A Gossip Girl’s Fashion Faux Pas, Neiman’s True Prep Effort

Hello-Hello, and happy Thursday.

We have all manner of Bits and Bytes to share, the majority of today’s tidbits are fun and frivolous, with little or no redeeming social value whatsoever. We begin with an item we mentioned yesterday on Facebook, with apologies to our friends from that venue, we simply must show it again.  For only the fifth time in its history, the Hope Diamond was moved from its place at the Smithsonian.

Ann Heisenfelt/AP

The legendary piece was moved to the Harry Winston 5th Avenue flagship for a gala Tuesday night. It was also the first time the stone was seen in its new temporary setting, some readers may recall that the design was selected by the public through an online voting process.

From WWD’s story about the event:

“The security surrounding the Hope diamond’s appearance at the Harry Winston store last night rivaled that of a sitting President. There was to be no mention that the stone would be at the party, everyone was advised to bring photo ID and doors were locked at 7:30—no exceptions for latecomers.”

This photo gives a better sense of how truly immense the stone is.

Ann Heisenfelt/AP

Celebrities on hand for the big party included Halle Berry and designer Rachel Roy.

Perhaps the only thing discussed as much as the famous stone was the clothing selection made by actress Leighton Meester.

Image via Styleite

The Gossip Girl star’s lacy jumpsuit from Marchesa was sheer, there is nothing earth shattering about that; unfortunately we are all seeing far more of the “too little fabric, too much flesh” syndrome.

The problem with the piece was how much of the back of the jumpsuit was sheer.  As in all of it. (We’re not showing that image, to see how sadly the outfit missed the mark, click here, or here.)  From Refinery29:

“Don’t get us wrong—we love pants-off Tuesday as much as the next guy—but only in the privacy of our own homes. It seems someone forgot to give Leighton Meester the memo.”

It was a surprising miss from the young actress, for if she is criticized at all by the fashion media, it is generally for playing things too safely, too conservatively.

One of Ms. Meester’s costars is known for frequently wearing more daring looks; that may or may not be a factor in Blake Lively landing yet another Vogue cover, this time for a special edition.

Vogue Magazine

The actress is featured on the cover of Vogue Best Dressed. To see the Top 10 on the magazine’s list, click here.

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Next, a few new books, both appropriate for gifting. The first showcases creations by Louis Vuitton.

Courtesy Image

Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks will be released December 1, the title aptly describes the book; below we share a portion of the publisher’s description:

“…100 of the finest trunks the Louis Vuitton company has produced on commission, including boxes made for movie stars from Douglas Fairbanks to Sharon Stone and couturiers from Jeanne Lanvin to Karl Lagerfeld, as well as cases designed for Ernest Hemingway, Leopold Stokowski, and Damien Hirst.”

Here is a look at the ‘Deluxe Edition’.

Via High Snobiety

This version will only be available at Vuitton stores and through the company’s website.

The other volume we want to mention looks at interior design, the content all comes from T&C, one of TP’s favorite magazines.

At Home with Town and Country is the first home book from the magazine, the book offers a look at some of the magnificent homes and living spaces seen in the magazine.  This one was released in September, so it is available for purchasing now.

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Also today, it seems Neiman Marcus is embracing the prep style aesthetic, the NM Guide to Prep claims to offer “everything you need to achieve true prep status”.

Neiman Marcus

The guide is merely a collection of merchandise, with an an array of ideas for your MOTH (Man of the House). There are some obvious choices on the list, like the Hunter Boots and Neiman’s own brand of Pocket Squares.

The Lacoste Long Sleeve Polo and perhaps even the Armani Ties would make the cut.

But the Gucci Embroidered Crest Cardigan or the Burberry Wallet?

To quote Nancy Reagan, just say no.

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Our final item is dedicated to Muffy Martini, properly so when seeing the Question of the Day on auto-enthusiast site Jalopnik, where the question was asked, “What Would Muffy Drive?”

“As long as there are private boarding schools, Brooks Brothers button downs… and girls lacrosse there will be preppy kids with stupid names and nice cars. What would “Muffy” drive?

Here is the photo shown in the post:

Via Jalopnik.com

On that topic, g’bye until next time!

Friday Fun: Royals Watch Alice, Mad Man in Vancouver

Hello-Hello and welcome to some Friday Fun!

We have all sorts of bits and bytes to share today, we begin with a peek at the party across the pond for Alice in Wonderland.  When they say ‘Royal World Premiere’ they do mean Royal.

Dave M. Benett/Getty

We loved the gown worn by Mia Wasikowska.

Even the fans were all dolled up.

Claire R Greenway/Getty Images for Disney

It is beginning to look like we may actually have to toddle on over to a theater to enjoy the film in its best light.

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Next on the agenda, given any opportunity to post photos of Don Draper we continue our tradition of updating readers on Mad Men stars; Jon Hamm is in Vancouver enjoying the Olympics.

Jamie Squire/Getty

Above he is seen at the US vs. Canada hockey game last weekend, having a bite of pizza with longtime girlfriend Jennifer Westveldt.

Bauer Griffin

We’re not clear which team he was pulling for.

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Next, a look at the latest collaborative collection from Louis Vuitton.

Courtesy Photo via StyleRumor.com

The limited edition line is called Cosmic Blossoms, done with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. Some readers may recognize the artist’s name, this is one of many partnerships Mr. Murakami has done with Vuitton.

Courtesy photo via HighSnobiety.com

The advertising campaign features Daisy Lowe, with pieces in three rich shades that we adore. The bright pops of color look like Easter candy or ice cream sherbet.

Courtesy/StyleRumor.com

The Cosmic Blossom collection becomes available in Louis Vuitton stores beginning April 15.

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We also have a few more styles from New York Fashion Week we haven’t yet had time to share.

There is no way we could allow the Oscar de la Renta show to pass unnoticed, the man is genius.

There are many reasons we frequently refer to Mr. de la Renta as ‘the master’.  Among other things, the designer knows how to use color and texture.

He also knows how to make a woman look, and feel beautiful.

Lush, luxurious and lovely.

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Next, looks for a Lady:

Lady Gaga, that is.

The entertainer sought designs for her Monster Ball tour from both Prada and Armani; above are sketches for two styles from Armani.  Below we see the entertainer in her ‘Telephone’ video.

LadyGaga.com

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We do love a post by the folks at StyleFrizz, pointing out one of the hottest trends in wedding gowns:

Pockets.  More and more gowns are offering pockets.

The genesis of the StyleFrizz post is actually found in this post at the Austin Wedding Blog.

The J. Crew Genevieve silk radzimir gown also offers this handy helper (no pun intended).

J. Crew Genevieve

As does the very popular Alexa cotton Cady.

J. Crew Alexa

Many of Crew’s gown have pockets, a smart move on their part.

TP is hyper-sensitive to the issue, having wept more than a few tears of joy upon the occasion of her marriage to the Consort. If we’d only had pockets, sigh.

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We close with something provoking a little controversy:

Associated Press

You are looking at what’s left of the hair on speed skater Ryan Bradford’s head.  Evidently a small minority of people feel this is disrespectful to the American flag; as someone who might be considered hyper-sensitive to such things we disagree.  Another Team USA skater sort of tricked the athlete into the look; click here to see more about that.

On that note we say g’bye and share hopes everyone enjoys their weekend!

CREDITS:

Oscar de la Renta: George Chinsee/WWD

Monday Musings: Liz at QVC, In the Pink

Hello-Hello, and Happy Day to all, especially those enjoying a day off, a little respite from their normal schedule!

We must begin by sending great good wishes, big smiles, hugs, prayers and lots of love to two of our favorite bloggers who started on a new path this weekend….

Courtesy Classic Confection Cakes

Congratulations to the one and only Muffy Martini and Daisy JD (Just Daisy), they married the loves of their lives Saturday.

Courtesy BlissTree.com

And now they are off honeymooning, whoo-hoo! (Note: photos are not from either wedding.)

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Moving on, big news for anyone who enjoys Liz Claiborne:

The line is being moved exclusively to Penney’s. Both the men’s and women’s labels are making the move; if things are going well after five years, Penney’s can even buy the name.

John Aquino/WWD

Liz Claiborne New York, moves to QVC and the company’s outlet stores.  The WWD story on this notes something TP has wondered about for some time: the perils of watering down a designer’s caché by creating multiple labels sold in similar stores.  As the firm’s CEO, William L. McComb, put it:

“It was time to break the conflict inherent in the strategy that had a lower-priced offering of the Liz Claiborne brand at one department store in the mall [Penney’s] and a higher-priced version of it in a department store across the mall [Macy’s],”

This brings comparisons to American Living, the Polo Ralph Lauren brand sold at Penney’s. Below, a fashion look and a table lamp, both from that collection.

It’s unlikely there is much brand dilution with this line; most retailing insiders believe the line really bears little resemblance to standard PLR merchandise.

Other retailers have done well with designer collections specifically for their customers, such as the Simply Vera by Vera Wang and Dana Buchman lines  at Kohl’s, and Tommy Hilfiger is now sold only at Macy’s or Hilfiger stores.

From a big picture perspective this also allows the Claiborne company to focus more attention on several brands many readers are familiar with: Kate Spade, Lucky Brand Jeans, and Juicy Couture.

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We have a few more Pretty in Pink things to share, starting with an extra cute pair of Keds.

The Keds Champion Pink Ribbon sneaker benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation – the company is donating 100% of proceeds to the BCRF.

Speaking of shoes, how about these Ragg Kids Puppy for infants and toddlers?

Or these Bibi Kids Laceups, also for infants and toddlers?

If TP and the Consort had been blessed with human children we would be bankrupt; every single cent would be spent on shoes for the little ones, they are simply too cute!

Another delightful find, Kate Spade’s Bon Vivant Lilia, actually something of a bargain right now.

Because of the chilly temps outside, we have to share the Pink Funnelneck coat from Old Navy.

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We leave with a look at the next generation Armani phone.

Courtesy Photo via WWD

It does look sleek and elegant – dare we say understated?

Courtesy Photo via WWD

However, we’re more than content with our iPhone tucked into its shocking pink case and we also have a greater understanding of just how easily one might become addicted to dependent upon the technology.

Until tomorrow,  we send smiles to each and every cherished readers!

Jill Biden Inauguration Dress on its Way, Brooks Brothers Cuts Prices on Black Fleece

Hello-Hello and Happy Friday everyone!

In all candor, sometimes we wonder about this proclamation of happiness for ‘the weekend,’ when in reality we frequently work on the weekend.  Both daze days.  Yet from a psychological perspective, things are a tad more relaxed here at the Prepatorium, and unless we have functions, we dress in business casual.  So we do greet the approaching weekend with a bit of a boost for the spirit; we hope you face yours with this sense of an anticipatory smile for your heart as well.

Today we start with the Black Fleece standalone store, now open in the Village.

PHOTO: George Chinsee/WWD

The new shop by Brooks Brothers features the full men’s and women’s collections created by TP’s favorite designer (ummm….not) Thom Browne.  We are now going to be completely crass in our discussion of things related to that nasty “M word,” and tell you that the bigger story IOHO is Black Fleece price points being lowered.  According to this column in WWD (Women’s Wear Daily):

“Prices for the Thom Browne-designed line have been dropped significantly — a men’s suit that formerly retailed for $2,700 can now be had for $1,900 and women’s prices have dropped in tandem — reflecting the “friendlier” exchange rate of the euro for the Italy-produced collection.

“There’s new pricing for spring,” revealed Claudio Del Vecchio, Brooks Bros.’ chief executive officer. “But we didn’t change the quality or the make of the men’s suits.”

We have been vocal in our fondness for several of looks in the current group, including the Navy Pinstripe separates.

Not all prices are changing: the men’s shirts and toes remain at $150 and higher. The Black Fleece collection is also being offered in an enhanced setting at the Brooks flagship on Madison Avenue, currently being refurbished.

PHOTO: George Chinsee/WWD

Perhaps the best news in the story is that the company is not encountering the same wretched sales numbers as so many other retailers:

“We’re not a designer brand like Armani or Prada, we’re more of a family brand” with lower-than-luxury prices. “We feel we’re in the right place for when this is over. It’s a good time to be Brooks Bros.”

That comes from Claudio Del Vecchio, Brooks Brothers’ CEO.

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There is news today of another popular Inauguration look being made available to the masses.  The always brilliant Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan has the scoop at the Journal’s Heard on the Runway blog.  In her Thursday column Ms. Tan reports that Milly will re-introduce the dress worn by Dr. Jill Biden for the Inauguration and Luncheon.  Below, the dress is barely visible on the far left.

PHOTO: Harry Hamburg/Pool

The Houndstooth Wool Dress is still available at Saks, with a broad range of sizes offered, at $360.

As this is one of TP’s favorite lines, we are ecstatic to learn price points are also dropping at Milly! According to Ms. Tan’s story, company founder Michelle Smith feels she had little choice in this area:

“… after major retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue slashed prices by as much as 70% to get consumers to spend.”

“It’s disappointing, it’s frustrating but, what can you do?” says Ms. Smith…”

We are not going to be disingenuous and pretend sadness at this action, for we do love our Milly!

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We have posted previously about the upcoming Alexander McQueen for Target Collection, most recently on Tuesday of this week, sharing a sneak peek at pieces from the line.  The line is receiving substantial buzz, not all of it laudatory.  Below, another look from the group, with thanks to the good folks at Nylon:

Courtesy Target via Nylon

In this column yesterday for the Times, writer Eric Wilson asks “But How Will It Play in Tulsa?”

“Tapping Mr. McQueen to design a collection seems a little odd even for Target, which has branded itself as a design maverick, given the times.”

Courtesy Target via Nylon

Mr. Wilson goes on to say:

“The McQ clothes are on average more expensive, from $19.99 to $129.99, than Target’s prior fashion collaborations, and certainly not as cheerful as anything Isaac Mizrahi would have considered.”

Interesting points, indeed.  While the look is assuredly not for us, we say ‘good for the Boutique’ in reaching out to a different demo; we aren’t convinced the McQueen collection will be a strong seller, but hopefully we will be wrong on this front.

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We close with a “Pretty in Pink” for your perusal, another offering from the Lilly Pulitzer Stationery & Gift line due at the Princess next week.

Lilly Pulitzer at PreppyPrincess.com

Now if we could plant that in our Diet Coke (or other libation…heh-heh), our day would be infinitely improved!  The Drink Umbrellas are available for pre-ordering now!

On that cheery note, until next time!

Preppy Manny Ramirez?!? Who are Michael Phelps Favorite Designers?

Regular readers know what a baseball fan The Princess is, and won’t be surprised to learn she is watching playoff games when she should be working while simultaneously working very hard for the Preppy Princess. She wastes countless hours occasionally scans a headline or two about the sport; imagine her surprise upon reading this in a Sports Illustrated story about superstar Manny Ramirez:

“Manny Ramirez looked jarringly preppy in a gray, argyle-style V-neck as he stood outside the Dodgers clubhouse not long after his Game 1 destruction of the Cubs in the NLDS last week.”

PHOTO: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty

Manny Ramirez? Preppy? Methinks not. This is an extraordinarily gifted athlete best described as a baseball savant, to modify a term in the story. Part of what makes Manny “Manny” is the hair.

PHOTO: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty

“He didn’t look like his rumpled on-field self at all: He was polished, with dreads cut neatly. And then it happened … his inner Mr. Magoo materialized. Manny emerged in a corridor of Wrigley Field, but he wasn’t looking for the Dodgers’ team bus. He wanted a taxi to take him wherever Manny likes to go — outer space, perhaps.”

We’re struggling to remember the last time we saw hair like this on anyone described as “preppy,” although it is actually clear in the story the author doesn’t think he is either.  Manny is a lot things, many of them good, some not-so-wonderful, but preppy is not one of them.

After our recent post all about cardigan sweaters we could hardly omit sharing this one, sported by Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick, otherwise known as Chuck Bass.

TP thinks it is this one from Brooks Brothers:

A friend who struggles with the fact we don’t watch the show is constantly tormenting us with updates and the weekly plot synopsis of the upcoming episode. We have to admit Monday’s show title is really very clever: “New Haven Can Wait.” One of the funnier things in the upcoming episode has to be “Chuck’s” kidnapping, hypothetically carried out by Skull and Bones members while visiting Yale. Honestly.

We are trying to decide if it is a sign of advancing age that we aren’t crazy about Taylor Momsen’s look seen during Friday’s shoot …

PHOTO: Splashnews

Or her photo spread in the next issue of Crash magazine…

It just all looks a little, well, unnecessary. We didn’t realize she played “Cindy Lou Who” in the “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” but after thinking about it we definitely see the resemblance.  Sadly, we had the same reaction to the dress (nightie?) worn by Blake Lively, who plays Serena van der Woodsen on the über-hot show.

PHOTO: Le Poulin/Splash News

Another silly Sunday tidbit: Michael Phelps has more than one favorite designer.  In speaking with the good folks at NY magazine the Olympic star said he considers Giorgio Armani and Diesel.

PHOTO: Mike Stobe/Getty

Of course he also includes Lacoste among his first-string, although we have never been able to confirm the fashion  house is an official sponsor, as Speedo is. And when asked about going to Fashion Week next time around?

“…we asked if Phelps got invited to Fashion Week. “I have no idea if I did or not. I’m not sure where I was at that point, but I was traveling and I was super busy.” But if the designers in Paris had invited him to the shows, he so would have gone! “I’ll go anywhere. I’ll go enjoy myself. Come on — it’s fun going to those things…”

One heads-up for anyone still interested in the Phelps Phans tee-shirts we mentioned in a post back in August: they are gone.  Apparently the phrenzy is either over or just too much to keep up with, we’re not sure.

And with that we say ta-ta for now.