I’ll start this blog post where I ended the last one, with a chunky Ralph Lauren chain-link bracelet that has a customizable disk to allow for personalization. Honoring the individual in this fashion is one of the ways that fashion has found its way back again to preppy fashions, reminiscent of the 1970s.

In that regard, “Signet rings are back!” exclaims the fashion market director for More magazine in its March 2012 issue. A selection of signet rings in sterling silver and gold-vermeil from Sarah Chloe are pictured.

The June 2012 issue of Elle devotes a page to monograms: “With glitzy beading, punchy colors, and ironic embellishments, monograms get a millennial makeover.” The model at right wears a gold-plated monogram necklace and signet ring from Sarah Chloe with her ensemble from Stella McCartney. The page features a white gold-plated signet ring and sterling silver monogram necklace, both items also from Sarah Chloe.

Along with Ralph Lauren, another American sportswear designer whose name is associated with preppy style is Tommy Hilfiger. Here’s a recent ad for his Eau de Prep fragrances for men and women. The female model, center, wears a version of a pearl necklace in classic preppy style. Classic pearl necklaces are also a fashion favorite with retro looks this season.  

  

The June 2012 issue of Elle focuses on preppy as its first look at fall fashion: “For fall, The Official Preppy Handbook gets a rewrite: varsity jackets with luxe updates, iced-out monograms, and deconstructed plaids.” The model wears delicate bow-shape earrings from Sequin and a sterling silver ring from Sarah Chloe.

The April 2012 issue of Real Simple looks to preppy style as “the most wearable trend right now”: “The preppy look never really goes out of style. So what makes it new this season? The sporty country-club classics (like the Diane von Furstenberg ensemble, above) are sleeker and more clean-cut than ever. Easy to mix and match and always ready for action, these blue-blood staples seem fresh even if you never set foot on the green.” As for jewelry, Real Simple chooses a trio of Lemon & Line double-braid bracelets—”Nautical versions of friendship bracelets, featuring square knots and fun primary colors.”

The April 2012 issue of InStyle presents tips for instant preppy style, starting with a plain white blouse paired with vibrant color: “That’s what we call good breeding, Muffy.” With shorts, a trio of nylon rope and metal bracelets from Nissa Jewelry are highlighted; with a bow blouse and skirt, a resin necklace from APC.

The June 2012 issue of Marie Claire goes more upscale in choice of jewelry, perhaps corresponding to a focus on Ivy League collegiate-wear. Katie L. Connor writes: “For their pre-fall collections, designers like Stella McCartney and Jil Sander put a playful twist on monograms, crewnecks, and letterman cardigans. The new classics are infused with a sense of nostalgia and discovery—as if you stumbled upon your great-grandfather’s varsity jacket in a thrift store. The best part is, this season, pedigree can be bought.” The Maltese cross charm bracelet pictured is from Verdura.

Here’s a recent ad for Estee Lauder cosmetics showing unmistakable preppy style The only adornment is a classic bracelet-style wristwatch.

Back in January 2012, Lucky magazine focused on the “Polished Prepster”: “The smart stripes, the refined prints, the pulled-togetherness of it all…you don’t have to be enrolled at a posh private school on New York’s Upper East Side to get the look.” A brass plated bracelet from Banana Republic “Adds a subtle moment of sophistication to anything.” And thus the preppy look is one of the drivers of the continuing interest in chunky chain-link jewelry.

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