Fashion: The new preppies

GIRL MEETS BOY at the student union bar. What is it about him, she wonders, that has caught her eye? Could it be his taste in skirts? That kilt is certainly, well, different. Or maybe it was those khaki cords he wore on Bonfire Night with that hand-knitted scarf, or the pink shirt under a dark-green tank top which she saw him wearing the other night in the union, or even, she remembers, those funny clog things he had on last week. Whatever it is, girl thinks boy is cool.

Boy, on the other hand, thinks girl is kooky. That duffel coat, the granny boots, the Seventies denim skirt, the Burberry skirt (isn't that what Mum wears? he wonders) and the woolly socks and gloves. He likes that ''Stay in Bed'' T-shirt and those knee-high boots, though.

That's the trouble with boys. Boys expect girls to be tantalising all the time, with pretty undies, high heels, skirts and dresses. But not all girls are like Denise van Outen. Besides, Burberry is the most chic label of the moment, thanks to a big classics revival, and - didn't you know? - the duffel is the coat of the season.

Girl might choose to vamp herself up on another day - or night - in high heels and a glittery dress. For today, though, the fashionable college preppie look is just fine. Those granny boots, the coat and the woolly extras are perfect for a chilled-out Sunday walk in the woods.

Above: Mikolai wears grey sweatshirt, pounds 100, 68 & Brothers, from Browns Focus, 38-39 South Molton Street, enquiries 0171 376 7606; striped hand- knitted scarf, pounds 56, from Eeck, to order 0171 704 0108; khaki cords, pounds 69.95, by Dockers, from Selfridges, Oxford Street, London W1, enquiries 0171 394 3300. Katherine wears beige check shirt, pounds 120, AKA, to order from Browns Focus, as before; denim ACDC skirt, pounds 80, by Hysteric Glamour, from Fly, 352 Kings Road, London SW3, enquiries 0171 376 7606. Right: Katherine wears grey wool suit jacket, pounds 355, and flat front trousers, pounds 165, by Margaret Howell, 29 Beauchamp Place, London SW3, 0171 584 2462; Fair isle knit vest, pounds 195, by Dries Van Noten at Liberty, 224 Regent Street, enquiries 0171 734 1234; orange and red stripe scarf, pounds 70, by Jo Gordon from Egg, 36 Kinnerton Street, London SW1,

enquiries 0171 235 9315; black brogues, pounds 75.99, from Russell & Bromley, 24-25 New Bond Street, London W1, enquiries 0171 629 6903. Mikolai wears red sweater with white stripe, pounds 119, from Hackett, 136 Sloane Street, London SW1, enquiries 0171 730 3331; dark denim jeans, pounds 45, by The Edge at Jigsaw Menswear, 27-29 Brook Street, London W1, enquiries 0171 499 2521; backless khaki shoes, pounds 64, by Birkenstock, Neal Street, London WC2, enquiries 0171 603 3644, mail order 0800 132194

Above: Mikolai wears cream shirt with broken stripe, pounds 65, red mohair sweater, pounds 69, and grey wool kilt, pounds 150, all by Bailey at Jigsaw Menswear, as before; green boot socks, pounds 5, by Marks & Spencer, enquiries 0171 935 4422; red suede desert boots, pounds 45, by Clarks, 260 Oxford Street, London W1, enquiries 0990 785 886. Left: Katherine wears lemon wool polo- neck, pounds 199, and Liberty print dress, pounds 199, both by Scott Henshall, beige chenille crochet cardigan, pounds 425, by Vivienne Westwood Gold Label collection, all from Liberty, as before; taupe suede 'granny boots', pounds 195, from Free Lance, 253 Kings Road, SW1, enquiries 0171 351 4038. Mikolai wears burgundy sweatshirt, pounds 100, from Browns Focus, as before; blue check men's wool suit jacket, pounds 270, suit trousers, pounds 120, from Joseph, 74 Sloane Avenue, London SW3, enquiries 0171 590 6200; black brogues, pounds 195, by Alberto Guardiani for Russell & Bromley, as before

Right: Mikolai wears pink poplin shirt, pounds 59, from Hackett, as before; green tank top, pounds 79, from Bailey at Jigsaw Menswear, as before; tie, pounds 45, by Jigsaw Menswear; trousers by Dockers at Birkenstock, as before. Katherine wears natural classic duffel coat, pounds 245, from the Scotch House, 2 Brompton Road, London SW1, enquiries 0171 581 2151; 'Stay in Bed' T-shirt, pounds 52, from Fly, as before; mini check kilt, pounds 165, from Burberry, 165 Regent Street, London W1, enquiries 0171 734 5929; blue fingerless gloves, pounds 19.50, from the Scotch House, as before; grey wool socks, pounds 4, from Marks & Spencer, as before; tan suede lace-up shoes, pounds 95, by Birkenstock, as before. Below: Katherine wears black slip dress, pounds 95, camel coat, pounds 159, and knee- length boots, pounds 125, all by Jigsaw, 126/127 New Bond Street, London W1, enquiries 0171 491 4484; brown woolly gloves, pounds 25, by The Scotch House, as before

PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEVIN FOORD

STYLING BY CHARLIE HARRINGTON

MAKE-UP BY JACKIE HAMILTON SMITH AT UNTITLED

HAIR BY KYLIE BARRY AT JO HANSFORD

MODELS: MIKOLAI AT TAKE 2 & KATHERINE POULTON AT STORM