By MaryAnne Bowring
Sloane Rangers, also known as Sloanies, refer to upper-classless and upper middle class men and women from South-West London. Sloane Square is considered one of the most fashionable and wealthy areas of London. In earlier times, Sloane Ranger was a feminine term used about women who modelled themselves on the lines of Princess Diana. Today, the term covers men too.
The Sloanies Congregation
If you want to know more about Sloanies, walk through South Kensington, 3, 5, 7, and 10 districts. These districts, more famously called Knightsbridge, Earls Court, South Kensington, and Chelsea and are the natural habitat of Sloanies. The Sloanies meet here because they feel they are among their people. They congregate here every Friday evening to spend the weekend in the opulent country homes of friends and relatives. Diana was the perfect inspiration and model for the Sloane Rangers. They adored her ability to be stylish. She was attractive without being the exact definition of beauty. She had a very old-school, upscale way of thinking that diverged from the classic definition of femininity and intellectualism. She was everything that defined a Sloane – chic, champagne, polo games, feathered hair, and everything else.
What Sets The Sloanies Apart
Sloanes are upper-middle-class Londoners. They live a highly comfortable life and many come from an aristocratic background. Sloanies are mostly privately educated at schools designated as posh or exclusive. The Sloanies stand apart by the way they dress. They have a uniform of sorts that signifies the community – blazers, gilets, cords, and of course, rugby shirts in eye-catching colors. The dresses are always accompanied by loud socks and soft, stylish shoes.
Academics For Sloanies
Private schools in South Kensington and nearby areas are reputed for being Sloaney. The most famous public schools for the Sloanes are Eton, Fettes, Malvern, Loretto School, Rugby School, Radley, Blundell’s School, Benenden School, Marlborough, Harrow, Shrewsbury, Clifton, Uppingham, Cheltenham Ladies College, and a few others. However, things are changing on the Sloane front. Very few fit the description of a Sloane as effectively now as they might have some decades ago. The term Sloane Ranger is used less affectionately and more in a mocking tone. Perhaps Sloane has become more a figure of fun than one of aspiration. After all, many have been moved out of the core of West London and pushed to Earls Court. They are not able to assemble in satisfactory numbers to define an area.
Many Sloanes attend the elite universities of Cambridge and Oxford. Nowadays they have to make it on merit as admissions are no longer based on social class. Many other universities have, however, established reputations as havens for Sloanes. These include Durham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Exeter, the Royal Agricultural College, and of course St Andrews where Kate Middleton met a young Prince William.
The Recent Picture
In recent times, Sloanes have been squeezed out, geographically and also culturally, by the new-age rich. They have nearly taken over all Sloane institutions and brought in some meritocracy. Most of the new-generation buyers of properties in the South Kensington area have made their own money. Less have inherited wealth to flaunt. Consequently, the traditional Sloane identity has been fragmented. The shifting demographics of London can be seen as one of the key reasons for this change. All that said, whether you are after glamour, foodie haunts, or hanging out South Ken is an eclectic vibrant place to live. So contact us to get on our waiting list now.
