How American Prep inspired the new Alma Mater Heritage Stripe Collection

Style school is now in session. When it came time to launch our latest capsule collection, we looked somewhere special, steeped in nostalgia and elegance: the American alma mater and its long history of classic, preppy style. Now available to shop online, the inaugural Alma Mater Collection features a limited-edition class of stylish new striped neckties in a variety of colors, all of which take their inspiration from collegiate fashion across the country. Much like any uniform, the capsule collection makes getting dressed for any occasion a little easier, thanks to its elegant, versatile patterns and tones, from royal blue to classic crimson, each of which is designed with premium materials and sophisticated details.

Whether you’re spending your day in the boardroom, or you just want to dress up your fit for date night, a preppy accessory like one of the striped neckties from the Alma Mater Collection makes a trendy – but timeless – style statement. Outside the hallowed halls of collegiate classrooms, designers from Tommy Hilfiger to Ralph Lauren put the American prep trend front-and-center in the Eighties and Nineties, helping to popularize the iconic style across the country – no studying required. Decades later, the trend is only getting hotter.

Where Did the Prep Trend Come From?

You might already know a little bit of the history behind preppy apparel, but where exactly did the trend come from in the first place? For that, we consulted the fashion pros.

“The prep [trend] is classic East Coast American style, rooted in Ivy League and nautical aesthetics,” says Rachel Besser, a Vogue West Coast contributor and former Vogue fashion editor. “Initially, it was a symbol of upper-class privilege that blended leisure with academia. It’s always emphasized clean, conservative attire through its evolution over the years.”

Besser explains that although the trend is rooted in tradition, “there’s an element of subversion, too,” Besser says. “We’re seeing prep proportion play, unexpected accessories like ties and optical glasses, and also unexpected styling.” A recent example? Just look to the runways for proof. Take MiuMiu, for instance, which, as Besser explains it, “continues to lean into the prep with their most recent spring runway show featuring layered polos and prep-school blazers paired with board shorts.”

The Return of Prep

All these years later, the trend isn’t going anywhere, and has only continued to evolve. Besser adds that the pandemic “reignited interest in outdoor sports like tennis and golf, subsequently influencing contemporary fashion,” which then evolved into quiet luxury. In other words, “a return to understated elegance, refined aesthetics, and wardrobe staples, making a pivot to prep inevitable,” as Besser notes.

Years later, as more companies headed back to the office after weeks of rocking sweats over Zoom calls, prep style returned once again – in full force, with a small twist. “There was almost an ironic cultural obsession with office wear, necessitating uniforms not unlike those from the prep school origins of this trend. With the world in disarray, we sought comfort and polish, along with the versatility to dress up or down. The answer, again, was prep.”

While American prep might have carried a more formal reputation in the past, rocking a simple striped tie can help take the trend to a more modern level, making a statement that’s both an intentional-and-fresh update on a classic American wardrobe staple. “Today’s iteration [of prep] includes classically preppy pieces but is far from just a straightforward revival,” Besser says, adding that “it incorporates a twist of subversion with proportion play and unexpected elements, like ties for women.”

How to Rock the Prep Look Now

You’ve studied the history – now you’re ready to try out the style yourself. Besser’s favorite way to style a striped tie, like the pieces from the Alma Mater Collection? Take a page out of the oversized Nineties playbook. “With a boxy, oversized button-down (white, blue, or also striped – we like clashing), a pair of long baggy jeans that ever so slightly drag on the floor, and a pair of loafers or ballet flats.”

If you’re looking for a fresh way to pair one of the Alma Mater neckties with pieces you already own, the good news is that you’re always going to pass the test. You can’t go wrong throwing one on with a versatile chambray or crisp white Oxford button-down or combined with a blazer and denim jeans. Want something that leans more on the casual side? Layer on a lightweight shirt-jacket or bomber jacket that can take you from casual Fridays to happy hour alike.

The bottom line: Working a bit of prep into your wardrobe is an easy way to rock one of today’s hottest, most versatile trends. But unlike some fashion moments, this trend isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

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