Everybody knows that fashion is circular. Back in 1970, girls were desperate to look like Ali McGraw when she starred in Love Story, and suddenly that fashion, called ‘preppy’ is back again, with the success of Gossip Girl.  Parents are thrilled to bits, as the grunge appeal of shows like Buffy and Skins is pushed aside in favour of – shock horror: white shirts, tartan skirts and ironed jeans.
Gossip Girl’s New York City preppy style has updated the look but hangs on to the iconic features. And it’s easy to convert your current appearance to preppy.

First, you’ve got to hide any body art – tattoos are definitely low-style in preppy terms, as are piercings, so navel rings need to be covered by full length T-shirts, in either white or grey marl. White sweatshirts and hoodies are a big deal, for women worn with thick black tights and a pleated skirt, for men with chinos, not jeans.

Jackets, for guys, are worn with sweatshirts, not shirts, and shirts are only worn over T-shirts with jeans – this is different to the original preppy style which combined a button-down shirt with cotton trousers and a jacket. Gals need to get as much tartan into their appearance as possible – scarves and hairbands are good, but tartan tights are definitely low style and anti-preppy. Skirts are back in for females, but if you want to wear trousers, aim for chinos rather than jeans and wear penny loafers or moccasins, rather than trainers. You can even wear chinos with high heels, rolling up the hems a couple of inches to show your ankles, but be careful, ankle jewellery immediately converts this look from Serena van der Woodsen to Anna Nicole Smith.