Although the ‘Preppy’ look has been a menswear stable for decades, the recent passing of  J.D. Salinger makes this as good a time as any to revaluate the look, and see where it can go in the future.

From Caulfield Preparatory's SS2010 lookbook

Celebrated for his literary evocations of prep school life, Salinger painted an often bleak and unhappy picture of upper-class American life; from suicide in A Perfect Day for Bannafish, to existential angst in Fanny and Zooey, he was highly critical of the vacuous superficiality that seemed to accompany ‘preppiness’.

Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of Salinger’s best-known work, Catcher in the Rye, certainly didn’t conform to the social conventions of upper-class prep-school life, so it’s unlikely that he would be stock-piling chinos and deck shoes. Accordingly, as we move forward into 2010, perhaps it’s best that we re-interpret the traditional preppy look, giving it more of a rebellious edge.

In terms of hair, quiffs are where it’s at for preppy gents everywhere.

This was case on the Milanese catwalks last month, with Jil Sander and Bottega Venetta showcasing a Fifties look that is more teddy-boy than all-American boy; we’re talking accentuated quiffs and a bit more attitude with your tweed blazer.

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