When you hear the word preppy, what images first come to mind? Most likely plaid skirts, Mary Janes, pressed button downs, fitted blazers, headbands and basically any and all items found in the closet of Blair Waldorf or Cher Horowitz, but what if I told you that not everyone envisions preppy through those types of clothing?

One of my friends complained to me once when she was playing the popular Roblox game “Dress to Impress,” that her picture-perfect, school-uniform-chic look placed her in the bottom of the preppy category, while the champion look was decked out in nylon, hot pink athleisure, Uggs, sunglasses and carrying a Stanley cup. All of those things, according to the traditional definition of preppy, are the exact opposite of the term, so why do all of the Generation Alpha kids that frequent “Dress to Impress” have a completely different perception of preppy than Generation Z and Millennials? 

“The newest variant of ‘preppy,’ led mostly by Gen Alpha over the last year, refers to bright clothing, lots of pink, and specific accessories like ribbons, bowties and Stanley water bottles,” Kieran Press-Reynolds wrote in Business Insider. “TikTokers have described the new look as ‘very girly’ and ‘colorful,’ involving smiley-face designs and brands like Lululemon.” 

This stark switch from Ralph Lauren to Lululemon might seem shocking at first, but all of these terms used to describe this new era of preppy don’t sound too far off from the way my friends and I used to dress when we were that age. Generation Alpha kids range from babies to 14 year olds. Dressing in bright pink clothes with smiley faces sounds completely appropriate for kids of that age, but for Generation Z, items like that are associated with actual kids stores like Justice and PINK.

Naturally, kids trying to alter a word to make it fit their world better isn’t a crime. The rest of the world still agrees about prep school preppy, and it doesn’t really matter if what they’re actually describing seems more like peppy than preppy. 

This relates back to the idea that every aspect of physical appearance, personal belongings and identity have to be compartmentalized under a little category invented by TikTok, which has somehow become the most “kid-friendly” social media app. 

Kids crave inclusion with influencers and twenty-something content creators that live in their phones, and when a micro label is created for every micro-trend, they want one, too. Therefore, their style, which may seem just cutesy and kid-friendly, needs to be placed into a category of its own. This way, kids can like smiley faces and bright colors while still feeling like they’re keeping up with the fast-paced world of fashion aesthetics on TikTok. 

It doesn’t help that brands like Justice and PINK have struggled greatly in recent years, leaving middle school girls with a lack of transitional clothing. This puts pressure on them to grow up too fast and go right from The Children’s Place to Aritzia because they don’t see themselves represented on social media. 

No matter what Generation Alpha is doing on their corner of the internet, preppy styles aren’t going anywhere. So many popular trends and aesthetics take inspiration from preppy looks. No matter how much I turn my nose up at the social media micro labels, the most popular ones right now are deeply rooted in preppy history, like “old money” and “office-siren.” Each of these also takes inspiration from the ‘90s, a very preppy decade, to create a modern title for a classic look. The clean, white button-downs and sleek pencil skirts associated with both of those trends are undeniable preppy, as well as the air of aristocracy and sophistication that is always sought after with the construction of vintage trends. 

“The late ‘90s brought a new, shrunken twist to preppy style…and Britney Spears turned looking like a sexy school girl—complete with a white button-down and pleated skirt—into a major thing,” Samantha Sutton wrote in Instyle Magazine. “Plus, while oversized grunge definitely had a moment during this decade, you can argue that some preppy elements—like all the plaid and knotting shirts (this time, around your waist) were still there.”

Vintage Ralph Lauren, Vivienne Westwood, Chanel and Dior still grace many people’s Pinterest screens when they crave an academic, professional look, but at the same time, preppy styles sometimes include a little bit of edge to push a classy look into modern times. 

Some of my favorite ways to bring a twist to my preppy clothes are those elements of slight surprise like trading my Mary Janes for Doc Martens with a pinstripe set, adding a band t-shirt or a crop top with an oversized blazer instead of a button down and turning one of my many vests into a top in itself with a statement belt.

No matter how many decades go by or makeovers take place, the term preppy will always hold some place in society. Whether it holds a bright and colorful meaning for little kids to aspire to be, or an amalgamation of all the vintage, classy and intelligent closet staples that make everyone feel a little bit more confident and capable. 

Preppy holds importance to people of all generations and decades of fashion, and watching it grow and change is actually very promising to watch. Who knows what the next generation of shoppers will transform the term into?