Our beloved children: We surely want to dress them in preppy kid clothes as they look so good in them. But which clothes should you pick for your offspring to not make them look like a doll?
As a general rule, preppy kid clothes mirror preppy adult attire with slight adaptations. They prioritize durability and safety, catering to active youngsters. This timeless preppy style is upheld through staples like collared shirts, khaki pants, and petite cardigans.
As there is a lot more to cover, this article will not only feature preppy kid clothes for different ages but also give you an overview of where to shop, including trends, and give you some outfit inspirations to style your offspring accordingly.
Definition of preppy style for kids
First and foremost, we have to give a vast overview of what preppy style for kids features and what comes with it.
Starting off, we must talk about durability. In many cases, as adults, we don’t engage in activities that require us to be on the ground or endure rough play, which can lead us to overlook the importance of durability when it comes to preppy clothing. This is crucial though for our offspring.
If you want to know, which preppy activities to introduce to your offspring, check out this article.
Also, we mostly have a different taste in fashion as our little youngsters. Therefore, the timeless and elegant attire often has to be supplemented with funny embroidery. Especially for the youngest ones on this list, it is important to have some sort of playfulness.
Lastly, the appropriate sizing and good fit will often change due to growth. Therefore, affordable but high-quality clothes are crucial unless you have a little change to spare. Especially in school, it is crucial to have well-fitting garments for your offspring as they will compare themselves a lot.
For a deeper view of preppy school outfits, check out my article here to gain a better understanding of school uniforms and elegant attire for your offspring.
Section 1: Preppy clothes for 7-9-year-olds
Since children between the ages of 7-9 are relatively young and reliant, it’s crucial to make thoughtful choices when selecting preppy clothing for your kids. Since they will not express their feelings as much regarding fashion, we will not get much input here.
To nevertheless, choose appropriate yet timeless and elegant garments, this section is perfectly fitted for you.
Key focus
In this early stage of their childhood, your little offspring should be dressed accordingly. Classic preppy outfits for kids will include little:
- Polo shirts
- Sweaters
- Cardigans
- Khaki pants
- Shorts
- Skirts with tights underneath
These garments will suit your mini Prepsters very well. Try to include bolder colors like bright red, pink, baby blue, sunny yellow, or bright orange. Additionally, you can pair those with neutral-colored garments in white, black, navy, brown, beige, or forest green.
Preppy outerwear for 7-9-year-olds
To always keep your little ones warm, preppy outerwear includes pieces like:
- Pullover vests
- Quilted jackets
- Pea coats
- Raincoats
This selection of preppy outerwear serves a dual purpose: it keeps your children warm while ensuring they maintain a stylish, preppy appearance. Additionally to the outerwear, you will want to have matching footwear to complement your little prepster’s outfits.
Preppy shoes for 7-9-year-olds
Therefore, pick shoes like:
- Sneakers
- Ankle boots
- Keds
- Flats
Keep in mind that these should only complement their preppy outfits, not be the main attraction. With these preppy kid clothes, you can easily put together many timeless and sophisticated outfits to make your offspring look their absolute best.
Preppy accessories for 7-9-year-olds
To enhance their look even further, try to opt for some small accessories. As they are only 7, 8, or 9 years of age, keep those accessories simple and few. Here is a list of preppy accessories:
- Embroidered socks
- Small bracelets
- Hats
- Backpacks
Ongoing trends
With all these clothes and accessories in mind, let’s look at some ongoing trends, your little prepster can adapt to be fashionable in school.
1. Matching the backpack
Selecting the appropriate backpack is of utmost importance as your young one embarks on their initial educational journey. To achieve additional preppy flair, try matching the outfits of your little ones with colors and patterns from your preppy backpacks. This will give them a great look and a cute preppy aesthetic.
To gain an insight on which preppy backpack to choose for your little ones, check out this article.
2. Mixing texture and patterns
Another preppy thing, you can notice in the ranges of 7-9 years of age, is mixing textures and patterns. Especially for casual preppy looks for kids, you can be a little experimenting and maybe try to mix, and matchand let your little ones make their first decision-making regarding their fits.
Patterns you will want to include are plaid, gingham, stripes, or checks. Regarding texture, you may find wool, cotton, cashmere (I would be careful with that though), and denim.
By incorporating these ongoing trends from time to time, your little prepsters will look their absolute best.
Section 2: Preppy clothes for 10–12-year-olds
As your Little ones emerge into higher grades, their perception of fashion may have already changed a little. To match their more teenager-like but still child-like interests, this section will provide you with the right preppy kid clothes. Keep in mind that even though they grow older sooo fast, your mini prepsters still are children.
Key focus
These preppy clothes will vary quite much from the ones you will have put on your 7. 8, or 9-year-olds. One important factor therefore will be that the childish embroidery as well as overly colorful designs will slowly fade away as we reach the ages of 10,11, or 12.
So, to match their preppy aesthetic here is a list of recommended garments:
- Button-down shirts
- Polo shirts
- Fitted trousers
- Sweaters
- Cardigans
- Casual dresses
- Pleated skirts
- Blouses
- Striped T-shirts
- Khaki pants
- Chinos
- Shorts
These clothes combined give you a lot more opportunities to create unique and timeless outfits for your little ones. With a little advice on what to combine, you can even let them choose their own preppy outfits.
Regarding patterns, stripes, gingham, plaid, checks, and houndstooth are great choices apart from plain clothing. For colors choose neutral ones and try to highlight with colorful variants like baby blue, pink, green, sunny yellow, or orange.
Preppy outerwear for 10-12-year olds
To protect your (still) little ones from wind and weather, we will show you some timeless classic options:
- Trench coats
- Vests
- Quilted jackets
- Hooded Jackets
- Raincoats
- Pea coats
With these garments, you can easily put together outfits for any occasion. In order to complete any outfit, you will need some preppy shoes though.
Preppy shoes for 10-12-year-olds
- Loafers
- Mary Janes
- Flats
- Boots
- High-quality Sandals
- Sneakers
For a general guide on preppy shoes to wear, check out my article about them here.
As you can see, there are a lot more options for your little ones once they further progress in their life. The main difference here is that you can start incorporating more refined shoes that may break more easily and therefore require more carefulness.
Preppy accessories for 10-12-year-olds
- Bracelets
- Necklaces
- Small watches
- Belts
- Sunglasses
- Hats
are great accessories to match the preppy style of your offspring.
Ongoing trends
1. Stripes
One big trend going on for your 10–12-year-olds, is striped clothing. May it be striped button-downs, polo shirts, or T-shirts and sweaters, stripes are the preppy trend!
2. Layered accessories
Even though it should be done carefully, layering accessories is a great way for your 10-12-year-olds to express themselves. Also, they can create unique and stylish combinations by doing so.
Section 3: Preppy clothes for 13–14-year-olds
As we Move into the range of 13-14 years of age, you will notice your once mini prepsters are a lot more mature now. To match their lifestyle and overall aesthetic, we will have to adapt the style of clothing.
The term ‚preppy kid clothes‘ certainly will not fit as well anymore. So, let‘s jump into an adventure to explore preppy clothes for your not-so-little ones.
Key focus
To dress accordingly for that age, you will want to opt for mostly neutral colors like beige, navy, white, black, brown, or washed blue. Additionally, you may add some colorful details in pastel colors.
To dress accordingly, here is a list of garments to opt for:
- Button-down-shirts
- Polo Shirts
- Chinos
- Chino shorts
- Tailored pants
- Khaki pants
- Sweaters
- T-Shirts
- Blazers
- Cardigans
- Tops
- Pleated skirts
- Dresses
- Denim
As the age goes up, you may try to opt for more mature silhouettes and a tighter fit. To achieve a timeless aesthetic though, you will want to layer your preppy outfits with some outerwear.
Preppy outerwear for 13-14-year-olds
To not only keep you warm but also a timeless and sophisticated look, opt to wear the following outerwear:
- Trench coats
- Pea coats
- Denim jackets
- Tweed jackets
- Varsity jackets
- Leather jackets
As you can see, the choice of garments changes quite a little as we progress through the ages. Keep in mind that even though you might not have that much money yet, quality and craftsmanship are still very important factors.
Preppy shoes for 13-14-year-olds
To complement the preppy look ever further, 13-14-year-olds should wear something of the following footwear:
- Loafers
- Boat shoes
- Sneakers
- Boots
- Flats
- Mary Janes
- Espadrilles
As you still will not attend lots of formal events at this age, loafers are always enough and you will not need Oxford shoes yet. Also, it would be quite expensive as the feet are still growing at that point normally.
Preppy accessories for 13-14-year-olds
To complete the preppy style aesthetic, add some matching accessories:
- Watches
- Jewelry
- Hats
- Belts
- Purses
- Sunglasses
- Bags
are great accessories that will match the preppy aesthetic at this age perfectly.
And here you go, you are ready to fill your capsule wardrobe with these preppy clothes and put together sophisticated outfits.
Ongoing trends
Now, let’s look at some ongoing trends for these young teenagers to explore.
1. Athleticwear
Athleticwear like tennis skirts, sports shorts, and polo shirts are in trend right now regarding preppy style. 13-14-year-olds can show their athletic influence in preppy activities like tennis, golf, or hockey by wearing these sporty items.
Combine them with some more formal preppy garments and you have the perfect outfit.
2. Layering clothes
Another very recent trend heading into the colder season is layering. As your little ones start to take notice of the style of adults, the art of layering will be one they will soon adopt. Layering preppy garments like a striped shirt with a blazer or a cardigan can help to achieve a sophisticated preppy aesthetic.
Preppy kid clothing brands
To give your little ones some high-quality preppy clothes to wear, we will look at some brands that are perfect for preppy kid clothes ensuring a great fit at reasonable prices. As your little ones will grow up sooo quickly, you will have to purchase some new clothes frequently.
Therefore, it is beneficial to know some brands that sell great garments at reasonable prices. These brands will feature clothes for any range of ages.
Ralph Lauren Kids
Ralph Lauren Kids is without a doubt the best preppy brand for kids. Whilst it can be somewhat costly to get your mini prepsters everything from this timeless brand, you can implement some key staples in your children’s wardrobe.
Ralph Lauten Kids offers nearly anything for children from 7-14.
J. Crew Crewcuts
This clothing line from J. Crew offers lots of preppy key staples for your children’s sophisticated appearance. Also, you can expect some pretty good craftsmanship for a reasonable price.
Other preppy kid brands include:
- Brooks Brothers Kids
- Vineyard vines
- Janie and Jack
- Hanna Anderson
- Gap Kids
- Gymboree
- Lacoste Kids
- Zara Kids
- H&M
These brands, some may be a little more expensive than others, offer great staples you can again sell at some okay prices after your mini prepsters have grown out of them.
Nevertheless, they offer great, appropriate, and high-quality garments for any child to wear between 7 and 14.
Section 4: Preppy clothes for teenagers
For the even older ‚children‘, preppy fashion also offers plenty of timeless staples. These cannot really be called ‚preppy kid clothes‘ clothes anymore. Rather, teenagers can shop at pretty much any preppy brand. Also, VSCO preppy might be a great trend for teenagers wanting to look preppy.
Also, the silhouettes and most fits that apply to adults can be worn by young adults too. Maybe you will not want to wear overly short clothes but anything else may be just fine in my opinion.
For some inspiration on what to wear as a teenager to look preppy, check out my article about typical preppy clothes.
Final thoughts on preppy kid clothes
As you can see from this article, the preppy style offers a variety of clothes for any age.
As we‘ve discussed anything there is to know about preppy kid clothes, go ahead and style your little prepsters…or let them do it themselves.