We Revisit the Schoolgirl Classics With a Cool-Girl Twist

We have fond memories of slipping into penny loafers and pleats back in the day. Oddly enough, the same polished trends took shape on the runways for Fall '12, giving the school dress code a designer makeover. We may not be headed back to class, but we're living vicariously through a wardrobe of collegiate-inspired wares. More Devil Wears Prada than Dead Poets Society, these are our prep-school favorites with a modern update — like taking our pleated skirts with a dose of leather or throwing on oxfords with a little leopard print. Click on for the chicest updates to forever banish thoughts of over-starched uniforms, dowdy pleats, and ill-fitting polos.