Charleston’s preppy fashion movement

Get out your pen and paper, it’s time for a lesson on where to find the latest in Charleston’s preppy fashion movement, including right here in our own Sercy Lowcountry Boutique.

Charleston is known for well-dressed women who know how to turn on the charm. One such fashion style that has always held a special place on the “runway” of downtown King Street: Southern prep, characterized by monograms, shift dresses, blazers, plaids, and pearls. But, in the last few years, the style has seen a renaissance on these cobblestone streets, where the fashion’s classic shapes and fits are receiving edgier touches with leather detailing, floral prints, denim, bold pattern pairing, and nautical elements.

Photograph from: @shopborough

“Prep isn’t cookie-cutter anymore. It is important to have some uniqueness, pair traditional pieces with the less traditional, be a conversation starter,” says Sara Rossi, a Nantucket transplant who recently opened Skinny Dip, a fresh boutique to the Charleston fashion scene, with friend Taylor Ivey. Other local boutiques – such as Borough, Escapada, and La Roque – are preaching similar fashion-forward thinking, with edgy Ivy League– inspired sweaters, poplin dresses paired with an unexpected denim jacket, and, a locally made alternative to pearls, Charleston rice beads. Bottom line? Prep is alive and well in Charleston, inspired by Southern charm, a strong sense of place, and a whole lot of color.

Photograph from: @escapadaliving