After seeing a mid-50s woman sporting the "popped collar" today, I decided it was my duty to let the people know that this really is a serious style foul. Wikipedia details the full history of the "upturned collar" here.

Apparently, Lisa Birnbach, author of The Official Preppy Handbook, is to blame for the belief that this style is "cool." In the book, she mentions the "virtues of the upturned collar."

What started as an option to block sunburn on the back of the neck (only with tennis shirts, mind you) has now become a very pointless and silly trend. Sure, it may still serve that purpose quite well, but do you want to be a walking stylefoul?