If you have even one preppy bone in your body, make Prepfection your Tumblr bible. Quick. Simple and oh-so-stylish, this compilation of images dedicated to a preppy lifestyle will make you swoon. The Tumblr page originally began as a catalog of inspiration for its creator, Stephanie, 22, but it quickly turned into its own online persona. Prepfection contains the perfect collection of images that have been reblogged from other Tumblrs and snagged from various fashion blogs and websites. Although the preppy lifestyle is a classic one, Stephanie reinvents the definition daily and certainly gives it a “youthful and modern twist.”

CollegeFashionista: Where are you from, and where did you go to college?

Prepfection: I was born in Bermuda but grew up primarily in Hingham, a small suburb of Boston. I recently graduated from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.

CF: When did you start Prepfection, and what inspired you to start a Tumblr completely dedicated to a preppy lifestyle?

P: I started Prepfection about a year and a half ago. The first Tumblr I came across was that of Kat from That Kind of Woman. I remember passing nearly eight hours on one lazy summer day scanning through image after image. Her Tumblr was so cohesive, and I thought it would be a visually stunning way to keep all of the beautiful things I came across online in one place so that I could come back to it whenever I needed inspiration.

The preppy nature of the content I post is more of a natural extension of myself than a conscious choice, from my coastal New England upbringing, to my bubbly but type-A personality.

CF: Who is your ultimate style icon?

P: I have so many go-to style icons, but I’d have to say Blair Eadie of Atlantic-Pacific takes top notch. Her ability to take risks with her style while keeping up a youthful but polished look is completely unmatched. Plus, though she always looks flawless, her looks are wearable in day-to-day life and are built from pieces from stores like H&M, Gap, and Zara, which makes them all the more inspiring to teenagers and twenty-somethings.

CF: What’s your favorite style tip or trick?

P: As an overall tip, dress for yourself and focus on developing a personal style over being “in fashion.” It’s so much easier to stand out and look great if you’re picking out pieces you love and feel one hundred percent comfortable and confident wearing than if you’re trying to keep up a pretense. Plus you’ll stand out so much more than if you’re a slave to trends and are compared to dozens of other people wearing the same few popular pieces.

My more specific tips are to always buy clothing that fits you (or take it to the tailor if it doesn’t), take care of the clothing you have, and always iron if a garment requires it. It sounds silly, but if you follow those simple tricks, you’ll be ahead of the majority.

CF: You have a really active Tumblr page! What are your tips for maintaining an interesting and exciting Tumblr for college students with already busy schedules?

P: With regard to time management, I’m definitely a big advocate of the queue function. Especially now that I’m working a 9 to 5 job, I don’t have the option to be on Tumblr for most of the day. Now I try to set aside at least half an hour in the evening or early morning to queue up posts and scan through my friends’ content and let it be otherwise. On those days when self-restraint is too difficult, I’ve been known to use the Self Control App. But make sure you prioritize; while having an active Tumblr, Twitter, or blog can be rewarding, your schoolwork or job should always come first.

As for maintaining interesting content, be yourself but be mindful of what content people want to read. Your Tumblr will be more interesting if people can get a taste of the person behind the page without getting bogged down in too much personal minutia. Make sure to network and reach out to people with similar interests, even those people you idolize. Note that this means sending our thoughtful messages, not dozens of one-liners asking for a follow back. Finally, measure the success of your page on the enjoyment you derive from it, not followers or post-counts.

(Source: collegefashionista.com)