21st Century Prep

Lisa Birnbach, author of prep tome The Official Preppy Handbook, will release a sequel to her 1980 classic in September along with author Chip Kidd. In the 25 years since the original, "preppy" (as a fashion trend, not the prep lifestyle) has cycled in and out of fashion and right now seems to be riding a crest of popularity - one need only look as far as the recent resurgence of J.Crew. The irony of this, of course, is that the class of people the book lampooned never seems to care whether frayed oxfords, Barbour jackets, and deck shoes are in, they (we?) simply wear them because it's what's practical, what's traditional, what's always been done. The best part about Birnbach's satire is that everyone's in on the laugh --non-preps and preps alike-- mostly because of how painfully accurate her social commentary is. (I swear there's a sketch of an older gentleman toward the back that was based on my father.) Enjoy the video sneak peek here - looks like the OPH 2.0 is going to be just as fun as the first version.