Preppy summer style in Ralph Lauren

Preppy style – it’s a manner of dressing which I’ve always found attractive and aspired to but never truly managed to incorporate into my wardrobe until recently. Most likely this has been due to the fact that I used to prefer heels over loafers, bright colours over neutrals and shopped at the same stores on repeat. 2019 became a style revolution for my wardrobe and was also the year I actually walked into a Ralph Lauren store and (for the first time) managed to walk out, not only with a key “preppy” purchase but also with an idea of how to actually style it!

If there’s one thing Ralph Lauren does well it’s shirts. Collared, button down shirts in an abundance of colours and styles for both genders. You know those “style basics” articles which always have a classic white button down shirt as a “must have”? Yeah, that’s never really been me… Mostly because I used to wear a white button down shirt with black pants when I started working in the corporate world as a teenager and it reminds me of looking like a waitress; instead of someone who is style personified – probably because I had no idea how to buy properly fitted pants and how to accessorize.

But back to Ralph Lauren – my first purchase here was a gorgeous blue & white striped shirt. Sounds pretty basic but for me it ticks off quite a few sartorial boxes, notably for summertime. Firstly, the blue & white striped combo practically screams “I’m heading off on my yacht for the rest of the day”…. There’s something about the mix of these two colours that reminds me of the lazy warm days of summer. It might be the blue of the sea & sky and the white of the clouds or the blue domes topping white churches in Santorini…

Secondly the style of the shirt – it’s a relaxed fit which is most definitely not what I usually reach for, at least prior to 2019. A relaxed fit shirt is easy for those warmer days and I loved styling this pretty one with a knot at the waist. Also having my clothes not clinging to me during summer has the added bonus of extra airflow whilst looking like I really haven’t tried that hard.

Lastly and maybe most importantly is the quality of the fabric. I’m talking about linen…when you are after something which is breathable and won’t get easily wrecked, linen is the perfect option. Especially for a shirt; and whilst linen pants or skirts are great, I find they do tend to get easily crinkled from sitting down. So if you’re in the market to incorporate more of this wonder fabric in your wardrobe I’d recommend you start with a shirt like this one.

Styling something like this isn’t going to be too hard because the opportunities are endless…for warmer weather I decided to pair mine with a pair of pretty lace detailed shorts, Chanel flats and a woven circle bag. I think the shirt would also look great worn with jeans, especially white ones, as well as skirts. In fact I loved this shirt so much I ended up returning to Ralph Lauren to buy another one, but something that would work for not only the weekends but in the office as well!

This outfit is one of my personal favourites from summer and I know this shirt will be an item I look forward to wearing for many years to come…especially when I do manage to return to Santorini! Let me know what you think and what your most loved items or brands are for the warmer weather in the comments below!

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Lauren Harding

Fashion & travel blogger based in Sydney, Australia.

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