State of Prep: Morris Fall/Winter ’10
Preppy has certainly got the run-around over the last few years. We’ve seen seersucker and madras rise in their popularity tenfold as fashion has turned to the seemingly anti-fashion for its inspiration. While many may see the prep being an entirely Northeastern entity, a look under the hood will show some of the greatest interpreters of the style have come from the most unexpected places. Of course, we’re all aware of Japan’s huge influence on the resurgence of all things American, but many people may have overlooked the Scandinavian’s great eye for preppy style.
Case in point is the Stockholm-based brand Morris. If you’re up on the blogosphere, you may remember their Spring/Summer ’10 collection which showcased the appeal of prepdom in all of its glory. Well, they’re back at it again for fall, but this time they’ve really brought out the British roots of the prep–something that often is forgotten. Heavy tweeds and chunky knits are at the heart of this collection, which has gotten us more riled up for fall than we need to be. Unfortunately, it’s going to be near impossible to find Morris in the states so you’ll just have to settle for their inspiration–which happens to be free.
7 Responses “State of Prep: Morris Fall/Winter ’10 ”
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Very good lookbook, nice styles.
Is it just me, or is this lookbook a re-casting of Brideshead Revisited — 2 guys, 1 gal — see: Charles & Sebastian’s visit to Venice.
You know, almost nothing in here is actually preppy in origin. It is mainly British. Much of it was later adopted by Northeastern USA prepsters, but a lot of it was much more widely adopted and very little was unique to prepsters. Here is a list of the garment origins:
British Military: trench coat
British Sportswear: tennis sweaters, Faire Isle sweaters, motorcycle jackets, button-down collars
British Boarding School: School blazers
British University: school emblems and letters, oxford cloth
British Country: Quilted jacket, Tweed sportscoats, Tweed
I think by calling all of this peppy you not giving proper credit to the British influence in modern menswear. Certainly for a European brand, they are likely to have had more influence from the British origins of these garments than the USA adaptions. In this way, they are similar to other European brands like Henry Cotton, who are heavily influenced by traditional British style but many Americans see them as being American because those style are more popular now in the USA than they are in their native Britain. And indeed, there is certainly some American influence, but to attribute than all to prepsters is giving them far, far more credit than they deserve.
Since you mentioned seersucker and madras, I will point out that madras plaids came from India via England, and seersucker came from the American South. Neither are inherently preppy, although they are certainly worn by prepsters.
Canada Bob says:
August 26, 2010 at 3:46 pm
At the end of the day it all gets back to the Le Style Anglais, ever since the second half of the 18th Century. But this Morris stuff is very nice however.
Well to be fair, Canada Bob, most of the materials weren’t invented by the British but grew on the backs of sheep, or in the cotton fields, or from the fibers of the flax plant. By saying that they are largely British is to deprive mother nature of the mounds of credit she deserves. Such ignorance!
I agree with Canada Bob and John (above).
This is clearly British style, or, more specifically, English style. And it looks fantastic.
American prep is a derivative of le style anglais, as much as American provincials in the Northeast hate to admit it.
I love their new collection.