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Featured Image: Nadine Ijewere
The year 2025 can officially be dubbed the year of the well-dressed. From the dandy to the modern prep, polished style is the uniform of the moment and can be seen everywhere—from the Met Museum to the biggest music festivals in the world.
The modern prep aesthetic took over the Fall/Winter 2025 runways, and from the looks of it, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Brands like Tory Burch, Tommy Hilfiger, and more recently, the Gen Z favorite Miu Miu, are nearly synonymous with the classic school-girl look. In recent seasons, however, we’ve seen a rise in Black-led brands staking their claim in the tailored, polished lane once reserved for historically white-aligned fashion houses.
Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson have built reputations with their bold, colorful, and sometimes unorthodox takes on high-class dressing. Meanwhile, lifestyle brands such as Eastside Golf and Recreational Habits are creating wearable, stylish everyday essentials, made for us by us.
It’s not just designers who are investing in the fashion industry’s hottest trend, though. Brands, artists, and everyday creatives alike are following suit and making their mark by redefining prep.
Though Black Americans have long been excluded from the narrative of well-dressed style in the U.S., Blackness and fashion are as deeply embedded in American culture as apple pie. The most recent expression of this truth can be seen in the 2025 Ralph Lauren Oak Bluffs collection. Released in July, the capsule pays homage to the Black families of Martha’s Vineyard while also honoring the power of presentation.
In conversation with the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, Ralph Lauren’s creative director James M. Jeter described the collection as a “reexamination and expansion of the portrayal of the American dream.”
The campaign’s striking imagery and accompanying short documentary featured Black folks styled in head-to-toe linen, crisp whites, and cable-knit sweaters—demonstrating that this trend belongs to us, too.
Historically, preppy fashion has been associated with affluent, WASP-y country club goers. However, by reinterpreting this look, Black Americans are reclaiming a style they not only helped shape, but one that boldly states they are the embodiment of this aspirational aesthetic. This updated take on classic heritage dress represents inclusion and the evolution of an iconic style, rooted in and refreshed by the Black perspective.
Photo Credit: Nadine Ijewere
In a more contemporary example, artists like Doechii are bringing a creative flair to the otherwise “stuffy” preppy look, injecting it with a vibrant energy that challenges the status quo. The artist’s signature collegiate style blends seamlessly with her hip-hop influences in a collaboration that bridges two worlds. Doechii and her stylist, Sam Woolf, have crafted a look that puts an emphasis on tailoring with a twist. With the help of brands like Miu Miu, Willy Chavarria, and Thom Browne, the duo is using fashion as a vehicle for storytelling, further proving that Black creatives can contribute largely to a trend—even when the context was not originally designed with us in mind.
Adding her own sexy, “cunty” flair to the sharp, scholarly-inspired looks demonstrates just one of the many ways Black creatives are taking a traditional style and making it uniquely their own. This styling approach redefines the modern prep and proves that taking a style out of its original context can lead to something entirely new.
In the spirit of making a look uniquely your own, it’s only right to acknowledge the freshman class at Clark Atlanta University. In a long-standing tradition, freshmen on CAU’s campus are required to wear their official school polos for the first day of classes. Intended to encourage unity, pride, and discipline, the practice also becomes an opportunity for individuality to shine through.
What started as a uniform look transformed into a beautiful display of style expression. Students with different tastes and aesthetics added their own personal flair to the otherwise conventional garment. Whether pairing it with statement accessories, remixing it with unexpected layers, or tailoring it to fit their personal vibe, CAU’s freshmen brought style to the classroom.
Exuding bold creativity and an unapologetic desire for individuality, these students proved that even the simplest pieces can be reimagined. The school polo became more than just a requirement—it became a blank canvas for self-expression and a reminder that trends are never about the garments alone, but about the people wearing them.
Together, these Black creatives, artists, and brands point to a future where the prep aesthetic is no longer defined by exclusivity. As we close out the year with one of the most popular trends of the season, Black creatives continue to reimagine what tradition, polish, and individuality can look like.
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