
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