Taylor Bacques

Name: Taylor Bacques
Age: 20
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
Class: 2013
Major: International Studies, Comparative Literature

Charting the history of ‘upper-middle class cool’ is an impossibly complex task given the number of nuanced versions of this original look that have emerged since the 1950’s. Magazines, bloggers and designers alike must wrestle with the semantics, particulars and often incoherent conceptions of a classic style that has seen itself reborn in various forms on the fairly regular cycle of other fashion trends. So please bare with me as I try to communicate some brief musings on a style that I personally identify with, especially since I have been out here in the States; I’m glad to have moved on from my days as a ‘Sloane Ranger’, but that’s another story.

The term ‘Trad’ was coined by a select group of Japanese men who visited Ivy League schools in the mid-1960’s and returned with the ambition to establish their own subculture on the streets of Tokyo; their strict uniform would consist of ‘traditional’ American collegiate wear. However, Trad is really just another word for ‘preppy’; a term thrown around with regularity for a wide variety of applications that extend beyond describing a certain style of dress. ‘Preppy’ has its origin in the north-eastern private preparatory and college institutions; referring to the clean-cut formality of the WASP establishment of the 1950’s and early 60’s. Companies such as J.Press and Brooks Brothers set up locations on college campuses and the style flourished. The Ivy League look was simple elegance, wearing for longevity. Grayscale, tweed and crew neck sweaters.

The following thirty years saw various factions of society beginning to engage with ‘Prep’; each offering elaborations or violations of some kind. Subcultures emerged all along the Eastern seaboard, born out of the immense change experienced in American society following the Vietnam war. Whatever variation on a theme one might have chosen however, individuals were buying into a group consciousness, a country club of some kind. Students continued to aspire to dress like older salarymen or follow ‘Dad’s fashion’, though for many, pastels, strong primary colors and plenty of madras found their way into the wardrobe. There was the arrival of the ‘go to hell’ look; a certain pomposity or ‘sleaze’ that screamed money and status more than ever.

Today, preppy and all its interpretations remains. Brooklyn hipsters might wear the style ironically, with white oxfords all frayed and tattered, but I am not sure about all that. ‘Neo-Trad’ was a movement in Japan that failed to really take-off with Tokyo youths; with the likes of Thom Browne and Band of Outsiders offering slim-cut, modern interpretations on the classic Ivy look. However, Ralph Lauren continues to churn out a wide range of lines that appeal to all the different conceptions of preppy; the ultra-prep Rugby line pulls out all the stops to make a statement and has flagship stores in swanky areas such as Georgetown for example. Branding and notions of belonging remain key concepts to grasp when investigating preppy style, but I think I have rambled on enough here!

To end, I cannot help but wish more people returned to something more like the ‘scaled back’ Kennedy-era Americana; less flash and more class. Taylor has put together an outfit I definitely approve of. Flat front chinos with a nice cuff, the oxford-cloth button-down shirt, cardigan and well fitted blazer. The colors are all about fall/winter and the look is just the right for that ‘formal swag’ I love to see (yes, I probably made that term up). It is clear that Taylor owns his style, and I think its one you can wear for life. Sound.