Or it could be a ribbon belt.

In the middle is a corridor of vendors hawking chocolate chip cookies, lacrosse gear, preppy ribbon belts and hot-pink and lime-green flip-flops adorned with mini-lacrosse sticks.

I purchased a ribbon belt festooned with skulls and crossbones for my husband, to add some pizazz to his golf outfits.

At Trinity College in Hartford, Ms. Bradley made ribbon belts and sold them on the lawns, presaging even high fashion's recent dalliance with preppy style.

The revival in preppy fashion that's put ribbon belts back on the map is reaching maturity 25 years after "The Official Preppy Handbook" was first published.

Down from the chair, she pinned on a firm sailor hat of white straw with a brown ribbon around the crown that matched her ribbon belt.

I thought the sequined ribbon belts were overpriced at $58, but I bought one anyway.

The Viktor & Rolf twist was to attach ribbon belts and corsages made to look like silver lamé, as if they were dipped in mercury.

In keeping with the current neo-preppie popularity of ribbon belts and Topsiders, the old-school rugby shirt is making an updated comeback.

But the general idea was pretty and young, as in a cotton voile blouse in a watercolor print and loose pleated herringbone shorts worn with a grosgrain ribbon belt.