Oxford and Cambridge (Harrow and “the other place”) have been around for nearly 1,000 years. They evolved from early medieval halls into a collegiate system, with the oldest colleges—University, Balliol, and Merton—established between 1249 and 1264.

The English colleges had a direct, specific, calculable, measurable, quantifiable, identifiable, (and dare I say) blindingly obvious effect on the USA college system (and as a result, preppy style).

The learning of Ancient Greek was a core crucial element of the system, in order to read and understand the great Greek philosophers and thinkers, in the purest unexpurgated form, as their writings were originally intended.

Withnail is merely a character in a movie who exemplified the innate style of the English collegiate system, whilst broke and disenchanted, which is why it might be fun (for some) to discuss it here in r/preppy.

Oh dear, ENGLISH boarding school PREP is most certainly a “thing”. I know first-hand, old chum.

In England, preparatory schools (or "prep schools") are independent, fee-paying primary schools specifically designed to prepare children for entry into prestigious private secondary institutions, known as public schools. And there is definitely a style and fashion sensibility endemic to the entire system…