The New Preppy Handbook

Last night I had the opportunity to attend the official release party for the Only NY × J. Press collaboration. The event took place at the J. Press Flagship Store in Manhattan, next to the Yale Club of New York City. The new collection features Made in USA items in navy and orange, including a rugby shirt and an Intarsia knit sweater, both in 100% cotton, as well as a vintage athletic-inspired crewneck and a ringer tee featuring reinterpretation of the iconic J. Press bulldog from Only NY. The event was well-attended and I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet two individuals that I follow on social media, Dozer Magazine founder Justinian Mason and NYC-based fashion influencer Preppy Pete. Here is an article about their latest project from Christine Morrison, author of the book Clothes Minded: Fashionable Essays About Finding Yourself (2025). You can follow Christine on her Substack @ writing in black and white. – Matthew Longcore, editor of Ivy Style

Satorial Snapshot: Issue 07.

This Week: The New Preppy Handbook

By Christine Morrison

A few nights ago, Paul Stuart — the 88-year-old brand known for its classic, high-end Ivy Prep styles — hosted the launch party for Dozer Presents: The New Prep, a preppy handbook project from Dozer Magazine founder Justinian Mason.

The New Prep is a general issue featuring Preppy Pete, a NYC-based fashion influencer, while The New Preppy Handbook is a more curated, NYC-focused edition, reminiscent of 2nd, a Japanese magazine that created their own version in 2023. Both sell for $35.

We all rejoiced when prep made a huge showing on the Spring 2026 runways — from higher-end designers: among them Thom Browne, Tory Burch, Miu Miu and Celine (where it’s been said Michael Rider is “rewriting the Preppy Handbook”) to our beloved heritage brands: all hail Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, Brooks Brothers and the revitalized J. Press under the preppy tutelage of its new Creative Director/President (formerly of Rowing Blazers), Jack Carlson.

As someone who bought Lisa Birnbach’s original book in October 1980 and still treasures the dog-eared copy, I was initially conflicted about the remaking of the book. Prep is personal. Cultural. It’s more than nostalgia or recycled trends.

But what strikes a chord about modern-day prep — and this new iteration of the book— is that it reinforces prep is not a uniform that requires a pedigree; it’s an even broader vocabulary. Prep has always signaled identity, taste and values. How we are interpreting it now, adapting the styles and weaving them into our chaotic lives, is something quieter: how we see ourselves.

As Tommy Hilfiger, who has been redefining the preppy aesthetic for decades, has said:

“I think preppy stands for optimism, confidence, energy and authenticity.”

Ralph Lauren has echoed this sentiment:

“People ask …does it have to do with class and money? It has to do with dreams.”

These iconic designers point to the same idea: Prep isn’t about where we came from, but about where we are going.

I believe this so wholeheartedly, it’s the essence of my fashion essay collection: what we wear shapes who we are—and who we’re becoming. Fashion is not about external validation but rather our internal compass. True, often raw emotions —grief, pride, fear, courage and more — are so often managed in what we choose to wear.

And in this moment of social, political and economic uncertainty, Prep offers something steady—structure, stability, a sense of order. But unlike retro trends that merely recycle the past (the 90s might over-indexing currently wouldn’t you say?), modern prep is more self-aware and more open. It honors tradition while allowing for individuality, blending history with the realities of how we actually live now.

So, pop your collar. Or don’t. The point isn’t perfection (it’s taken me decades to say this with conviction) but perspective. The best prep looks reflect how we move through the world — and the optimism we hold onto.