The preppy travel look for women and the versatility of the silk scarf.

The classic summer nautical style that makes one think of Katherine Hepburn.

Here's the latest on Preppy Women's Style. The look featured today is called The Key West and it features the following basic pieces.

One of the great preppy summer styles for women is a floral skirt and a pastel polo shirt. Which brings me to the latest on Preppy Women's Style.

If you flip thru the pages of Lisa Birbach's The Official Preppy Handbook , you'll notice many of the professional preppy women are wearing dresses rather than suits. In one pictorial of socializing professionals called The Cocktail Party, four out of the seven women in the scene were wearing dresses with only one wearing a suit (the Saleswoman from Brooks Brothers). It's a testament to a time when dresses were the de regueur business wear for women rather than suits. These days, you're more apt to find the reverse which brings me to the second essay on Preppy Style; but this time for women.

The look we're going to examine is called The Associate. This look features preppy, simple and elegant business suiting for women and involves the following basic pieces:

• A waist seam jacket
• A crisp cotton shirt.
• A pair of leather pumps.
• A stretch skirt.

The Associate by Ann Taylor

This look is not only a classic but one that exudes confidence. There are many things you can do to make the look even preppier but the keywords to remember are simplicity and elegance. You want to let the fine tailoring of the suit speak for itself. Some preppy accessories include wearing a pearl necklace and earings, or carrying a leather tote bag or portfolio. Most preppy accessory is a silk scarf. You can also go with pinstripe rather than plain to make the look even more corporate. You can opt for pants rather than a skirt. A sheath with a square neckline or camisole rather than a shirt. Timeless preppy navy blue color suit rather than black or gray.

Conquer the business world with The Associate.