Mad Men Yourself, “Parodies of Preppiness”?

Hello-Hello,

For those readers of a…umm…well, readers of a ‘certain age,’ we must share yesterday’s “Where did TP’s brain go?” episode: after launching into a silly flurry of activity to make it to our afternoon volunteer shift at the local Senior Center, what do we learn? We learn (again) that putting things *in* the calendar is really very effective at warding off those occasions when one shows up for a shift that is scheduled for the following week. It also helps prevent the special looks one receives from the other volunteers.

Indeed.

But since we are chatting calendars again, we must share the newest addition to our Preppy Calendars category at the Princess, our desktop In Good Company Calendar for next year.

This is a desktop calendar, and the twelve oh-so-preptastic months fit right into the acrylic case that doubles as an easel.

Upon learning we could offer this to Princess customers for only $14 we put it on the “must-have” list for our little store.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Next, we wanted to share a fascinating column from the Boston Herald, one we think readers will find more-than-intriguing. The piece is titled “Let Me School You About Preppies,” it is by writer Sam Allis.

It begins condemning a show we have blathered on about ad nauseam mention here occasionally, NYC Prep.

““NYC Prep,’’ the ludicrous reality show about spoiled rich kids, most of whom attend Upper East Side private schools.

The show has nothing to do with preppies. Real preppies would have nothing to do with it. They’d be laughed out of New Canaan…”

Mr. Allis makes the point about the origins of the word “preppy” in prep schools, somethings Princess readers are well aware of, but he then raises a topic we once heard debated with a ferocity that seemed just inane:

“And prep schools are, in the cultural sense I’m talking about, boarding schools – not country day or Upper East Side privates.

It was on boarding school campuses that true preppies were spawned. The petri dish in which the culture was created and perpetuated was the prep school dormitory.”

We are in the camp that believes one is not required to be at boarding school to be immersed in what we would refer to as a basic preppy culture, one need only be attending certain schools. The entire topic reeks of a “I’m preppier than you are” sort of argument, a topic not even worthy of conversation IOHO.

Naturally the story contains the standard references about current definitions of ‘preppy style,’ appropriately referring to it as “classic, conservative men’s clothes.”  That breaks no new ground.

But then things take a bit of a negative turn when discussing specific retailers:

“The reigning king of preppy wistfulness remains Ralph Lauren, born Ralph Lifshitz in the Bronx, who has created the ultimate illusionary preppy world. His efforts are nothing if not about a yearning for a past he never knew.”

“His threads are beautiful, in contrast to parvenus like Vineyard Vines, an upstart that makes clothes for men and women that are parodies of preppiness. J.Crew still answers the bell because it sells smart preppy knockoffs.

We’ll share the following and then move on, encouraging readers to look at the actual column personally, that ensures a far better experience than our efforts at paraphrasing it.

“Every once in awhile, marketers will try to sell patch madras or seersucker again. What they’re selling is the past. No one drinks gin and bitters anymore, but who cares?”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We close with something we stumbled on to via Twitter yesterday that is likely to hold appeal for our fellow Mad Men fans. Remember the Elf Yourself fun every year around Christmas? (No, that isn’t TP, or even anyone we know.)

Well, true aficionados can now make their very own Mad Men avatars!

Courtesy amc-tv

Oh, of course we made our very own:

We hope we can convince the Consort to make one for himself.

Until next time, g’bye!