Hottest Bachelors: Preppy Gossip Guys, James Blake, SATC and Patricia Field on HSN

Yesterday’s blog readers were subjected to the most dreadful discussion of Paris Hilton’s hair extensions and their ‘hotness.’ The conversation then took a turn for the worse, degenerating to the The Princess’s ‘unhotness.’ Let us just say that if you were waffling between reading the rest of this or heading out to the Nantucket Film Festival (now through the 22nd), we would strongly urge you to attend the Festival. A choice between the Phillip Lim store opening in West Hollywood or plodding through this? Not even a conversation; Lim, hands down. Trust TP when she tells you this is gonna’ go south in a hurry.

You were warned. We now turn to Hottest Bachelors 2008 as determined by People magazine. More accurately, we glance at the ‘preppy’ elements in the ‘Hottest’ group, commencing with this unfortunate trio from Gossip Girls.

BTW, if you would like to cast your vote in an online poll at the People magazine website on which of the three Gossip Guys you would like to date, here’s where you need to be. And if that feels good, you can do the same thing for Hills heartthrobs (we cannot believe we just wrote that) Stephen Colletti and Brody Jenner.

Another preppy on People’s oh-so-hot list is tennis star James Blake (IV), whose story is really more like a made-for-TV movie. Blake went to high school in Fairfield (CT) and attended Harvard before joining the tennis circuit, and did he run into some rugged times. In an effort to raise the tone of today’s post, we point out that Blake co-authored a biography that is supposed to be very, very good. And we do know his journey has been nothing short of remarkable.

Moving away from the tennis court and into the retail world, we offer a reminder:

As you may recall reading here in a previous post, The Princess and The Princess Consort (aka The Spousal Unit) are both *huge* fans of British shirtmaker Charles Tyrwhitt for their incredible fabrics, fine designs and outstanding attention to detail. They too are having a semi-annual sale of some kind and it is well worth your time should you choose to pop in.

Finally, for those unable to find enough goodies from Sex and the City designer Patricia Field, stand by for more. The has made a deal with HSN (the Home Shopping Network), for a collection of sportswear, dresses, denim and accessories. A *very* big launch is expected; the line will sell for five days straight, starting on Sept. 23. New York Fashion Week will be used as a springboard to showcase merchandise that week just prior to the the launch. Word is that Field’s famous Flower Dress will be available to HSN shoppers along with many new designs.

Above you see the limited edition colorful Coke bottles designed by Field, below, a few looks from the upcoming HSN group.

The Princess may be a bit out of touch the next day or two. It is more than likely time to say goodbye to the family pet, a thought we’re struggling to get our minds around as her deterioration was extraordinarily rapid. Tomorrow brings with it the potential for a big, bad, owie.

Second Oops on SATC Sarah Jessica Parker Premiere Gown…and you *Won’t* Believe Who Actually Wore it First (Photographic evidence included!)

The Princess recognizes the following content has nothing whatsoever to do with the posts readers generally associate with this site. And we offer a sincere apology in advance for straying this far from our usual tone and tenor. However, after consuming your time with previous posts on this topic, we feel it only fair to provide what we fervently pray is the final update on this topic.

We speak of course about the Nina Ricci gown Sarah Jessica Parker wore to Thursday’s premiere of Sex and the City.. That it turned out was actually worn previously by socialite Lauren Santo Domingo, several weeks in fact before SJP donned it for her big day. Amazingly, it now turns out someone wore it before either Ms. Parker or Ms. Santo Domingo. Presumably the photograph below gives you some idea about whom we speak.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING INCLUDES CONTENT ABOUT LINDSAY LOHAN

Yes, it is LiLo, Lindsay Lohan, in the same gown, this time it was worn as part of a cover story that ran in the March Harper’s Bazaar.

This one leaves the editorial staff here at The Princess speechless. Completely.

SATC…the Morning After. Including the Big ‘Oops’ on SJP Nina Ricci Gown

Hello-hello and happy-happy. Are we all recovered, or at least well on the way to recovering from the Sex and the City weekend? Good, because just when you thought it was safe… and we do apologize in advance… there is a bit more SATC news. Well actually, just a few little tidbits, the first one you have probably heard all about: ‘The Dress Tempest.’ In case you haven’t, it’s quite the buzz.

As the photos above make rather evident, Sarah Jessica Parker was not the first and only to wear that stunning strapless Nina Ricci gown on the red carpet. As she was told by designer Olivier Theyskens when she specifically questioned him about it. Remember the big Met gala on May 5th yours truly was simply gaga over? Both Theyskens and his boss told SJP the dress had not been worn by anyone other than for magazine photo shoots. Can anyone spell Pinocchio? On May 5th socialite and former Vogue staffer Lauren Santo Domingo wore the gown to a rather significant red carpet event, the Met Costume Institute Gala. With whom did she go to the ball? Mr. Theyskens.

How is Mr. Theyskens described on the Nina Ricci website?

“His spectacularly constructed dresses are a constant feature on red carpets and magazine covers…He is firmly on the side of the women he dresses and interprets with wonder.”

This is not the first time the label has been dishonest with a celebrity regarding a gown. Such bad form. Honestly. Evidently they also burned an original prep, Reese Witherspoon; details are in the posting by NY Times blogger Cathryn Horn. And it isn’t as if Ms. Santo Domingo and Mr. Theyskens aren’t fast friends, frequently turning up at functions together. It’s that very friendship however that makes the deception that much more blatant.

We will leave Mr. Theyskens to his own self-destructive devices and move on to a much jollier SATC topic. (And ooooohhh, we do so love the timing of this. Brilliant, day-after kind of stuff that gets lots of play. Why, just look at us sharing the love!) And it involves the actress playing Charlotte, the film’s character with the closest thing to a preppy style aesthetic.

Word from the ever-so-fabulous Belk department store group they have signed a long-term deal with SATC’s Kristin Davis. The collection will launch this fall and include shoes (of course) and other accessories like handbags and jewelry, sportswear, and sleepwear. Davis ultimately hopes to expand the lines for an even broader range of merchandise, including bed and bath. (Snooze release here.)

The partnership seems to make sense, at least on its surface merits. Davis says she grew up shopping at Belk, which adds a nice touch to the arrangement. For those unfamiliar with the company, Belk is southern born and bred, going back to 1800′s, now with 300+ stores in 16 southern states. And here is the amazing part of the Belk equation, especially in this day and age: the company remains family owned and operated. If the designs and quality meet expectations, this might have a future.

Fellow Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker’s Bitten line for low-price retailer Steve and Barry’s leads the way in this arena. Of course, there is a line of special Sex and the City tee-shirts and tanks for sale at Steve and Barry’s with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Children’s Defense Fund.

BTW, has anyone noticed the extraordinary volume of SATC merchandise out on the street? (And online as well; tee-shirt below from HBO online SATC store.) This is evidence TP has been a bit under the weather, as we should have not only expected this, we should have been predicting it. Hhhhmmm… it seems the the tiara is tilting a bit up there. Indeed.

An Actual Preppy Link to Sex and the City! OMG!

Let’s face it, there really hasn’t been significant preppy linkage to Sex and the City, other than the logo featuring a most luscious shade of pink. We have experienced important diplomatic overtures from high level community leaders like McMommy & MommyPie, but in terms of definitive linkage, it just wasn’t happening. Until now.

Ladies and gentleman, please turn your attention to Exhibit A, just below, and meet Megan. Megan Thompson to be more precise, of the Pretty in Pink blog, who describes herself as being “…into all things pink, preppy, and southern!” Megan is featured in a story in today’s Memphis paper about the Sex and the City movie opening at theaters Friday.

The photo on the left is from the Commercial Appeal and the one on the right is from Megan’s blog. Now, the paper wanted to shoot Megan ‘blogging about fashion’ since that’s what Megan loves doing. Look carefully at those clothes behind Megan in her closet; we’re guessing at least 40% are pink or green or a blend of both!

Stop by Megan’s blog if you have a minute – it’s fun reading and she has loads of great photos! Miss Megan, congrats on the newspaper article! You’re a star! (Actually, you already were.) So there you have it: at least one actual bond tying the online preppy community to the SATC movie! (Whew, here at the Preppy Planetorium we were so worried the movie opening would come… and go… and we would be failures at pinning down that missing link. What a relief.)

The Princess fervently hopes Miss Megan and everyone else has a blast at the movie this weekend! Enjoy!

Updating our story in April about Cosabella’s Sex and the City lingerie line, as you might guess, the merchandise is actually available now. Both Bare Necessities and Chic Mystique seem to be well-stocked with the light and lacy goodies.

Updating the big whineathon post we did on Sex and the City fashions, you may remember the following photograph from the film’s London premiere and our ensuing consternation regarding The Hat. (Yes, it was that bad, it merited its own title.)

We openly acknowledged our ineptitude at comprehending and/or appreciating many of the ‘fashion looks’ shown in the television series and those ‘leaked’ from the film. We were relieved to hear from readers that we were not alone in our confusion, to say the least. Tonight we feel even better to learn that the movie’s Costume Designer, Patricia Field, was also confused by Sarah Jessica Parker’s selection of The Hat, created by Philip Treacy, a master of the genre. In an interview with New York magazine, here’s how things went:

NYMAG: Would you have done that?
“I didn’t understand it. I didn’t get the combination. Okay, it matched — so what else? I’m not going to lie, I didn’t get it at all.I didn’t understand it. I didn’t get the combination. Okay, it matched — so what else? I’m not going to lie, I didn’t get it at all.”

BTW, just a little aside here: did you know Patricia Field has a line for Payless Shoes? The Princess was completely unaware of this… we had no idea! But then, TP has been, and shall remain we fear, pretty much unaware of most that is considered hip and cool in contemporary culture. Sigh.

We leave you with a peek at some of the Patricia Field Payless line. The shoes and bags do have the most interesting names, like Socialite, and Heiress. Imagine that! And they are all very bright and shiny, definitely statement makers! Hubba-Hubba!

Preppy Seersucker: “Save those Bucks for the Country Club”

One of the great joys of ‘officially entering the Summer season’ is that for those of us from an era that adheres firmly to certain fashion guidelines, it’s the time of year when we get to have certain favorites walked out of the walk-in. More succinctly, we’re down with the seersucker.

Oddly enough, we’re not the only group appreciative of the fabric’s finer points. A few other establishments and members of the media have caught on as well; we thought it a good day to share some of their observations and links to their original stories should you like to peruse them at your leisure.

We start with The WSJ’s ‘Ask Teri’ feature from last Thursday, the 22nd, in which a college student wonders what is appropriate attire for a summer internship in Washington, D.C. With a little help from a friend, Michael Macko, men’s fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue, here is a portion of the response:

“Why not consider today’s more urbane take on seersucker, as in black-and-white or dark-gray-and-white seersucker suits?”

“Save your white oxford bucks or white loafers — without socks — for the country club.”

We’ll move on to this month’s issue of GQ with its snappy feature entitled “An American in Shanghai” and the subhead, ‘In the old city of China’s most booming metropolis, nothing catches the eye like an expat in a new-look seersucker suit.” There is an online slide show that you can start or stop at your pleasure with outstanding photos by Peggy Sirota of some great… and not-so-great seersucker suits. A few fashion tips are provided, such as ‘Know your Seersucker’ and the reader is advised that seersucker doesn’t need to be splashy. (Really? Noooooo! But we generally prefer ours to be splashy.) The first is this Polo by Ralph Lauren; the shirt, tie and pocket square are also Polo by Ralph Lauren.

A higher contrast stripe is shown in the next suit, Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers with a shirt also by Black Fleece and tie by Banana Republic.

Before we move completely away from GQ/Men’s Style, they have another feature on ‘Building Your Perfect Wardrobe for Spring/Summer ’08‘ and they show the following, another Polo by Ralph Lauren seersucker suit, this time with a Gap shirt and tie/pocket square duo from Robert Talbott.

Of course, we know it isn’t all about suits and it most definitely is *not* all about menswear. How about these simply divine blue Seersucker Golf Club Head Covers from the good folks at Club Contessa.

Or the absolutely sweet Gingham Checked seersucker striped dress for your little girl, complete with pink grosgrain ribbon? This treasure can be found at Kule, a delightful little shop online from Nikki Kule; you can even host or attend a trunk show if you want to see the goodies in person. (And who wouldn’t want to from looking at them online!)

Or this precious Florence Eiseman Seersucker Dress in a deep aqua stripe, for Sizes 3-9 Months, 12-24 Months, and 2T-4T. The Princess asks, how can you possibly resist, especially since it is on sale at Neimans? (I mean, look at those cute little flowers…..oh my!)

Of course, seersucker can also be simply outstanding for home decorating purposes, as evidenced by these Seersucker Window Panels in Pink Plaid or Aqua Plaid (actually The Princess would call these madras plaid seersucker…yes?) at everyone’s home-away-from-home, Le Boutique Tar-szhay.

If you aren’t going to wear it or hang it from the walls, one location you should definitely think about for seersucker is your table. As in dining room table, breakfast bar, kitchen island, wherever one has Cook serve their oatmeal and morning papers. (Or perhaps where you give Junior his Fruit Loops and sippy cup; you get the drift.) The pink Seersucker Pod placemats from the Preppy Princess are precisely what you need to enhance your summer dining experience, or to give as a luscious gift with the coordinating napkins. (Of course they’re a Princess design! You knew that the moment you saw them!) <grin.>

And because the Times felt compelled to mention seersucker in their amazing story on the swimsuits at Parke & Ronen, we thought we should share it with you as well, just in case you missed it in Thursday’s paper. The story, part of the Times’ Critical Shopper series that TP simply adores, is entitled Swimsuits Make the Man. We must acknowledge that information was news to us. At any rate, it is a most entertaining read. If you are in need of a gentleman’s swimsuit and wanted to see a Parke and Ronen version in seersucker (and on sale!), just click here.

Now some of you may know we spent the better portion of the last few days looking at fashions from Sex and the City as worn by Miranda (and personally styled for Book Mamma) as well a McMommy version of Charlotte’s aesthetic. We are now left with only one question: would any of the four primary characters have any seersucker apparel or accessories in their closets? If you answered in the affirmative, then it would seem you have a moral obligation to leave a comment telling us which character, and what on earth she could possibly own in seersucker? Oh, good. We so hoped you would do that.

It is clear to us there is so much more to be done on seersucker, but sadly, that shall have to wait for another day. Board meetings, flowers, Spousal Unit, Vet, just too-too much happening! But Happy, Happy Day to all! Speaking of happy and the vet, here’s one of the household who does her best to make us happy: Tilly, our little rescue bulldog about to celebrate her second anniversary with us. She asked if she might say “Hello” to Mummy’s friends; it didn’t seem right to deny her that opportunity as you know how we feel about good manners and children learning as they grow and learning by doing. (Of course the vet believes Miss Tilly is fairly ancient as English Bulldogs go, but as we always say, it is never to late to learn good manners.)

ABBREVIATIONS DEMYSTIFIED:

• WSJ: Wall Street Journal
• NYT: New York Times
• TP: The Princess