Always underdress. The goal is not to look as if you made an effort for the particular event. If you can dress for a different party (i.e., wear black tie to a cocktail party, or tennis clothes for lunch), so much the better. You give the impression of being much in demand.

Dartmouth Winter Carnival opens, proving once again that bitter cold is no obstacle to going completely out of control.

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

Cynicism is more than a pose; it's also a handy time saver. By deflating your companion's enthusiasm, you can cut conversations in half.

Even if you're starting from scratch and buying a new wardrobe, preppy clothes are very fairly priced compared to high fashion. They're very easy to absorb into your wardrobe. You probably already have stuff you can wear and there's a safety factor. You're dressed for success, in a way, if you look like you grew up with success.

Sarcasm mascarades as the Preppy's sense of humor.

In a true democracy everyone can be upper class and live in Connecticut.