an american style known as preppy is similar to ivy league but intended for today's mainstream culture. preppy style tends to be more colorful, especially in spring and summer, and incorporates more casual chic attire. it was first popularized in the early 1980s as a return to ivy league styles after a decade of more modern trends, but today, preppy differs from historic ivy league. preppy fashion is influenced by traditional collegiate trends, rather than reproducing them exactly, and various clothing items can be considered preppy based on how they are worn or accented. during the 1990s and 2000s polo ralph lauren, vineyard vines, j. crew and j. press were large marketers of preppy clothing, modernised to accommodate new trends inspired by indie pop and urban fashion. controversially, in a recently revised form, a version of this style is sometimes promoted and marketed as "american trad" or simply "trad," although there are marked differences between the two styles. trad is narrower in scope than the intermediate preppy style.