The Thing Before Preppy

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Out and About - Today

Photos by Muffy Aldrich

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Monday, February 16, 2026

This time of year...

Photo: Muffy Aldrich

This time of year is ideal layering weather. Here, Barbour over Bosie over turtleneck.

Crofter Yoke Fair Isle Glenugie Nep Women's Sweater - Machair Silver <https://bosie.co/products/crofter-yoke-fair-isle-glenugie-nep-womens-sweater-machair-silver>

Thursday, February 12, 2026

A Reader Question: Where do you store your wellies?

A reader question:

I’ve been a fan and follower since year one! Thank you for keeping this going for all of these years. It is a comfort being able to check into the site daily. It’s my kind of scrolling since I don’t do social media. I truly love SWNE!
My question is:
Gardening season has started where I live in northeast Florida. For those of us that live in the South, or our people up North closer to June, where do you store your wellies? We all know that direct sunlight and heat are the enemy of a good gardening boot. Where do you keep them if you don’t have a good spot indoors? Is a mudroom or garage out of direct sunlight with good airflow an acceptable option, in spite of persistent heat/humidity?
Thank you!

A Reader Question: Motif socks - a step too far?

A reader question:

Hi Muffy,
I would like to ask the readership a question if I may.
My wife bought me some motif socks for Christmas (pheasants, ducks and foxes to match my interests). Being a bit reserved it is not something I would have normally considered wearing, but for obvious reasons I have felt compelled to do so and have come to like them worn with khakis.
Would other male readers wear them, or is it a step too far?
Kind regards

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

The Combinatorics of Liberty Shirts + Shetland Sweaters

Photo by Muffy Aldrich

The endless, and endlessly fun, permutations of my 100% cotton Liberty shirts and 100% wool Scottish Shetlands.

Cordings Country Shirts Including Iconic Liberty Prints <https://www.cordings.co.uk/us/ladieswear/ladies-shirts>

Bosie Women's Shetland Sweaters and Cardigans <https://bosie.co/collections/womens-shetland-and-cardigans>

Monday, February 9, 2026

A Reader Experience: A Volvo XC60

A reader experience:

Good morning, Muffy-
Very much enjoyed reading your thoughts about Volvo wagons and I thought you might get a chuckle out of my limited experience in that regard.
Back in early 2017, we visited the local Volvo dealer intending to replace my wife Jan's 2015 Subaru Forester Limited (which I detested - for many reasons). The dealer had a few leftover XC70's on the lot, but Jan was particularly attracted to a new XC60, primarily because it came in a zippy shade of blue (photo attached). In what will not go down as the best decision I've ever made, I thought, "Well, it's her car, let her have whatever she wants."
Oh, how I wish we'd have bought an XC70!
The XC60 was actually a good car - up until it was time for the first oil change. During that service, the dealer installed a software update and from that point on it was one problem after another. As I drove away from that oil change, I noticed that the navigation system wasn't working properly. The display showed the car as being more than 100 miles away from where it actually was and the compass headings were incorrect.
So back to the dealer a couple weeks later where they installed ANOTHER software "upgrade" while I waited for 2 hours in the service lounge. After all that, the problem was still there, so they ordered a new antenna (which they'd apparently managed to break during the oil change).
I was less than thrilled with the dealer when they refused to come out and pick up the car when the antenna arrived and it was time for the 3rd visit to the service department stemming from what should have been a simple oil change, so I contacted Volvo USA. The good news? They interceded on my behalf, the dealer picked up and returned the car, and the navigation system was finally working again. The bad news? Now the satellite radio wouldn't work. It was stuck on "Acquiring Signal" as it would have been if it were parked inside and didn't have a clear view of the sky. I spent more than an hour on the phone (unsuccessfully) troubleshooting this with SiriusXM before we finally concluded that, once again, the dealer had broken something when they worked on the car.
So, off to the dealership for service visit #4 related to that oil change - where the car sat for more than a month while they tried to figure out how to fix it. During that time, I reached several conclusions: 1) My local Volvo dealer wasn't someone I could trust to service my car ever again; 2) Any time you're offered a free software upgrade, the correct answer is "No, thanks"; 3) When it comes to cars, less technology is better; and 4) I'm too old to spend any more of my remaining time on Earth sitting in service department lounges. I'll never again buy another new vehicle where the manufacturer doesn't offer valet service when it's time to go in for service.
So, when the Volvo came back after visit #4 and the navigation system was once again not working properly, it was a very easy decision to say, enough is enough. It's time for a new car - and not a Volvo. We're currently driving a new Mercedes GLE as our "nice car" (I have something else as "the dog car") and it's a delight. Would I buy a nice old, low mileage, well-maintained XC70? In an instant - bit it would only go into an independent repair shop for service, not the local Volvo dealer.
Best wishes!