If you tell a friend a secret, she will keep the secret by telling only one other person.

Wool, cotton, and the odd bits of silk and cashmere are the only acceptable materials for Prep clothes. They look better. They require professional maintenance. They are more expensive.

It is the inalienable right of every man, woman, and child to wear khaki.

Preppy clothes are built to last, since they certainly won't go out of style.

Looking, acting, and ultimately being Prep is not restricted to an elite minority lucky enough to attend prestigious private schools, just because an ancestor or two happened to arrive here on the Mayflower. You don't even have to be a registered Republican.

Like everything else, Preppiness begins in the home.

A tip: if you're invited to your friend's country club to go the lost and found bin and pretend that you left something there. Next thing you know, you have a fabulous sweater.