Top Ten ‘Social Status’ Brands – Is Yours on the List? And an Anti-Prep Update

Recently The Spousal Unit indicated that at times The Princess might be a bit… well, a tad ‘snarky’ in her posts. Snarky? SNARKY? Moi? Feeling the need to defend my good name and reputation, it became obvious that some research was in order. Below we offer partial results for perusal at your leisure.

snarky

Pronunciation: \ˈsnär-kē\
Function: adjective
Etymology: dialect snark to annoy, perhaps alteration of snark to irritate
1 : crotchety, snappish
2 : sarcastic, impertinent, or irreverent in tone or manner <snarky lyrics>
snark·i·ly \-kə-lē\ adverb

We were delighted to find a wealth of information on the topic, with page after page of definitions, discussion and even some debate; it was really quite educational. Frankly, our favorite part of the research involved learning that snark may also be used as an adverb. Right now I’m trying to think of a way to insert it into conversation that way. How do you feel about Snarkalicious…? Oh, TSU was spot on, as always.

Let’s start with an Anti-Prep Update. This was, quite frankly, impossible to resist. As some may already know, Paris is beyond über Anti-Prep. She actually transcends the category, surpassed only by Kim Kardashian and possibly Perez Hilton. And maybe a few others. At any rate, we present Exhibit A, a heartfelt statement from Ms. Hilton on the home page of her hair extensions site, viewable here:

Everyone should get the chance to be me. That’s why I created the world’s hottest hair extensions. Choose from ten fabulous shades and you will be a clip away from hotness.

If we had only known that everyone should have that chance. To be her. Darn it. Once again our unhotness has been exposed in all of its stark, naked horror for everyone to see. And I had no idea I had the chance to be her. No. Idea. At All.

Well, chin up, shoulders back and all that, for here at the Prepatorium we do not let little tragedies like this derail us; we move on. We stated we would be discussing the Top Social Status Brands and we will proceed to do precisely that, hotness-like hair extensions or not. Harumph.

This particular list comes as the result of extensive research done by the Luxury Institute, and The Princess is more than gratified to see who is at the top of The List. You may well recognize The Knot clutches below from the Number One brand.

The Institute polled 1600 individuals with a minimum annual income of $150,000 for the survey, and Bottega Veneta took the top spot. In a story about the poll, Luxury Institute CEO Milton Pedraza notes “Bottega is subtle and inconspicuous — and paradoxically has gotten some press for this…You know it if you’re in the know. It’s for people who aren’t looking to impress others.” Below we show a look from their Fall/Winter 2008 apparel line.

Valentino follows in second place, then Prada (landing page at Neimans seen below)

Then Chanel, followed by Hermes in fifth place.

Giorgio Armani was in sixth place, then we have Versace (that is a dress from the 2008/2009 Versace Resort line below),

then Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Louis Vuitton. And there you have the top ten from the list.

BTW, if you were wondering who Anna Wintour might fancy come this fall’s election, here’s a clue: she had quite a role at last night’s fundraiser for prospective First Lady Michelle Obama, at a Manhattan gallery. (Wintour is the oh-so-powerful Editor at Vogue magazine and hypothetically the role model for Michelle Obama

Judging from the list of attendees at the function it was quite the place to be.Remember our mentions of Lauren Santo Domingo in previous posts? She was also at last night’s festivities at the Chelsea gallery in a divine Oscar de la Renta frock along with Spike Lee, designers Monique Lhuillier, Georgina Chapman and Nicole Miller. (You know, the Nina Ricci-SJP-SATC-Premiere-Dress-from-You-Know-Where-Nightmare that Lauren wore first?)

Speaking of Sex and the City, Cynthia Nixon also attended, wearing Calvin Klein Collection. Others in attendance included Lebron James and his girlfriend, and you could see Zac Posen’s “Yes We Can, Obama 08″ t-shirt beneath his blazer. Many thanks to Fashion Week Daily for the fab photos!

We close with this absolutely delightful image from the good folks at Barneys. It was part of an email from them several days ago; looking at it keeps bringing a smile to my face. On an afternoon when some whimsy seems like a good idea, we’ll just leave things here and say “Au revoir.” (It is linked if you feel compelled to click!)

More Sales: Tory Burch, Burberry, Lilly Pulitzer, Saks

The Princess apologizes if our previous two posts had a bit of a diminution in quality; they were our first attempts at posting whilst traveling out of town. What an amazing adventure to use the laptop with that wacky Windows system again! We are grateful to have returned home to Preppy Princess Intergalactic Headquarters intact, sans any severe weather encounters. (We do remain concerned about TP’s mère, however, facing Day 5 without power, and steadfastly refusing to leave the family property. Naturally.)

Judging by the wretched excess in length of last Friday’s post on the myriad sales going on around town and online, it might be difficult to believe we missed any. Think again. TP’s brain is less like a steel trap and more like a steel sieve; it seems we missed more sales than we told you about. Above, one of many examples: the Lord & Taylor Friends and Family sale, with 20% off almost everything online, but they are offering 40% off swimsuits, a big help if you have procrastinated on this front. There are also “more” or “deeper” or “special” discounts or price cuts. You’re grown-ups: you’ve shopped, you know the drill. The best idea is to check before you leave the house if there is any question in your mind about sale pricing being in effect. We make no promises, the best practice is always to shop early, and shop often. Below we show the Land’s End Sale notice, LL Bean’s is similar (although the discounts are not as deep).

Burberry launched their sale today and there is a substantial amount of merchandise marked down. For those interested in wallets or umbrellas, especially those in the Burberry signature designs, there is a good mix available as of this writing. There is also a decent offering in terms of apparel. The Princess was most taken by this sweet cotton jacket with its empire waist, as well as the wildly popular ski jacket, now almost 50% off.

It is well worth your time to glance at the jackets and trench coats for both men and women, including this ‘packaway tench‘ in fuchsia or the Men’s ‘Harry’ jacket. There are also some great markdowns on shoes for both Men and Women.

Next on our hit parade is Tory Burch, with loads of goodies, including the trimmed polo in several colors and the elegant Veronica dress.

Once done at Tory’s meander over to Saks 5th Avenue for even more fun as they continue the Online Only Designer Sale. A substantial amount of merchandise is marked down. Significantly.

Like these summer espadrilles from Ralph Lauren Collection in a red ticking stripe and a pair of Jimmy Choo pink patent slides that are to die for!

If you can manage to make your way out of the shoe department, take a peek at some of the ladies apparel, be it ready-to-wear or designer, like this LBD from Armani Collezioni or what Burberry calls their Neaton Classic Chino Pants.

Of course, this doesn’t include all of the jewelry on sale, like these very cool lucite bracelets from Alexis Bittar or Kenneth Jay Lane.

There is also the Il Baule D’Elianne Infant’s Smocked Dress, and the fabulosity that is the Bose iPod SoundDock Digital Music System. And there is an enormous amount of marked down merchandise you will find in the Men’s Store, Just Kids, additional Women’s Apparel or the Shoes/Handbags categories. Most of your household name designers are represented in this sale, including Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Louboutin, Stuart Weitzman, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Tommy Bahama, Badgley Mischka Platinum Label, Dior, Carolina Herrera, Tod’s, and many more.

While we are worshipping at the altar of the sales savings goddess, let us not forget the Lilly Pulitzer warehouse sale that started yesterday (Wednesday, June 11) and runs through Saturday, June 14 at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA. Why King of Prussia? Because the Lilly HQ are located here.

Of course, if you are nowhere near this part of the planet, there are loads of online Lilly shops, and almost every single one has healthy markdowns on absolutely beautiful Lilly items. A few we love are Splash of Pink, or the Peppermint Palm; below we feature two girls dresses from the Peppermint Palm clearance selection.

As always, The Princess hopes anyone with information they think we should be sharing with the rest of the class (so to speak) will forward that to us via the comment form. Happy hunting and let’s remember this is not intended to be a contact sport!

Everyone Discovers Preppy! From Barneys to the Miami Herald (Complete with a ‘How-To’ Guide)

It has come to our attention recently that everyone… simply everyone… has discovered or re-discovered ‘preppy’. The list is endless. Tonight we’ll share a few of those who are talking preppy, starting with the advertisement below, compliments of our good friends over at Barneys.

The above is but one example of the many emails in today’s cyber inbox admonishing us ‘don’t forget’ this Sunday; you are probably seeing loads of them as well. Now, in terms of being a ‘Preppy Dad,” Daddy most definitely qualified. But even if he we were still with us (sigh…), some of today’s ‘preppy’ styles might be a tough sell.

For example, at Barneys, suggesting a snappy pair of Trovata Raft Shorts in Madras could be a push, or the Psycho Bunny Short Sleeve Polo? Not happening. Now on a personal level, we do find the polos quite a bit of fun. In fact, The Princess *so* loves the name of this line she sometimes wonders how things would be if she were the zippier sounding ‘PreppyPsychoPrincess’ instead of just plain old PreppyPrincess… hhmm. Perhaps we’d best move on….

To the Miami Herald’s article on preppy style, complete with instructions, “How to be preppy: The style makes a comeback.” Herald writer Enrique Fernandez authored the story, saying the “classic American style is enjoying a renaissance.” Indeed. Fernandez references the popularity of the 80′s looks made popular by Armani, Versace and other highly tailored lines, but tells us that “classic American style is enjoying a renaissance.”

Photos used in the Herald story appear to be ‘handouts’ (meaning the paper did not take the photos; they were provided by an outside source), as in this case: the pictures above are from J Press and the shots below are compliments of Brooks Brothers.

The story carries a primer on textiles: madras, seersucker and khaki, and the point is repeatedly made that traditional styles were ‘out of fashion’ a number of times, for varying lengths of times.

During the countercultural ’60s, the peacock ’70s, the power ’80s and ’90s, preppy style not only fell out of favor but also had dorky connotations. Now, fashionable men are rushing back to trad, while its steadfast adherents argue passionately online about what a J Press ”Burlington Knot” tie means. The braided belt, once considered the height of preppy obnoxiousness, gets a display in GQ (last month, it was the deck shoe).

The Princess is nonplussed. She doesn’t remember those times and when queried, Mr. Princess didn’t remember them either. It would have been best had we not raised the topic with him; it proved to be a little unsettling. “What precisely went out of style?” and “Do they mean to say it was ‘out’ when I wore it at the Club or the cottage or at the office, or are they saying it was out all the time?” are the sort of questions being asked here at the Prepatorium. I know, I know. But then when reading the portion of the Herald article shown above with the ‘dorky connotation’ reference, he said, “gosh, I really feel nothing but sadness for the ink-stained wretch who wrote this story.” Oh my.

Dum spiro, spero, right? Yes, so how about a story from the Argus-Leader in Sioux Falls, South Dakota? The story, “Pretty in patchwork“ starts out by saying, “If you’re mad about plaid, you’re not alone this season” and extols the virtues of madras. The majority of the items in the article are sadly, not pictured, but TP put her detective skills to work and thinks she knows which $17.99 Merona shorts in madras the writer is referring to at Target.

(Just one little FYI to the Madras Pooh-bahs at the Boutique: there are only two reviews of the shorts online and they clearly come from fans, but they are not very sounding very fan-like about the quality of the shorts.)

We’ll leave our little preppy overload for the time being; we wouldn’t want anyone getting cross-eyed on madras and seersucker. Besides, we just have one more tidbit to leave you with at this hour. Late word tonight from Caroline Tell at WWD (Women’s Wear Daily) that some Secret Service agents were positively melting in the beastly temperatures today outside a certain 7th Avenue business establishment. Why were they hovering for so long, you may ask?

Can you say Cindy McCain pays a visit to the Oscar de la Renta showroom? As Ms. Tell so deftly describes things in the story:

With two beige Suburbans and a team of sweltering Secret Service in tow, Cindy McCain paid a visit to Oscar de la Renta’s showroom this afternoon to peruse Washington’s favorite designer’s rack of White House-worthy clothes. How long exactly had the potential First Lady been shopping?

“Waaayy too long,” replied one of her fully dressed security agents, who was posted in the New York heat outside 550 Seventh Avenue, moving only to wipe the sweat from his Ray-Bans.

And there you have it.

A Shocker: The Face “Too Famous” for Burberry & Who is Hiring Gwyneth Now?

This seems very odd: it was only last evening I was mentioning to TSU (The Spousal Unit) that I could not imagine Burberry continuing indefinitely with uber-face Agyness Deyn, she was simply everywhere. You just can’t have that without accompanying dilution of the brand. You may recognize the suddenly-supermodel, not only pushing Burberry’s Beat perfume (above on left), but also prominently showcased in the majority of their campaigns (also seen above, big group shot) both print and video. Scads of articles both on and offline quote sources within the company as saying that photographer Mario Testino was most displeased with Ms. Deyn’s high profile. The UK’s Metro reported Aggy’s sudden drop from Mr. Testino’s most-favored-model list on Sunday; US publications were quick to pick up on the news.

Not only was she Burberry’s primary face, she was also Armani’s, as seen in the black and white ads above, including the campaign for the Armani phone. I beg your pardon? You missed the news that there was an Armani phone? Oh dear. Because TP is really all about you – and because we realize how *very* important the right telephone can be, here is a link to said phone. (How sick am I?) In addition to Burberry, Ms. Deyn was or is the ‘It’ girl for Reebok, Hugo Boss, and for Dior’s New Look collection by Giles Deacon. In all fairness to Ms. Deyn it must be noted that Mr. Testino is a brilliant photographer, he is also well-known within the industry for his ego. Very well-known.

Lest anyone think we were unfairly picking on Gwyneth Paltrow in the post about her hideous shoes, here’s a tidbit about the born-and-bred prep: she is the new face for Tod’s, the upscale ltalian leather goods company. The announcement was made in Cannes; Ms. Paltrow is there for the Annual Film Fest where she has a film making its debut. (Actually, who isn’t in Cannes this week, except perhaps yours truly?) The film is four minutes in length and it premiered yesterday. The movie is about Tod’s. The entire film. All. 4. minutes. On its home page the Festival de Cannes describes itself as “the most important film event in the world.” You won’t get any argument from The Princess on that. Not a word.

Now getting back to the print campaign featuring Ms. Paltrow, who do you think shot that? Mario Testino.

(The Princess is unsure who shoots the Estee Lauder Pleasures ads, seen below.)