Photo by Muffy Aldrich
THE THING BEFORE PREPPY

Monday, April 6, 2026

Preppy Converse??


 My friends at Noah sent me their new preppy take on Converse.  Can Converse be preppy?

27 comments:

  1. Yes, Converse can be preppy, but in order to be the thing before preppy, aka Ivy, they must be the beat up, regular black ones you wore when you were on the basketball team at school.

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    1. Well said. I wore Navy Blue low-top Converse at University, which were an interesting contrast to the common Weejuns worn by classmates. At least my friend Mark wore his loafers sans hosiery!

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  2. Yes, but these shoes are only for girls attending Secondary Parochial Schools (i.e. teeny boppers).

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    1. Got that one right, R.R., as usual.

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    2. Thanks, Mom.
      - Your Boy

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    3. Attention please. Graduates of southern Connecticut, for example, girls “Secondary Parochial Schools,” such as Laurelton Hall Milford, Convent of the Sacred Heart Greenwich, Sacred Heart Academy Hamden, pretty much are the single most influential cohort of women legal, medical, governmental and business leaders in the state. So what if they wore or wear now, for that matter, these sort of shoes.

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    4. Anon 5:56 knows what they’re talking about. Students at NYC single sex women only secondary schools, such as Chapin, Brearley, and Marymount,
      parochial or not, always out perform graduates of coed schools. The higher percent of graduates admitted to Ivy League schools, from these schools, is one measurement.

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    5. Anon 5:56PM:

      You're right about the schools' graduates, of course, but I just happened to be watching a sci-fi film - THE DAY THE WORLD ENDED (1955) - when I wrote my comment. Sorry.

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    6. Wow, as a graduate of a secondary parochial school, I not only do not resemble your remark, but find it wildly off base and, actually, pretty offensive.

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    7. Wow, I didn't mean to start WWIII here by remarking that these cute shoes would be appropriate for young teen girls. Anyway, now where do I enroll in a cheap Sensitivity Class (or as Major Payne said: "Sens-sa-tive")?

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    8. A fall back on Hollywood seems like a dubious defense.

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    9. OK, a new dubious defense. Yes, I take it all back: these shoes are meant only for rugged middle-aged men who work construction, and drive large pick-up trucks.

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    10. Now you have the idea.

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  3. Yes, Converse is frequently incorporated into modern preppy, collegiate, and "old money" aesthetic styles. They offer a casual, "dressed-down" balance to traditional tailored pieces like pleated skirts, blazers, and chino shorts.

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  4. Have a little fun with your footwear. Why not? Those are great. Would love to have pairs in a variety of GTH modes.

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  5. I love them for someone young; they are so fun! My old feet need support and lots of room in the toe box

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  6. Thumbs up! They are good for any woman, or any young person. Not sure I would wear them as an "actual adult man" (as a younger friend calls me), but they look good.

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  7. I don't know, they seem like something Lou Jacobs would wear at the circus.

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  8. My daughter went to grad school in Austin TX. She once said, “Dad down here it’s not like back home. You have a building, paint it purple. Who cares?” I’m an actual old man. If someone wants to walk around in plaid shoes, who cares?

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  9. I think those Chucks would look great on a wide range of people. They are totally sold out, so I may not be too off base with that take. Unfortunately, I'm in the 'comfortable shoes' demographic.

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  10. The original white Converse Jack Purcells are a good candidate for consideration. I grew up in Princeton, NJ in the ‘60s and ‘70s and they were wildly popular on campus and in town. I played tennis in them when I attended the Hun School in the ‘70s and my dad ran track in them at Mt. Hermon in the ‘50s. I still wear them today… they’re miraculously and wonderfully unchanged from the original design. Plus, they look cool when worn with a navy blazer and proper khakis.

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  11. I'm not really a Converse fan and certainly not in wacky colors or patterns. But Chuck Taylor All Stars, hi-tops, in the traditional "natural" color (i.e., what used to be called "off white") are da bomb when paired with a plain white t-shirt, flat-front khakis and a plain, heather gray sweatshirt (no hood). Don't forget the Vitalis. Very Wally Cleaver. Or Robby Douglas.

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  12. Converse are GREAT, actually, and have over 100 years of history behind them if we're talking about the original Chuck Taylors. I recommend the Converse 70s for more cushioning and comfort with the original look (and less pinchy than Keds). Navy or cream canvas are particularly classic.

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  13. Converse All Stars/Chuck Taylor shoes in off white (natural canvas) or navy blue were my choice for years before opting for original Adidas Stan Smiths. Sorry to Converse fans, but more comfort plus you can play tennis with these!

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