THE OFFICIAL PREPPY HANDBOOK

So you may be wondering, what started me on the Park Avenue Prep path of life? Well, the answer can be summed up into four words, The Official Preppy Handbook (edited by Lisa Birnbach).

I was given this book as a gift, and still return to it as a guide on how to be the ultimate prep. Now, I say "the ultimate prep" with a hint of sarcasm, but really, it is a detailed guide on how to be the most perfect prep. And some of the writings in this book are absolutely hilarious and fabulous. For instance, the book contains essays on "Summer is a Verb" as well as "The Politics of Monogramming." You can find information about the preppiest clothing, boarding schools, colleges, and cocktails. It even contains a going out guide for different cities and includes one of my favorite places to go in NYC, JG Melon (at 1291 Third Avenue).

The Official Preppy Handbook is no longer in print but used versions can be purchased online at Amazon generally starting around $20. To leave you with a taste of what you are missing out on if you don't have this book, I will provide you with a book excerpt from "The Virtues of Pink and Green" essay stating, "The wearing of the pink and the green is the surest and quickest way to group identification within the Prep set. There is little room for doubt or confusion when you see these colors together - no one else in his right mind would sport such a chromatically improbable juxtaposition." As you can see, this book is a Park Avenue Prep Must-Have!