What type of (English) Preppy are you?

I read a cracking article in the Sunday Times Style Magazine yesterday 'Class act - from twinsets and pearls to cashmere hoodies.... the new fashion tribes taking their lead from the Sloanes'. Check 'Public School Preppy, Power Preppy, Fashion Preppy, Pit Bull Preppy (actually skip that one!!), and Euro Preppy (aaaah). Personally, I found the whole thing quite amusing and pretty bang on - half my wardrobe for casual (check public school preppy - wayfarers, hoodie (sometimes), skinny jeans, ballet flats, mussed up hair and scarf), my work get up similar to power preppy (which homed in on Michelle O my new smart -casual Look ICON), Fashion Preppy is a pretty good low down on taking preppy classics and shaking them up a bit - bringing them up to date and not looking too twee (thinks shrunken argyle cardi, sleeves pushed up over fitted shirt, tons of bangles, oversized pearls pencil skirt, bright opaque tights NOT Edinburgh Woollen Mill Granny Cardie plus Nanna Slacks), oooh and of course Euro Preppy - which one must obv. only mix in with Power / Fashion to avoid looking naff or dated. I couldn't help but go quite Euro Prep when I was living in Brussels, buzzing around the EU Institutions all day - but it can get a bit frumpy dumpy so treat with caution. Okay - only moi's perspective obv. The whole point here is not to copy a look, you either naturally gravitate towards Preppy or you don't - it's not for everyone! I like the fact classic clothes have longevity, which saves you money and means you don' t look dated after just one season. I also like not to stand out too much but to attempt to look pulled together - this is the appeal of simple, classic clothes - but with a few updated elements thrown in, don't you think? P.S. I have no idea if Sloanes even really exist anymore??? I live far too far in the Northern Hinterland to know such things, hahaha.

Anyway, here is the complete article, cut and paste from The Times:

Preppy power : From twinsets and pearls to cashmere hoodies — new fashion tribes are taking their lead from the Sloanes
Preppy is a word that makes the average fashionista flinch. It’s those associations: bankers in seersucker jackets; public-school boys running riot in Rock in stick-up-collared polo shirts; girls who would kill to be at the same polo match as Prince Harry, in their uniform of pale-pink hoodies and denim miniskirts, accessorised with blonde hair and ankle Uggs. It’s Sloane rangers. It’s sporty, county, gap-year and it’s been about as far as you can get from the cutting edge of style. Yet rapidly growing numbers of people are embracing the preppy look — whether it’s stripy boat-neck T-shirts, argyle sweaters, brogues or cotton pea coats. Look closely and you’ll see preppy is having a makeover right under our noses.
It’s still the default look of every Sophie and Hugo on the planet (Jack Wills, provider of the logo-heavy collegiate wear that is their unofficial uniform, saw a sales increase of 100% last year). But the difference is that, now, all kinds of other style tribes are cherry-picking from the preppy canon — that mixture of American sporty casual wear from shops such as Abercrombie & Fitch and British old-school classics — and wearing it in new ways. When types you would never have dreamt of labelling preppy (Alexa Chung, say) start wearing clothes you definitely think of as preppy (cardigans, blazers, penny loafers, ankle socks), you are talking about a wholesale rebranding. As to why preppy suddenly has such a broad appeal, that’s easy. It’s the antibling look — clean and classic to the core. So, naturally, it’s heading mainstream at the same time as we are tiring of Wags and multi bags and the excesses of the red carpet. It’s easy to pull off preppy without having to invest much. Tick. It’s uncomplicated and eminently wearable, requiring no inside fashion knowledge or clever styling. Another tick. And preppy doesn’t date. Blazers and pea coats and stripy shirts exist in their own fashion limbo for all time. Double tick.
Preppy has something else going for it. There is an extended line of wholesome preppy-wearers, from Katharine Hepburn all the way to the present day, that gives it a kind of authenticity that speaks to a generation bored with gimmickry and clothes that last only a month or a wash. Preppy is the antithesis of trashy. Like a cashmere jumper borrowed from Dad, it has a whiff of permanence. In the end, this is about a shift away from the fickle diktats of fashion to the appeal of stuff that feels like it belongs in real life, not merely on a catwalk. You can see why it’s catching on.
PUBLIC SCHOOL PREPPY
This is the Jack Wills posse. Younger ones wear a hoodie and denim miniskirt. Older, grungier sisters wear a cotton checked shirt as a dress, saggy cardigan, black opaque tights and rolled-down Ugg boots. Note the roughed-up hair (though beautifully conditioned), the bitten, painted nails and the faded tattoo (she got it travelling).
POWER PREPPY
The grown-up, glamour end of preppy. It’s preppy with an injection of designer, and you won’t see any logos anywhere. Classic looks include a dark jacket with a white shirt and bootcut denim for smart-casual, and, for casual, sawn-off long white denim shorts, a vest and a pashmina.
Poster girls Michelle Obama, Jennifer Aniston, or, if you like your preppy a bit LA, Elle Macpherson.
Defining elements The juicy-coloured statement cardigan, white shirt, capri pants, white jeans.
Favourite labels J Crew, Gap, Boden for downtime (must be worn with a lot of care), Derek Lam for designer.
Most likely to be seen wearing them At home, on holiday, at the weekend, on the school run.
Best look Crisp shirt with ankle-grazer jeans and ballet pumps; bright-coloured cardigan with full skirt.
A look too far Madras checked jackets for men, seersucker trousers and canvas belts featuring ducks, bermuda shorts.
PUBLIC-SCHOOL PREPPY
Poster people Prince Harry, Chelsy Davy.
Defining elements Uggs (still, even in summer) or white canvas plimsolls, the gratuitous scarf (this year in cotton plaid).
Favourite labels Jack Wills, Gap, Crew Clothing.
Most likely to be seen wearing them In gangs on the King’s Road, Rock, Polzeath, Aldeburgh, the northeast coast of Corfu, traipsing round John Lewis with their mothers.
Best look Denim shorts and pretty chemisey top with ribbed cotton tights and white plimsolls.
A look too far Upturned collars or rugby shirts on girls or boys, low-riding jeans with stripy boxers on show, cricket sweaters (unless you are playing cricket).
FASHION PREPPY
This is doing the look with irony, which means taking the most traditional of preppy signatures — penny loafers, ankle socks, Aertex shirts with logos, stripy men’s shirts, wax jackets, hair bands, Hunters, heirloom brooches — and wearing them as a preppy never would. Alexa Chung puts loafers with minidresses, and wellies with denim shorts; Chloë Sevigny likes a blazer over hot pants, or a neat pair of khaki shorts and a boob tube.
Poster girls Alexa Chung, Chloë Sevigny
Defining elements Vintage sundresses, knee and ankle socks, brogues, loafers, two-tone pumps.
Favourite labels Anything vintage, Luella, Marc Jacobs, American Apparel for sweatshirts.
Most likely to be seen wearing them When you’d least expect. At a black-tie party, rock festival, their best friend’s wedding.
Best look Loafers with knee socks and a super-mini designer dress.
A look too far Hunters in town (note, fashion preppy knows to keep hers for Glastonbury), head-to-toe Belstaff.
PIT-BULL PREPPY
This is a pimped-up version of Public School Preppy, with, possibly, a pit bull on a designer lead. Pit-bull preppy has picked up where the designer tracksuit left off. It’s big on sporty signature looks (hoodies, baseball caps), but not so big on the wholesome aesthetic, or the sports.
Poster people Danny Cipriani for the boys (it’s all those sweatshirts teamed with diamond earrings), and the chicks from The Hills or Katie Price in equestrian mode for the girls. Think soft-top sports car meets sportswear or Page Three meets pony club.
Defining elements White track pants, white gilets, Uggs, nail extensions and ponytail.
Favourite labels Jack Wills, Topshop, Asos, H&M.
Most likely to be seen wearing them On the high street.
Best look Rolled-down track pants and padded gilet with nothing underneath.
A look too far Thong riding up above the waistband of trackie bottoms.
EURO PREPPY
Euro preppies are the only people wearing the look precisely as the original Sloane rangers used to: sans irony. Only, of course, they are 10 times more polished, and whereas the original Sloane might have been covered in jack russell hairs and barely-there make-up, your Euro preppy is immaculate, wears only cashmere and is allergic to animals.
Poster girls Carla Bruni, with her cable-knit cashmere and loafers; Kate Middleton, with her Spanish riding boots and tweedy shooting kit. (To be fair, Kate is more neo-Sloane ranger, but, for obvious reasons, the Euro preppy holds her in high esteem.)
Defining elements Cable-knit cashmere in pastel colours, velvet scrunchies, riding boots worn over jeans.
Favourite labels Barbour, Hackett, Thomas Pink.
Most likely to be seen wearing them All the time, head to toe, all over Europe and South Kensington.
Best look Stripy shirt under a fitted tweed jacket, and lots of rings.
A look too far Designer riding clothes as mufti.