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In recent years, young people have begun to use the term "preppy" as slang to describe those who appear clean-cut or strive to seem better off financially than others in an upper-middle class environment. In most regions, especially amongst young people, this usage has virtually replaced the traditional meaning of the word. Used in this manner, "preppy" is often applied contrary to the term's mainstream meaning stated above, as the slang version most often describes 'nouveau riche', publicly-educated people absorbed in the middle class hypermaterialistic pop culture pursuit of quality-made goods sold at prices for those who can pay for the best and most fashionable. As such, teenagers often apply this slang label to popular clothing not characteristic of "prepdom" such as American Eagle, abercrombie, Hollister Co., and Abercrombie and Fitch (prior to the original company's bankruptcy in 1977, it in fact was a prep staple). However, the "New England prep" image is still strongly associated with current use of the word. Abercrombie's clothes, for example, often reference lacrosse, rugby, and crew; sports typically linked with the outdoorsy New England lifestyle.