What is a "spoiled rich white girl?" Society has made girls out to be easily underestimated just by what we wear or what we are interested in. It could be just as hurtful as being called "fat" or "ugly." Judgemental comments can hurt. One particular insult that I feel lingers in this generation whether it's face to face, or over the social media is "spoiled rich white girl" or "basic white girl"

According to Urban Dictionary:

basic white girl

A female who conforms to her surroundings and claims she is unique. She often drinks Starbucks, wears Ugg boots in August, and posts selfies on social networking sites every. single. day. Also uses hashtags that don't have anything to do with the picture itself.

Girl 1: Hey, let's go to Starbucks and wear leggings with Uggs!
Girl 2: OMG YES. We are so basic!
Girl 1: Take a picture! Hashtag yay us, basic white girls, Starbucks, bye, like, what

The comment can be taken the wrong way as to racism to say the least, but many interpret "basic white girl" as urban dictionary stated. Everyone can interpret "Spoiled basic white girl" differently. The reason why I've heard people call it to me personally, is the way I dress. Which is of course, preppy.

I am writing this because of my love for the preppy lifestyle. I am proud to call myself preppy and love the fact that I do indeed live the lifestyle. Preppy style is characterized by Northeastern preparatory school style, and is sold in stores like Ralph Lauren, L.L. Bean, Patagonia, Tommy Hilfiger, Southern Tide, Brooks Brothers, Lilly Pulitzer, Lacoste, Smathers & Branson, and Vineyard Vines (to name a few). It’s most often associated with Ivy Leagues, boarding schools, high-end private schools, wealth and white people.

When it comes to being "preppy," I have heard it all. Coming from a rural high school, such styles and appearances are quite rare. I have heard comments saying the said preps should burn their clothes, that they are always way overdressed for school, and that they look stupid and should have looked at themselves in the mirror before heading out. Harsh. I have also heard that I shouldn't spend so much money on a piece of clothing when I can get the same exact thing for cheaper at Target or Walmart. People see a nice, starched, cotton shirt and associate it with wealth. It’s an instant signal that I’m preppy and privileged, two things that I haven’t always been.One of the biggest problems with wealth, at least in my life, is how fleeting it can be. People who see preppy don’t see the years of house-flipping necessary to keep a family’s financial ship afloat, or the penny-pinching measures taken by parents to send their child to the best school available. Nobody sees the father who works extra overtime to buy me the nice clothes that make me feel like myself, the clothes that make me the happiest. Fortunes are made on this kind of extreme commitment, the kind of commitment it takes to starch, press, and iron your own clothes in the morning.Preppy clothing, for me, represents the culmination of struggle, the reward for hard work, and the pride in that hard work. Preppy clothes are not just the wealth behind them: They are the blood, sweat, and tears poured into a lifetime. They are the highest manifestation of parental love, swaddling a spoiled millennial in soft, cotton bliss.

Preppy brands also tend to have a story behind them. For instance, Shep and Ian, two brothers who created Vineyard Vines from the back of their SUV, unemployed and desperate. They had no business plans, they had no strategy but their handwork and creative minds launched their company as one of the best-selling preppiest brands. If you look up the meaning behind different preppy brands, some of them even donating proceeds for different charities, you will want to buy the product ten times more.

Not only do I love the way the preppy lifestyle looks, it also makes me feel good. Nothing is better than feeling great and confident. Some people feel great and confident after working out, some people feel confident after putting on makeup, but for me, I feel my best living the preppy lifestyle and wearing my preppy wardrobe.

My favorite places are Narragansett, Newport, and Martha's Vineyard, the signature places of how the preppy lifestyle originated. Why wouldn't I love wearing brands that remind me of my happy place? I am more than proud as defining myself as preppy.

So call me "basic" or "spoiled rich girl." I feel like preppy is the most unique style there is. Even though I am none of those things, it won't even for a second phase me.