New Collection for Kiel James Patrick Giveaway & Now You Can Have Don Draper

Hello-Hello, welcome to a crazy Tuesday here at the Prepatorium.

We have just a few brief items before moving to our primary topic, Kiel’s fabulous new line of belts. But first, a quick glance at the Mad Men premiere party in New York Sunday night. Below, Betty & Peggy January Jones and Elizabeth Moss at the party.

Evan Angostini/Chase Sapphire/AP

There was quite a crowd on hand in Times Square for the festivities.

Evan Angostini/Chase Sapphire/AP

In related news…

Courtesy BarbieCollector.com

Yes indeedy, the official Barbie Mad Men dolls are now available. We are a tad confused about the target audience for these, as most girls enjoying their Barbies are not old enough to be watching the show, so how would they know who Betty and Don are …? Are adults expected to buy them?

As well as Roger and Joan.

Unlikely to be seen here at Princess InterGalactic HQ.

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We are ever-so-excited to share a new product launch with our friend Kiel James Patrick.  Behold the designer’s new Croffix Sailing Belts!

Kiel James Patrick

Kiel launched these in the wee hours of Monday morning after months of hard work, and we are delighted to share them with you.  Princess readers won’t be surprised to see that one of our faves is the Arabella Brayton Fellix (L), we also like the Gigi Tripler in a classic combination, pink and navy.

To see them in person is to marvel at the craftsmanship and attention to detail.  As with all KJP products, the belts are created from hand-knotted rope, finished with the finest Italian pebbled leather and lined with the firm’s trademark madras fabric.

Of course they coordinate perfectly with the bracelets we carry at the Princess.

Including our exclusive pink and green KJP Princess Bracelet seen sandwiched below between Kiel’s solid green and white belts.

Below, more styles from the new collection.

Kiel James Patrick

How excited are all of us about the belts? Enough that Kiel has asked us to help kick-off the Croffix Belt launch with a giveaway! The winner receives one of the new Sailing Belts in the pattern  and size of their choosing.  How fun is that? Here’s how to enter:

• For one entry leave a comment telling us your favorite KJP belt
• For a 2nd entry leave a comment telling us your favorite KJP product at The Princess
• For a 3rd entry fan The Princess on Facebook & leave a comment telling us you did (If already a fan just let us know)
• For a 4th entry blog about this giveaway (please leave a link to your post in your comment)
• For a 5th entry Tweet about the Giveaway and let us know you did
• Receive 3 additional entries for sending friends/readers to the contest, just have them tell us you sent them here in their comment

Entries will be taken until Noon next Monday, August 2 and we will announce the winner in Tuesday’s post.

Until next, thank you for popping in to visit!

Deeper & Differing Looks at Preppy Style & Mad Men Cookies

Hello-Hello, we hope everyone is enjoying a splendid start to the week.

Many readers may have already seen the story we reference below, but with apologies to our Facebook fans, today we look at yesterday’s Fashion Diary column in the Times “Prep, Forward and Back“.  In his story, Guy Trebay looks at the return to heritage brands and styles:

“Ray-Bans were suddenly on a list of Old School must-haves and so were wool vests from the Filson, and Red Wing boots and Alden loafers and Gitman oxford cloth shirts and Sperry Top-Siders and Quoddy moccasins. Designers as varied as Thom Browne, Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders, Billy Reid and Frank Muytjens of J. Crew all made hay with the conservative classics. The style became so ubiquitous that, the designer Michael Bastian said, “The whole preppy machine requires a recalibration.”

If Mr. Trebay’s name sounds familiar, it is because we just featured the writer and his column on the needlepoint belt phenomenon, actually declaring him our hero for his comment about “…the sartorial horrors visited on us lately under the guise of a preppy revival,”. (Click here for that post.)

Back to the story in Sunday’s Times, “Studying the Preppy Look and its Reference Points“. Much of the piece looks at Take Ivy, the literary cult favorite we most recently chatted about here.

powerHouse Books

From Mr. Trebay’s story:

“Time, it develops, has done little to dim the allure of “Take Ivy,” with its guileless snapshots of handsome, fit and presumably bright young lugs disporting themselves in dining halls, on the College Green at Dartmouth, along Nassau Street in Princeton and in Harvard Yard.”

Teruyoshi Hayashida/powerHouse Books

The piece references another soon-to-be-released volume, True Prep.

““The reality is the people in that book at that time went to schools and belonged to clubs that most ordinary people couldn’t get into,” said Lisa Birnbach, an author of “The Official Preppy Handbook” and “True Prep.” ‘“Take Ivy,” Ms. Birnbach said, is a ruling class “look book,” a template for any budding Jay Gatsby.”

A slideshow accompanies the story, both are excellent reads.

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In a similar vein, The Gloss carried a post last week, Fashion 101: The New Preppy; the author approaches the topic from an entirely different perspective.

“I have never been preppy. When I was growing up, being labeled a ‘prep’ was almost as bad as being referred to as a ‘poser’, i.e. the uncoolest thing that could happen to you.  I avoided being preppy at all costs.”

“However, as we grow up and enter the business world, perhaps we have something to gain from tapping into the inner preppy.”

In her piece, Brooke Moreland visits the Puritan store on the Cape, long a staple in Chatham (and several other communities).

Brooke Moreland/The Gloss

The store’s manager, Michelle Wilson Blaze shared her perceptions on customers:

“Blaze explained to me that the men wear Polo. The old men wear the small horses and the youngs wear the big horses. They all wear khakis and if they are over 50, well, then it’s time to bust out the Tommy Bahama.

As well as impressions of those visiting the Cape: .

“Brands like Tory Burch and Burberry pop up in the store, adding a contemporary preppy twist on the classics. Ginghams, tunics and embroidered tops peer out from among the plaid and Bermuda shorts.”

And while most preps don’t pay attention to what is “in” or “out” at any given time, here is one last tidbit from Ms. Moreland’s story:

“The ‘it’ preppy shoe happens to coincide with the ‘it’ shoe of the rest of the world at the moment: the Sperry Top-Sider.”

To see Ms. Moreland’s entire story and learn her ultimate verdict on the merits of the style, click here.

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Our final item of note today deals with last night’s Mad Men season 4 premiere.

Michael Yarish/AMC-TV

It was divine.

Don’s still smoking, Pete remains sycophantic and clients don’t always concur with Don’s vision.

Michael Yarish/AMC-TV

There is continued recognition of the way women were treated in the early 1960′s.

AMC-TV

Betty seemed particularly petulant last night, and we remain concerned about little Sally Draper.  We love this shot of Betty, it seems to perfectly capture her simmering rage while also betraying her vulnerable and forlorn side.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC-TV

A quick rundown of stories fans might enjoy:

• An excellent review with a change of heart for one critic in the Baltimore Sun
• Alessandra Stanley’s look at the show in the Times
• The reaction to the episode in the Journal’s Speakeasy Blog
• “Why I Love Pete Campbell” (The Gloss)
• The LA Times’ review

How popular is the show? Enough that star Jon Hamm will be in an upcoming episode of the Simpsons, portraying an FBI agent.  The Toronto Sun has details.

We leave you with pictures of these amazing cookies created by our friend Pink Martini & Pearls, part of her Mad Men Quiz Giveaway post!

Courtesy Pink Martini & Pearls

Look at Joan and Betty’s dress cookies!

One of our favorites? The snappy argyle socks, surely not anything Don would wear, perhaps Harry?

Courtesy Pink Martini & Pearls

Until tomorrow!

The Princess Has a New Hero

Hello-Hello and happy Thursday!

Things here in the Corner Condo are crazy-busy, so our post is once again more fluff than stuff (translation: more photos than prose).

We start with a look at today’s story in the Times about a classic prep item, the needlepoint belt. “Belts That Spare Muffy the Heartbreak” is a delightful read; it begins with a bit of background on the phenomenon for those not as familiar with the topic.

“THEY used to call it the breakup belt. Women (and it has always been women) of a certain sort and class historically committed themselves to memorializing the bonds of a relationship by stitching a needlepoint belt for the Loved One.”

The focus of the story is Smathers & Branson, below we show a sampling of belts from the firm.

We simply adore the treatment Guy Trebay gives the topic, especially this sentence: 

“…despite the sartorial horrors visited on us lately under the guise of a preppy revival,

Thank you, thank you, thank you Mr. Trebay, you are definitely our new hero at the Prepatorium.  Frequent readers know of the incessant whining and caterwauling occasional concerns shared in this space about the merchandise passing for prep these days, and “sartorial horrors” is a perfect description.  Back to your story:

“… needlepoint belts are jaunty and casual but also so clearly handmade that they achieve an offhand formality equally suitable for wear with shorts or a summer suit. Anyway, the best ones do.”

We are fond of almost every style, but especially like the Islander, the Dark ‘n Stormy, as well as the Elephants with Martinis.

The company also offers a collegiate series.

Back to Mr. Trebay’s story, and his explanation for focusing on Smathers & Branson.

“Other labels were there already: J. McLaughlin, Vineyard Vines and the neo-preppy Tucker Blair all offer their own ranges of hand-stitched needlepoint products. But unlike the competition, Smathers & Branson both indulges the preppy clichés (burgees and Labrador retrievers) and takes a sly wink at them.”

The cummerbund, ample evidence of that wink.

We recommend reading the story in full, our synopsis really can’t do it justice.

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A story in today’s Post provides a clue on today’s other topic of note: “Why We Love Don Draper“. SPOILER ALERT: Do NOT click on the link if you don’t want to know about Sunday’s episode!

Below we see Don actor Jon Hamm at Tuesday night’s premiere of Mad Men Season 4 in Los Angeles.

Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

Although the new season doesn’t debut to the public until Sunday night, a select few were on hand for Tuesday’s event, including Mr. Hamm’s costars Elizabeth Moss (L) and Christina Hendricks.

Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

We aren’t going to mention any names, but some friends are even counting down until the show is on the air.

Courtesy of the Divine Miss ATS&P

Perhaps the most catching image is that of little Sally Draper at Tuesday’s sneak peek.

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

Actress Kiernan Shipka looks so different from last season!

Back to that story in the Post:

“So, what’s his appeal? Simple. Don Draper represents, in his repressed way, everything we’re either not supposed to do or are even allowed to do anymore.

He smokes fantastic amounts at work, in restaurants, at home and in the car with his kids.

He drinks at lunch, at work, at home and before getting into his car. He’d rather have sex than babysit.

His favorite food group is steer.”

Hmmm, it probably is a sensible theory. We aren’t exactly into all the analysis about why we watch, we just watch, proof positive that behind the moat and drawbridge, we’re just a couple of simpletons lolling about the Palace! (Heh, heh, heh.)

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We leave you with a Sales & Savings opportunity.

Courtesy Target

Le Boutique Targét is playing upon the Black Friday insanity, and doing an online only promotion, Back in Black Friday tomorrow.

Until next time, g’bye!

LL Bean Signature, and an Unusual Launch for Brooks Brothers

Hello-Hello!

Today we have more pictures than prose (there’s a blessing!), hopefully images you shall find moderately appealing. We begin with an early look at fall styles from the recently launched LL Bean Signature line.

The new styles are featured at a delightful blog, N’East Style.

As difficult as it is to contemplate the possibility of a weather change in a few months, the pictures serve to remind us of fall’s inevitable arrival.

Many of the styles are enticing, we are eager to see the catalog.  Our thanks to the N’East Style blog; for an early look at Signature for Men, pop over here.

Perhaps of equal interest, the ongoing LL Bean Signature Sale, with solid markdowns.  This includes the Piped Sweater Jacket (now $64.50 from $129) in the Twilight colorway.

The Mariner Leather Tote (originally $285, now $198) has a more fiscally friendly price point, as does the Chambray Shirt Dress, although the latter is not as deeply discounted as the bag (the dress was $79, now $63.20).

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An even newer launch is now officially underway; Brooks Brothers is promoting its new Fleece line for children.

Courtesy Brooks Brothers

Frequent readers may recall our posts previewing the line, below we show two styles we like, the Cashmere Intarsia Dress, and the Velvet Sailor Dress.

The number of sleeveless dresses for winter is disconcerting (unless they are intended to be worn as jumpers), while many of the accessories are cute.

The retailer continues to leverage new media resources, including its Facebook page; Brooks offers all of its catalogs online as well.

Brooks Brothers is also using the internet in another way, debuting a new collection online, but not at its own website.

Gilt Groupe

The new line is being launched via online ‘members-only’ sale site Gilt.com. We should make that past tense, as the sale went live at Noon EDT.  (If in need of an invite to the site, simply click here.)

Here is the description from Gilt’s sale site:

Available from Gilt before it hits stores in August, Brooks Brothers’ new collegiate-inspired line — which culls inspiration from campus life during the Roaring Twenties as well as vintage advertising from the extensive Brooks archives…”

This will be more than intriguing to watch, not now, but in August when the merchandise lands in-store. Are the Gilt sale prices what one might expect to see in stores and online? Or are these ‘discounted prices’ going to be raised when the selling channel moves from Gilt to the Brooks Brothers brick and mortar stores?  We’ll let you know what we discover.

Gilt has done a stellar job expanding into a ‘full-service’ off-price site, now offering goods for men, women, children and the home, as well as gifts and travel opportunities.

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As we approach the upcoming debut of Mad Men Season 4 we can expect to see many of the show’s stars featured in other media; below, Exhibit A. We’re going to go out on a limb, and suggest that a few friends will be gaga find the August cover of W to be of interest.

Nathaniel Goldberg/W magazine

The August issue showcases what many are describing as actor Jon Hamm’s “smoldering look”.  Mr. Hamm is best known for his role as Mad Men’s Don Draper. He is joined in the magazine feature by actress Rebecca Hall, she co-stars with him in The Town, a film being released this September.

Here is one last photo from the spread; we happily recommend the other photos and accompanying interview, click here to see both.

Nathaniel Goldberg/W magazine

We apologize to our Facebook fans, as we already shared the cover photo on that site, we simply couldn’t resist.  Silly Princess.

On that note we say goodbye until next time!

Lilly Pulitzer Bridal Gowns & Jon Hamm Does Daycare

Hello-Hello, and happy Wednesday!

We are really in the midst of a major rush of new products, much of it involving Lilly love! Today we have a sneak peek at the Lilly Pulitzer Bridal collection and in just a few days we will be showing the Fall 2010 goodies from our Lilly Stationery and Gifts line! But here we go with some of the soon-to-be-released dresses.

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer via A Splash of Elegance

Many readers may be familiar with Lilly’s Wedding Wear focus, and the existing dresses that are suitable for wear in that capacity.

The new dresses are by Designer Bride, a collection of gowns from four noted designers; in addition to Lilly the others are David Meister, Angel Sanchez and Carmen Marc Valvo. According to Women’s Wear Daily (subscription req’d.) there are twelve Lilly gowns in total.

“The collection featured signature Lilly prints done in “white on white” and the “Lilly lace” applied on a gown. Standouts were the short versions, such as a lace cocktail dress with cap sleeves and a grosgrain ribbon belt.”

The Designer Bride line debuted to buyers last week. More from the WWD story:

“The first collection down the runway was Lilly Pulitzer, which showed 12 dresses inspired by destination weddings in resort towns such as Palm Beach, Fla.; Palm Springs, Calif., and Nantucket, Mass.”

Bridal is a wise move, J. Crew is doing very well with its wedding collection and new standalone bridal store.

The gowns will not be sold at Lilly Pulitzer stores or online, they will be available at 61 bridal boutiques late this year or in early 2011. Our next look requires a full shot to better show its lace overlay atop the layer of soft pink.

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer via A Splash of Elegance

This is probably our favorite dress in the shorter profile, you know how we are when it comes to bows!

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer via A Splash of Elegance

On the left, beading and/or other embellishment enhances the clean, classic lines. The style shown on the right, while not our favorite look, includes a tunic that alone would be stunning. And scandalously short in some circles.

The sharp wedding planners over at A Splash of Elegance posted these and we couldn’t resist sharing them, and they are also now available for online drooling viewing! Below, one final dress from the new collection.

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer via A Splash of Elegance

To give you an idea of some of the pieces currently on the Wedding Wear portion of the Lilly site, here are the Betsey dress (L) and the Layton dress (R).

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Today’s other item of note deals with our tedious obsession fondness for Mad Men.

Mizzou Magazine

Mizzou Magazine’s summer issue features a story on the show’s star, actor Jon Hamm.

Mizzou Magazine

We must thank MLD, her kindness in sharing the story is more than appreciated. Although we went to school in Columbia (Missouri), we did not attend the University of Missouri, matriculating instead at the women’s college located in that community, so we would not have been aware of the story.

One of the more interesting tidbits in the story? Learning that Mr. Hamm taught Daycare at an establishment in Columbia called Kids Depot, getting the job by suggesting the facility have more men on staff. The story also takes note of the actor’s popularity:

“Hamm’s name and image are ubiquitous: Hamm on People magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive list. Hamm hosting Saturday Night Live. Hamm modeling menswear of the 1960s, in photos by Annie Leibovitz. Hamm featured in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Rolling Stone, GQ, In Style, Entertainment Weekly, Elle and most of the popular press.”

Happy reading.

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A quick Sales and Savings opportunity for fans of Vineyard Vines: ‘members only/by invitation only’ discount site Gilt is offering pieces from the popular retailer. For example, the Puzzle Whale classic tote shown on the left is on sale for $25, the Mini Murray beach tote is $22. A word of caution: these sales historically sell out of goods fairly quickly.

 

If interested in this, or future sales at Gilt, and in need of an invitation, simply click here.

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We leave you with a look at what Best Week Ever calls “The World’s Most Photoshopped Dog“. The pooch in question is found in Polo Ralph Lauren’s Camp Polo graphics.

Courtesy Polo Ralph Lauren

Writer Dan Hopper points out it is “…the most poorly Photoshopped dog-in-a-shirt I’ve ever seen.” The site also offers this graphic:

Via Best Week Ever

Until next time, there you have it.