“Here Comes the Prepster”???

Hello-Hello, is everyone recovered from the weekend’s festivities?

We begin with an interesting story from AOL’s Daily Finance, “Trucker Hat Meet Boat Shoe: Here Comes the Prepster“.

“An amalgamation of two seemingly irreconcilable looks, preppie and hipster, the new style seems poised to take hipsters to a new sartorial level while it brings preppies to the forefront of fashion.”

Us? At the forefront of fashion? Bruce Watson’s story references names familiar to readers:

“…the classic preppy brands, a collection of companies that have never really achieved fashion superstardom, but have managed to maintain a robust cultural presence for decades — or, in the case of Brooks Brothers, over a century. From LL Bean to J Press, Murray’s Toggery Shop to Paul Stuart, these brands are the opposite of faddish: steadily profitable, they have generated loyal, if relatively small, followings.”

The author makes a strong argument for the blending of the two styles.

“While popular retailers like the aforementioned Zara, H&M and Uniqlo have latched on to a stylish office look that borders on preppy, some of the classic preppy brands have also sought to capture the hipster market. LL Bean, for example, launched LL Bean Signature, a more slim-cut, tailored version of the company’s classic garments. Priced a little bit higher than most of the brand’s offerings, Signature’s clothes were designed by popular designer Alex Carleton, and are skewed to a younger audience. Similarly, Brooks Brothers’ Black Fleece and Paul Stuart’s Phineas Cole lines also pander to a more body-conscious audience.

To read Mr. Watson’s ultimate conclusion, and also see a video on the topic, click here. (NOTE: If the author sounds familiar, we recently posted about his story “Fashionistas, Recessionistas and Prepsters: Is Preppy Dead?“)

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Next on the hit parade (and perhaps evidence of the validity of Mr. Watson’s theory), a story from men’s fashion site District Cut, “Coach Gets Preppy“.

The photos used in the post are from über-hip Japanese style magazine Popeye.

“Riding on the sudden resurgence of prep and collegiate style, the editorial entitled “Take Preppy” mixes and matches bags and other accessories, giving Coach a relevance that’s sure been missed.”

The story also provides some welcome information, if true:

“Come spring, nary a monogram print in sight…”

Sadly, any expectation that spring will bring merchandise sans the logo goes in the “we’ll believe it when we see it” category. While there are some lovely Coach pieces available now…

Fully half of the apparel and accessories items carry a Coach logo, be it the otherwise appealing Morgan Blazer…

… or a basic hat.

We shall effort optimism on this front.  Regardless, we are clearly in the minority with logophobia issues, the company just reported another extraordinarily profitable quarter.

For something irresistible and logo-free, look at these darling Coach Enamel Bow Bangles.

Cute, cute, cute.

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We have a different sort of Pretty in Pink (and green) to share today, related to our obsession fondness for textiles, we enjoy hoarding a staggering amount the little collection we have acquired over the years.  So when visiting the always delightful Diary of a Southern Belle and seeing her post about fabric, we realized we had to share one of the treasures she posted. Knowing our fondness for all things nautical, here are two swatches from the “Urban Zoologie” collection by Ann Kelle.

Not included in the Belle’s post but meriting a peek, two wonderful Adventures in Argyle and sweet hearts from the ‘Remix’ Collection by the same designer.

Our other Pretty in Pink comes via Erin at the Pink and Green Scene.

The letters are from Bliss Living, and available in a variety of colors and patterns.

With those fun photos we say goodbye until next time!