Sloane Ranger
The term Sloane Ranger (often pluralised to just Sloanes or Sloanies) originally referred to the lifestyle of young upper-middle class men and women living in west London. The term is a word play combining "Sloane Square", the fashionable and wealthy area of London most associated in the public imagination with Sloanes, and the TV character "The Lone Ranger". The term "Sloane Ranger" was attached in the public imagination most particularly to women, the archetypal Sloane being Lady Diana Spencer, however the term is now also applied to men. Male Sloanes have also been referred to as "Hooray Henries" (though strictly speaking this term applies only to a louder, more noticeable subset of Sloane Ranger Males).[1]
The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook
The term was popularised by British author Peter York in his 1983 book The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook (co-authored with Ann Barr); and its companion book, The Official Sloane Ranger Diary. The books were published by Harpers & Queen, for whom York was Style Editor, the British society magazine that "was responsible for identifying the cult phenomena of "Sloane Rangers" and "foodies"". [2]
The exemplary female Sloane Ranger (FSR) as described by the book was Lady Diana Spencer before her marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales, however most SRs came from slightly less exalted backgrounds (i.e. county but not aristocratic). The Male Sloanes (MSR) had no personified exemplar as such, rather a series of exemplary patterns to cling to. Typical of SRs were: patriotism; traditionalism; a belief in the various values of upper / upper-middle class culture; confidence in themselves and their place in the world; a fondness for / engagement with the countryside, in particular country sports; philistinism / anti-intellectualism. With regard to the two latter traits, "typical" ought to be emphasised. Not all Sloanes liked country sports (indeed, Diana didn't), and not all Sloanes were philistines / anti-intellectuals. The reason why a proud philistinism was emphasised is possibly two-fold: SRs with their SR confidence were unembarrassed to admit disliking of ballet, opera, modern art and James Joyce; most public intellectuals of the 70s/80s were left wing, and to align oneself with the cultural values of a left wing intelligentsia was anathema to (typically) staunchly Tory Sloanes. The typical male Sloane was satirised by the Harry Enfield character, Tim Nice-but-Dim.
Traditional values of the English upper and upper middle classes asserted themselves in the careers chosen, or the careers that were expected to be chosen, by young Sloanes. No shame attached itself to girls who failed academically and took on secretarial jobs (indeed, expensive secretarial courses in London, Oxford and Cambridge were popular amongst Sloanes in the 1980s), since it was expected that even bright FSRs would only hold down a job until they met a husband. MSRs looked to the traditional careers of the British Army (not the Royal Navy or RAF since both had become perceived as slightly infra dig (i.e. 'beneath one's dignity') as a result of a looser emphasis on social standing; the Royal Family might join the Navy, but they could get away with it being, well, royal), farming (as in, "I own half of Gloucestershire"), the law and the city. It might be noted that Sloanes who became lawyers, or even Sloanes who worked in the City could hardly be as thick as two short planks, and so contrary to popular belief having a double-barelled name didn't necessarily render one brain-dead. By the 70s / 80s Sloanes had also started to fill the ranks of estate agents, chartered surveyors, wine merchants etc.
Sloane Territory
Although Sloanes are more widely spread than often believed they are mainly restricted to expensive and trendy tracts of West London, most famously Sloane Square, the Kings Road, Kensington High Street, and other areas of Kensington, Chelsea and Fulham. The pubs, bars and clubs in these areas are notorious Sloane hangouts, in particular the White Horse Pub, known as the "Sloaney Pony". Sloanes have also traditionally favoured certain holiday destinations, in particular European ski resorts such as Val d'Isere and Meribel.
Public schools in general have a reputation for being Sloaney, however a number of schools are regarded as particularly Sloaney, including Ampleforth, Charterhouse, Eton, Gordonstoun, Harrow, Marlborough, Radley, Rugby, St Edward's, Oakham, Stowe, Wellington, Oundle, Brighton College, Cheltenham Ladies' College, Bromsgrove School and Wycombe Abbey.
Most Sloanes aspire to attend the elite universities of Cambridge and Oxford, and a number of other universities have reputations as havens for Sloanes, mainly the more august and prestigious institutions such as Durham, Bristol, Exeter, St Andrews and York.
Sloanes Today
More recent examples of the Sloane Ranger include 'It girls' in the mould of Lady Victoria Hervey and Tara Palmer-Tomkinson; former Castaway 2000 contestant and television presenter Ben Fogle.
Applied to a younger, school age generation, including the young royals like William and Harry,[3] the term can also be seen as a generic term for confident, somewhat brash, public school children. Sloane fashion has remained relatively constant over the years: the trend amongst the men being for open-necked shirts, and traditional brands like Barbour. The women generally favour messy hair, dangly ear-rings and pashminas, tending to be affluent, they dress very well.
Although country pursuits have become less popular in general over the years, Sloanes vehemently opposed the hunting ban and support rural issues and the Countryside Alliance.
Careers in the City are still a popular choice of employment for Sloanes, but less so now than in the past as society has become more meritocratic and old boy networks have become less powerful.
Notes
- ^ "ON THE TRAIL OF LONDON'S SLOANE RANGERS". The New York Times. 25 March1984.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Harpers & Queen Timeline", The National Magazine Company, 2006
- ^ "Has Sloane Ranger fashion come back?". The Guardian. 13 February2006.
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See also
External links
- Sloaneys.co.uk - a light-hearted take on the Sloane phenomenon.
- "Enter the turbo Sloanes" by Giles Hattersley, "The Sunday Times", May 7, 2006
- Chelsea Society- A Sloaney Society