Friday Fun with a Nautical Slant

Hello-Hello, welcome to an almost-weekend here at The Prepatorium. It’s Friday, the monsoon seems to have finally abated: we actually have sun shining and it’s just plain gorgeous. It seems like a good time for some Friday Fun with a nautical slant, we begin with some amazing cakes.

Fat Girl Cakes / My 1950s Wedding

The next come via Alana Scully Photography/Style Me Pretty (L) and Arte de Ka Cakes (R).

Alana Scully Photography via Style Me Pretty/Arte de Ka Cakes

Here we see a trio of nautically inclined cakes via Bird’s Party Blog.

Bird’s Party Blog

This one is by Miso Cakes, the photo comes via The Cake Blog.

Miso Cakes via The Cake Blog

I like the Nautical Stripes Charm Bracelet from C. Wonder, and the Blue Nautical Stripe shoes by Zara are cute.

C. Wonder/Zara

More jewelry, Betsey Johnson’s Nautical Theme Necklace,on the left, the Nautical Knot Bracelet is by Madewell.

Betsey Johnson/Madewell

Other jewelry options include the Urban Outfitters Earrings or our Needlepoint Anchors Bracelet.

Urban Outfitters/The Preppy Princess

When it comes to apparel there’s no shortage of items at J. Crew, like the Anchor Tee Shirt and the Linen Pocket Anchor Tee.

J. Crew

Equipment’s Whirlpool Anchors silk shirt is on the left, on the right we show the Moschino Cheap & Chic Anchor Heart T-Shirt.

Equipment/Moschino

For your MOTH (Man Of The House) perhaps the Shanghai Anchor Smoking Slippers or J. Crew’s Lightweight Pattern Socks?

Saks 5th Avenue/J. Crew

For the wee Prince, a few styles from Danish brand ej sikke lej, the Sailboat Owl or Sailor Dog tees.

ej sikke lej

From the same shop, your very young Princess In Training may enjoy the onesie, if a bit older the tee could work.

ej sikke lej

Ralph Lauren offers some darling onesies: a vintage print, along with an embroidered navy style.

Ralph Lauren via Saks

One of my all-time favorite infant items: the needlepoint Baby Booties from By Paige.

By Paige

By Paige also has footwear for grown-up girls.

By Paige

But perhaps my favorite nautically influenced shoes come from J. Crew, the Bow Pumps in Ratti Regatta.

J. Crew Collection

They’re not terribly practical they are so distinctive, once worn they are not easily forgotten. But they are darling. Perhaps one would get more bang for their buck by using their pin money for these. The yummy-looking sailboats on the left are by Pink Martinis and Pearls, the collection on the right was shared on The Cake Blog.

Pink Martinis & Pearls/The Cake Blog

Our final item is something new to the Princess, the Reilly tote from Crabberrie Bags, featuring a vintage boat on the water.

‘Reilly’ Tote at PreppyPrincess.com

We hope you enjoy a splendid weekend, be it on land or at sea.

“The Origins of Preppy” Exhibit

Hello-Hello, welcome to a new week here at the Prepatorium.

We just share one topic today, a look at a new exhibit, “The Origins of Preppy: John Meyer of Norwich“.  Some readers will recall the brand, for those not quite as ancient seasoned (ahem) as your trusty scribe, John Meyer made the most fabulous clothing. Below, a print ad from the brand.

Elise Meyer Pinterest

The exhibit is at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury (CT), more from the exhibit description:

The Preppy style was born on the campuses of America’s Ivy League colleges but it was manufactured using the resources of Eastern Connecticut. Origin of Preppy explores the style’s transformation from campus fad to innovative fashion by pioneering purveyor John Meyer of Norwich.

An installation from the show as well as the woman who created the grouping, Maddie Chapman.

Mattatuck Museum Facebook

I love both the John Meyer button and that tweedy blue and green fabric.

Elise Meyer Pinterest

The exhibit has been put together by Elise Meyer, the founders’ daughter. More from the Norwich Bulletin:

The exhibit is more than just about the clothing trend that became the rage for the most fashionably dressed sporty women of America. For the Northeast and Norwich it was a demonstration of innovation , know-how and determination.

The Vintage Traveler blog shared some delightful John Meyer ads.

John Meyer via The Vintage Traveler

Is anyone else feeling a déjà vu vibe? The “I swear, I wore that!” reaction? In reality it is unlikely I wore any of the pieces shown here, they are from 1967 and 1968, a little mature for someone who was but a wee Princess at that time.

John Meyer Norwich via The Vintage Traveler

We return to the Museum’s description of the exhibit.

The John Meyer of Norwich label provided a certain status and confidence to stylish women from the 1950s through the 1970s. Meyer’s daughter, Elise, has compiled an archive of the groundbreaking businessman including photographs, stories and vintage clothing.

I enjoyed reading Elise Meyer’s blog post about what she learned in putting together the exhibit.

In the project I found profound lessons about hard work and inspiration, about strong communities, about decency and fairness, about American values, about American ingenuity, and most of all, American manufacturing.I learned the value of “good manners in behavior and in dress”, and how that makes everyone a bit more comfortable.

For some reason Ms. Meyer’s good manners reference resonated.

The Vintage Traveler’s perspective on the brand:

If you were around in the 1960s and early 70s, chances are you were in love with the clothes from John Meyer of Norwich.   In my little corner of the world, there were only two shops that carried John Meyer, and both of them were the best stores in town.  Not every girl was lucky enough to own clothes from John Meyer, but the influence of the brand was huge, and one could buy cheaper versions of their beautiful heathery tweeds at places like Sears.  As they say, imitation is the highest praise.

John Meyer Norwich via The Vintage Traveler

The Vintage’s Traveler shares a reaction to the exhibit as well.

…gives a good account of how many girls and young women were actually dressing in the period that is more associated with the mod look and then the hippie look.

Elise Meyer has a partial archive of John Meyer pieces on her Pinterest page, including this classic.

Emily Meyer Pinterest

Remember the old style price tags?

Elise Meyer Pinterest

I imagine a few of our pals in Virginia will also recognize the department store, Miller & Rhoads.  Below, three more styles, these date to 1966.

Elise Meyer Pinterest

Bermuda bags.

Elise Meyer Pinterest

There is even a Pin showing Barbie and Skipper in John Meyer of Norwich.

Elise Meyer Pinterest

You my view Ms. Meyer’s Pinterest archive here. For anyone in the Waterbury vicinity this weekend, the Museum is hosting a party.

Mattatuck Museum Facebook

Don your Madras shorts and Lilly Pulitzer summer dresses and head down to the Museum, on the green in Waterbury for an evening of casual summer fun

Guests will have the opportunity to bid on fun summer experiences including creating your own ice cream flavor, being Museum Curator for a day, naming a martini at a local restaurant and much more.

It looks like a lot of fun. For more on the Fling, click here.

About That Lilly Warehouse Sale & Stephen Bonanno Sandals

Hello-Hello, it is a glorious Friday here at The Prepatorium, we hope you are enjoying warm breezes and sunshine at your Palace.

Today we have a follow-up on our quick preview of the Lilly Pulitzer Warehouse Sale last week.  Not only did Racked Philly do advance coverage of the event, London’s The Daily Mail covered the sale.

The Daily Mail June 7, 2013

The Daily Mail piece borrowed heavily from a Racked story about the sale. The Racked article featured text and lots of wonderful photos from Julie Davis, below, the line waiting for the sale as of 5am Thursday morning, the day the Sale started.

Julie Davis/Racked Philly

I was confused by the Daily Mail story, it spoke about people camping out ahead of time, talking about info posted on Lilly’s site.

The site revealed that shoppers had been lining up outside the 240,000 square-foot venue in Oaks, Pennsylvania, since last Sunday so they could snap up the best bargains when doors opened Thursday.

Julie Davis/Racked Philly via The Daily Mail

The confusion comes because I thought camping out ahead of time was against Lilly’s “rules” for the Sale.

At any rate, Julie’s photos show that once inside there was a lot of merchandise available Thursday morning.

Julie Davis/Racked.com

Things looked well-organized by item, size, etc.

Julie Davis/Racked Philly

And prices seemed clearly marked.

Julie Davis/Racked Philly

From the Daily Mail:

Dresses started from $79, marked down from $178 to $348, and wedged shoes were discounted from $198 to $99.

The section for ‘seconds’ really had people ‘going nuts’ as merchandise dropped as low as $10.

But not everyone was/is happy. Why not? The headline from another story about the sale should give you an idea.

Racked Philly

Julie Davis also wrote this story, asking if those purchasing sale merchandise solely for the purpose of re-selling it have ruined things.  It is a solid follow-up piece, noting two primary themes among those responding to stories and posts online about the sale:

1) People were aghast that anyone would wait in line for five days for bargain bin clothing (“Nope, nope, nope. This makes me rashy and panicky just to think about,” said a commenter on Jezebel, who picked up on the story); and

2) Swarming eBayers are the devil for hoarding the event’s merch with the intention of resale, keeping the goods from Lilly’s “real” fans.

There were also multiple threads on Facebook on the topic. Some were happy with their experience at the sale, others were not.

Additionally, there was a third group of comments from those who prefer a return to former warehouse sale practices, like invitation-only shopping. Many reacted to photos like the one just below, noting that some customers were clearly not “Lilly lovers,” and were purchasing only for purposes of reselling.

Julie Davis/Racked Philly

Back to the follow-up story by Ms. Davis:

Multiple commenters left accounts of run-ins with resellers, including this tale of woe on our sister site: “Woman came out with 10 trash bags basically trashing Lilly saying they were dizzy and wanted to vomit with all the color of the horrible clothes, my friend asked why they bought so much and they said they were ebayers. My friend said it was horrible because she had to leave without getting in and the woman handed her a card saying you can buy from me I’ll only charge you 2 times the price I paid.”

There were also many who felt that Racked and other media “ruined the sale,” clearly not the case. The Lilly Pulitzer brand continues to generate enormous revenue for its corporate owner, Oxford Industries and the reality is that Oxford/Lilly is primarily interested in selling merchandise.  The company, and the Warehouse Sale, have moved (by design) beyond the more collegial days of yore.

Oxford Industries

As noted in a previous post, Lilly sells an awful lot of goods on the Rue La La flash sale site. I see more and more discounted Lilly inventory on Rue La La each month, not less. It is a far more cost-effective means for disposing of merchandise than renting and staffing a warehouse.  This is the first year in quite some time LP is limiting itself to only one warehouse sale, I wouldn’t be surprised if we continue to see it kept to one a year moving forward.

The online-only Endless Summer sale is due to be repeated this year. There was some sentiment expressed in comments on the Racked story suggesting this be the only type of sale in the future, below we share a sampling of those comments:

• “I hope Lilly wises up and cancels the warehouse sale and makes it an online sale instead so we all get a fair shot at the goods.”
• “I have to agree with the poster above, move the sale online and discontinue Warehouse Sales if it is not going to be fair to all.”
• “They should can the Warehouse Sale and take those funds and put the money into the Online Sales and everyone will have a fair chance at the Lilly. Limiting items in online shopping carts can deter the Resellers.”
• I”f Lilly corporate doesn’t want to lose their core customers and still wants to preserve their “cash cow” the smart move would be to have Rue La La handle their sales. Let the liquidation experts handle it.”

Back to the Racked Philly story:

Even if it can be successfully argued that resellers have put a damper on this event, we doubt Lilly Pulitzer will revert back to inviting VIP shoppers via mailer only. True, the mailer kept resellers at bay—but it also prevented the sale from becoming the cash cow that is today. And while signs posted around the warehouse noted that the brand reserved the right to limit shoppers’ purchases, but we never saw (or heard of) anyone being flagged. What do you think? Has the Lilly Pulitzer Warehouse Sale jumped the shark?

No one with whom I spoke could report any instances of Lilly limiting purchases.  What are your thoughts…? Have we moved beyond the days of the Warehouse Sale, would you prefer it all be moved online?

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Our other tidbit today involves Stephen Bonanno, the sandal maker and seller.

Stephen Bonanno

All is not peace, love and happiness for the fabled company. Apparently the company was overwhelmed by the volume of orders received during its one-day 50th anniversary sale. Customers have been waiting almost five months for the sandals purchased at 50% off during the sale. Below, a graphic from the Stephen Bonanno website:

StephenBonanno.com

The company’s Facebook page is filled with posts from concerned/perturbed/irate customers. The company says the orders will be filled, more from WPEC-TV:

“Everything will be delivered, it’s just going to be delivered late,” said Lisa Simone, an employee of the sandal company and the owner’s fiancée.  Simone says the company was flooded with orders during that one-day sale with some women buying 8 or 9 pairs.

The company had a whopping 4,000 orders in just one day. Simone says in an average day they get 50 to 75 orders for sandals. She claims they were so overwhelmed they got behind.

For more information, the Bonanno Facebook page may be found here.

Until next time, may everyone enjoy a simply splendid weekend!

Captain Wales Comes to Washington & One World Trade Center is Now 1776 Feet Tall

Hello-Hello, and Happy Friday. We have a fairly newsy post this morning, tidbits we hope you might enjoy seeing. The first involves Prince Harry’s visit to America.

The young royal headed to Capitol Hill.

Kori Schulman/The White House

He made an unannounced visit to the White House Mother’s Day tea, surprising children of active military parents.

James Birtles, Sky News Twitter

The tea party honored the HALO Trust.

James Birtles, Sky News Twitter Feed

Harry then joined Senator John McCain to view a new exhibit by the HALO Trust, “the world’s oldest and largest humanitarian landmine clearance organisation.”

Kasie Hunt/NBC News Twitter Feed

Harry is the Royal Patron of HALO’s 25th Anniversary fundraising efforts, below we see him visiting HALO Mozambique.

HALO Trust Flickr

Some readers may recall Princess Diana’s involvement with HALO.

Mirror Photos

At a dinner last night Harry spoke about his mother’s work with the organization, this Express story has more:

“…at the dinner, he evoked the memory of Princess Diana’s ultimately successful campaign in 1997 to bring about a worldwide ban on landmines.

“My mother, who believed passionately in this cause, would be proud of my association with HALO.,” he said. In her special way, she adopted it as her own. She would join me – along with all of you, I’m sure – in praising HALO for the amazing work that it has done over the past quarter century….”

One of the more interesting aspects of yesterday’s events was the crowd of young ladies waiting to see Harry, more from UK reporter Richard Palmer:

From the Evening Standard:

Harrymania…crowds of girls had screamed and cheered for the Prince in Washington DC on the first day of his official tour of the US.

This morning Prince Harry went to Arlington National Cemetery. He started his visit in Section 60, this is where those who have died fighting the global war on terror are buried.

Tim Ewart, ITV Royal Editor Twitter

For today’s solemn wreath laying ceremony he was in the ceremonial uniform of the Blues and Royals, that is his regiment. He also wore the Army Air Corps blue beret. Harry is an Apache helicopter co-pilot and gunner, he has served two tours of duty in Afghanistan.

James Birtles/Sky News

There was an Army Full-Honors Wreath Laying Ceremony.

A visiting head of state will pay formal respects to the sacrifice of America’s veterans in foreign wars by placing a wreath before the Tomb. Similarly, other foreign ministers may also include a wreath laying here as part of their official itineraries.

While not a Head of State, Harry is the Queen’s representative in this capacity.

Via Peter Hunt/BBC Twitter Feed

Back to the Evening Standard’s story:

The grave of US Army Specialist Michael L Stansbery Jr, who died in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan on July 30, 2010, aged 21, was chosen at random out of the thousands of graves in Section 60.

The headstone of Spc Stanbery, a recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, had six stones and glass beads placed on it by family members to mark their visits.

Harry visited John F. Kennedy’s grave.

Via Deanna Duray Twitter Feed

He then moved to Arlington’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

UK in USA Tumblr

Simon Perry of People magazine shared this photo, Harry saluting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Simon Perry, People Magazine Twitter Feed

The handwritten note that was with the wreath.

Via

It reads, “To my comrades in arms of the United States who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of freedom,” and was signed “Captain Harry Wales”.

The focus of Harry’s visit is supporting injured servicemen and servicewomen from both the US and UK, he will be visiting Walter Reed National Medical Center and attending the Warrior Games in Colorado Springs. The Games are hosted by the USOC and include teams from the US Army, United States Marine Corps, US Navy and Coastguard, the Air Force and Special Operations Command.

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Our other news involves One World Trade Center.

Via WCBS880 Twitter Feed

The building is now at the symbolic height of 1776 feet, the spire atop the structure was permanently affixed by ironworkers this morning.

WCBS880 Twitter Feed

The skyline in this morning’s haze and fog.

Anne Thompson, NBC News Twitter

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We leave you with a few of our favorite looks from the Lilly Pulitzer spring/summer line.

Bloomingdale’s

A better look at the Malibu Blazer.($198).

Bloomingdale’s

The contrasting peter pan collar on the Andria Silk Top ($138) is cute as can be, but the way the piece hangs just didn’t wow me.

Bloomingdale’s

You may have noticed the pretty pink belt in the photos, here is a better look at the Bow Tie Belt ($48).

Bloomingdale’s

With that Pretty in Pink we say g’bye until next time!

The Vitals Preppy Guidebook & Another Preptastic Collaboration

Hello-Hello, welcome to a Wednesday here at The Prepatorium. One that started out with some unexpected excitement (more on that momentarily).

We are brief today, with only two tidbits to share.  The first involves something that somehow escaped me, a book called “The Vitals Preppy Guidebook“.

The Vitals Preppy Guidebook via Alex Grant

Once again we turn to our pal Skip over at the Alexander Grant blog, for more info:

Five years before Lisa Birnbach decided to update The Official Preppy Handbook with True Prep, Rosecrans Baldwin and co. of the now elusive Vitals magazine penned an updated version that still holds true today.

Skip shares scans in his post about the Guidebook.

The Preppy Guidebook via Alex Grant

Vitals had a short tenure on the magazine rack, which was too bad, I remember reading several issues, it was a solid product. The Vitals Preppy Guidebook was published eight years ago, in the spring of 2005. No one will be surprised at the number of heritage brands shown in the Guidebook that remain with us yet today, like Nantucket Reds, Brooks Brothers, Barbour and others.

The Vitals Preppy Guidebook via Alex Grant

There were sections on “Where to be seen,” “Where to spend money” and other tongue-in-cheek topics.

“The Vitals Preppy Guidebook” via Alex Grant

Decor images included the Preppy’s Study.

“The Vitals Preppy Guidebook” via Alex Grant

From the description of one’s study, “It’s his solace and his right. It is, if given the option, where he’d be buried. In J. Press plaid.”

Photograph by Matthew Hranek – “The Vitals Preppy Guidebook” via Alex Grant

Does anyone remember this one…..? It looks like such a fun read.

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We also have another collaboration news to share, this time with a decidedly preppish slant.  Stationers Dempsey and Carroll and J. McLaughlin have partnered on a collection of correspondence cards.

Dempsey & Carroll

As many readers already know, Dempsey & Carroll’s cards are simply wonderful. They’re all-cotton heavy stock with hand-bordered edges, accompanied with exquisite lined envelopes. There are three J. McLaughlin designs available: from left to right, the Marrakesh, the Olana (yes, after the Frederic Edwin Church home) and Moroccan Paisley.

Dempsey & Carroll

The Correspondence Cards are $55 for a set of 10 cards and matching envelopes. There are also coordinating Gift Tags.

Dempsey & Carroll

The tags are $7 each, $35 for a set of 5. The paper goods are available online at both Dempsey & Carroll and J. McLaughlin, as well as select J. Mac stores.

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Back to that early a.m. excitement, it involved this.

TPP InterGalactic HQ

Someone who shall rename nameless (although you could always touch base with The Consort) wanted to “sanitize” a dishcloth. How else would one do that other than popping it in the microwave for a full 2 minutes??? Did I mention it was basically dry when it went in the microwave?

Actually, there were lots of popping embers going, and no damage to anything other the dishcloth, so we’re in a major attitude of gratitude.