If you’ve ever seen Kiel James Patrick or Sarah Vickers’ instagrams, you know that they live a picture-perfect, preppy life. Patrick and Vickers, a fashion-forward husband and wife, design and run the brand named after Patrick, KJP, for short. Their nautical-inspired bracelets have become a New England staple, and are sold up and down the East Coast. Their life together seems, in a word, perfect.
From lobster bakes to boat rides to ski trip getaways, Kiel and Sarah appear to be constantly surrounded by friends and always on some sort of adventure. Through their brand, they even offer “adventure school” for well-dressed, media oriented young people – a dreamlike summer job boasting “bonfires on the beach, tennis, classic cars, soirees” and more. Their eight-year-old brand is based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and their products are easily recognizable by the anchor clasps. It is the illusion of the life that surrounds their brand, though, that is so appealing. Through their prep-school aesthetic, the duo captures the charm of New England life with a sense of nostalgia for some American essence of the past.
In addition to her Instagram account, Vickers maintains a fashion blog (Classy Girls Wear Pearls), where she documents her flawless preppy style and the laughter that never seems to cease amongst her and her friends.
Buying a rope bracelet is like buying a little piece of the ideal world Patrick and Vickers have created. Is it all just smoke and mirrors? It seems too good to be true. Or at least that’s what I tell myself as I spend hours and hours on Instagram scrolling past professional-quality photos of gorgeous dogs, castle-like houses, and unbelievable brunch spreads.
-Katherine Littel
All images courtesy of KJP, Classy Girls Wear Pearls, and Instagram.