In America, the women’s college style took most of its influence from the Ivy League men’s attire, so the shirts and blouses shared similar debt to menswear.
Women appreciated the easy and informality of menswear and began to suspect that if they dressed a bit more like men they might be able to be taken more seriously on an intellectual level.
Brooks brothers soon rose to the rescue and in 1949 the store launched a pink button down shirt made especially for women. Vogue magazine saw fit to commemorate the event by putting the pink button-down shirt in its August 1949 issue, this created an overnight sensation in the fashion industry causing women to mob the store.
Soon other women’s designers and manufacturers jumped on the Ivy-league bandwagon and began producing refined, feminine classics; McMullen, the New York manufacturer produced the first classic shirtwaist dress. John Meyer of Norwich and Villager became the go to sources for women seeking crisp collegiate looks. These clothes often mixed menswear details with feminine flourishes. Oxford cotton shirts were softened and Peter pan collars were introduced. McMullen’s Bermuda collared blouses done in delicate Liberty prints and is when Prep culture really started to take off.
Summerised from the book Preppy: Cultivating Ivy Style.
Bought from http://www.amazon.co.uk/Preppy-Cultivating-Style-Jeffrey-Banks/dp/0847836614