The Way of the WASP: The Darien Sport Shop, Darien, Connecticut (The Mr. Z. Era)

For decades, arguably the store that best outfitted the preppy culture.

The seeming eclecticism of the preppy culture throws a lot of people. Preppy includes young and old, pretty and non-fussy, sporting events and evening events, town and country.

When I was growing up, one store that encompassed more of this than most, was the Darien Sport Shop in Darien, Connecticut.

The suits and more formal items were in one area, with skis and lacrosse sticks in another, and a lot of pink and green throughout. I remember one visit where I bought a Thule and had it installed on my Volvo wagon while I was busy trying on a “little black dress”.