"Preppy style is an old known friend to us, and this new ‘core’ can be described as a new take on that good, old friend".
It’s no surprise that fashion trends have been leaning heavily on nostalgia lately, but one of the latest ones to emerge from the dephts of TikTok – just like most of the ones we have nowadays – comes from somewhere even more far away them the childhoods and teen years of millenials, but from the ancient Gen X and even the baby boomers. And as much as it kind of works for that too, we’re not talking about Barbiecore anymore, but about something much sassier and badly-behaved, something that will make the fans of Gossip Girl – both the original and the reboot – feel at home: the rise of Plazacore.
Preppy style is an old known friend to us, and this new ‘core’ can be described as a new take on that good, old friend. It also draws some inspiration from our dear Eloise from Kay Thompson’s book series, one that first hit shelves in mid 50’s. The trend has some things in common with some of the earliest trends fro this year, like the country club, tennis dressing – which makes sense as Plazacore sometimes goes with athleisure – dark academy and the whole old money aesthetic in general, but Plazacore especifically takes on the classic Upper East Side staples and everyone looks like they’re just back from the Hamptons with their herringbone jackets, cap-toe ballet flats and rhinestone earrings, feather trims and impractical evening bags for day. Plazacore really adds a more fantastical twist to every outfit, I mean, we’re talking satin evening gloves and oversized hairbows – not even Blair Waldorf went that extra, but apparently we are.
Plazacore, as the name itself says, takes inspiration on The Plaza, the famous and luxury hotel in New York, so it’s literally about the rich girls from the Upper East Side and their families – I'm really trying not to thing about Gossip Girl every step of the way here but it’s stronger than me at this point – and it can also sometimes be called Plaza Princess. If you never moved on from that time and still loves preppy style, which is totally fine – we all kinda love it deep down – I can say that this is definitely one of the most fun ways to work with you already have in your wardrobe right now, after all, the whole point of the Plazacore is to give a all-prep-everything vibe and make a whole aesthetic out of it, and if that’s already your favourite style, what time could be better for you to pull of the trend, right?
But even if preppy is not your signature style, you can still grow to love the Plazacore. You can either go full Upper East Sider or you can take baby steps, and if you want to keep it simple you can just take a classic black-and-white outfit and give some personality to it by adding hair bows, headbands, or a leather purse – even better if they come in pink and some pearls are also a great option. But if you’re a real trend hopper and feel ready to jump in head-firts and eyes closed, go straight for the tweed set – think Chanel in the 90’s and everything. So polished, so elegant, so rich looking, so ‘going-to-spend-the-weekend-at-the-Hamptons' of you.
Now really is the right time to take your pleated skirts and puffy sleeves out of the closets and get ready to look a lot like we imagine Eloise would if she lived with us in 2022 – or like the cast of the Gossip Girl reboot that’s actually current happening. And if you’re ready to experience the aesthetic in all its glory, of course I’m here to help you. Here are some must-have pieces for you to look like a real Plaza Princess:
Hair bows and headbands
These are a real must. Nothing says ‘I’m staying at the Plaza’ like one of those in a perfectly done hair. They’re the preppiest hair accessories of them all and can really do wonders for transforming your not so clean hair into a super chic and polished hairstyle – sometimes you got to fake it, the important thing is to look expensive. In that case, less is never more, keep that in mind and look for headbands that are thicker, maybe with a knot or some kind of embellishment, and for hair bows, the bigger the better. Be bold and don’t be afraid – you're an Upper East Sider after all.
Peter Pan collars
If you don’t know what a Peter Pan collar is, I’ll explain: that one that lays flat around the neck with rounded edges, you know? Very popular for private school uniforms and rich children clothes – as it should be. It can either be neat and clean coming in plain white cotton, or have a bit more spice to it, like the lace doily version and others like that. And do you want to know something great? You can buy them without the shirts. Yes, they come separately. Pretty cool, right? Of course you can still choose to invest in a few collared shirts but if you ask me I’d say dickies and independent collars are a bit more versatile and a lot more practical too. You can add them to any of your favorite shirts, sweaters or even jackets to maximize and change the outfit, creating a lot of new looks.
Mary Janes
There’s no way to say for sure how long Plazacore will remain at the top of our minds and search bars - by definition, trend tend to pass quickly, even the best ones – but we have reasons to believe the Mary Jane shoes are a larger trend than the Plazacore, or any ‘core’, in fact. We are really digging it and don’t expect them to fade away any time soon. They go with almost everything, depending on how you style them. If you want something more edgy you can go for the platform heels or the a lug sole. If that’s not the case, a classic ballerina flat will do the work.
Tweed – a lot of tweed
As I said, less is not more here, so rather than looking for a plain black or gray coat, try to choose one of these patterned knits and sets instead. The tweed set does all the work alone, but if you opt for the knits, they will look great in many occasion as they go perfectly with both jeans and coordinating tweed miniskirts – which are also super in fashion now – and the best part is that they’re sure to get lots of use in every trend and season.
Pearls and rhinestones
Those are some of the key accessories to see the difference to Plazacore from other preppy styles. That little touch of shimmer and glam achieved by all the oversized pearls necklaces and accessories in general, rhinestone trims and other very fancy details like feathers or faux fur. Those are really statement pieces and require a little more investent, so if you don’t want to go all in just now, maybe try adding a shimery headband, some more extravagant earrings or bedazzled shoes to get that much-needed dose of fun that’s a big part of looking like a Plaza regular.