Ralph Lauren’s New Home, George & Bar at Houston Fashion Week

Hello and greetings on a day filled with fun and surprises.

We begin with the announcement of our True Prep & Official Preppy Handbook Giveaway winner….

The lucky lady is Southern Sweetie Katie!  We used Random.org to pick the winner; the number chosen is actually for one of the additional entries Katie received for sending someone else to the contest.We want to thank everyone who joined in the fun, we admit being amazed by the number of entries.  If there were to be an award for the best effort in getting others to add entries in her name, that would go to Courtney. And the most delightful comment on Courtney’s behalf comes from her mother, Kathi, we were in stitches when reading this:

“My darling daughter, Courtney Rounds, has begged and pleaded with me to leave a comment. I’ve gently reminded her that a true preppy does not beg or plead. I fear having to remind her does not speak well of my influence during her formative years. I did try. Her nursery was green and pink. Her name, Courtney Elizabeth, offered numerous acceptable nickname opportunities. Her bedtime stories alternated between select readings from my well worn copy of “The Preppy Handbook” and Shel Silverstein. I was properly supportive when she pledged a well established sorority. From an early age she could immediately recognize her monogram. She knows that there is no such thing as too many Sperry’s, plaid shorts or headbands. She has never had big hair. She never will have big hair. Courtney Rounds has a Proper Preppy Princess Pedigree. She is, after all, the progeny of a Preppy Queen and an aging frat boy.”

Courtney’s father is equally creative, here is his comment:

“Courtney is to preppy as Nietzsche is to pietzsche.”

Honestly, we have more fun doing this kind of thing, we try to be restrained so it doesn’t become tedious, but the Fun-o-Meter was peaking in the red zone on this one.

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

Next, a few quick tidbits we are overdue in mentioning, with linkage should any of the stories hold appeal:

1) Following a June story in the Times on the popularity of ‘heritage brands’ the Journal ran a similar piece at the end of September, “Is LL Bean Driving the Runway?”

“Besides the re-emergence of L.L. Bean and Pendleton, other vintage brands such as Stetson, Woolrich, Levi’s and Britain’s J Barbour & Sons are having second comings, either independently or collaborating with high-end runway designers.”

We love the illustration accompanying the story, “The Heritage Hipster Matrix“.

Wall St. Journal

2) Speaking of heritage, we offer this from the Yale Daily News:

“This November, American heritage clothing brand Gant will open a new store at the corner of York and Elm streets, almost 60 years after it opened its first store in New Haven.”

We have offered a number of post drooling chatting about the upcoming Gant womenswear line, it is wonderful to see the company opening a store back where they first started in 1941.

3) Women’s Wear Daily reports on the new Ralph Lauren women’s flagship store in the city.

Grand in scale and luxurious in its decor, the new store opens to the public tomorrow.

On the Upper East Side, the new digs are across the street from the recently reopened men’s store in the Rinelander Mansion (Madison & 80th).

The new store is also where shoppers will find the brand’s Home Collection.

4) Houston Fashion Week had its share of celebs on hand, including a rather famous set of grandparents.

 

Bob Levey/Wire Image

 

President and Mrs. Bush were in the audience for the Lauren Pierce show, granddaughter Lauren’s eco-friendly line, making its debut at HFW.

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

Yesterday we updated you on Talbots‘ next celebrity model, today we have news that Heidi Klum is replacing Naomi Watts as Ann Taylor’s newest face.

Ms. Klum appeared in the retailer’s holiday campaign last year, but Page Six says she is ‘replacing’ Ms. Watts.

Thank you again to everyone who entered the contest, we are thinking we may need to do a similar project next month….hmmmm, that’s a thought to ponder.  Until next time, we hope you enjoy a lovely day!

ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS: Ralph Lauren Interiors: Robert Mitra/WWD

 

A French Take on Preppy, J. Crew Bridal Jewelry

Hello-Hello, we hope you are enjoying a simply splendid springtime day!

It’s time for Friday Fun here at the Prepatorium, and we are going to do most of this with minimum blather and maximum images.

It doesn’t get much more fun than this, the very latest from Lilly.

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer

The Lilly Pulitzer Cruiser is available for pre-order only, the real deal arrives August 1. These beauties are being made by the folks at Van Dessel.

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

Frequent readers know we always love to look at the way other cultures view ‘preppy’.

Glamour France via SunRainey.com

These images are from the May edition of French Glamour.

Glamour France via SunRainey.com

The blue and khaki are so vivid they make us dream of the beach.

Glamour France via PopBee

For more images from the May issue, visit SunRainey or PopBee.

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

Next, because we still do not have enough perfume and cologne with celebrity names on them, more perfumes & cologne are being created under celebrities’ names; the latest coming from these two individuals.

Lolavie by Jennifer Anniston will be sold exclusively at one of our favorite places, Harrod’s.

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

More collaboration news, WWD reports on J. Crew’s partnership with classic costume jeweler Miriam Haskell. Below, a sampling from the new collection.

Courtesy Images via WWD

We are thinking a number of readers possess some treasured Haskell pieces passed on through the generations; we are fortunate to have a few in our jewelry box.  For a bit of background on the Haskell legacy, this piece from our friends at The Daily Basics is worth a read.

And the folks at Barbour have teamed up with handbag designer Anya Hindmarch.

Courtesy Images via The Telegraph

For more, this story in the Telegraph is an excellent read.

And in collaborations we have previously chatted about, don’t forget the Cynthia Vincent for Target footwear line launches Sunday, as well as the retailer’s first limited edition hat collection, with Eugenia Kim for Targét.  Below, three pieces from that collection.

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

As threatened promised yesterday, we close with a few more images from Monday’s “Last Bark for Bryant Park,” the Fashion Institute of Technology’s second annual pet apparel fashion show.  Below, Lily, a Papillion, sports a “magical flower fairy outfit”. (????)

Afton Almaraz/AP

Below, Jake the Yorkshire Terrier models a leather bomber jacket.

Afton Almaraz/AP

Jake also walked the runway in a military canine shirt and pants set.

Afton Almaraz/AP

Indeed.

With that we say Happy-Happy Weekend, may yours be bright and sunny and filled with fun!

Preppy is Back. Again. Also, Brands You’ll See in True Prep

Hello-Hello, happy new week!

We must begin with an enormous “Thank You” to everyone who left such kind and lovely comments following Friday’s post, not to mention the Tweets and Facebook comments.  There is no adequate way to explain how touched we were by the sentiments, it made our day extra special.

Today we have breaking news just in to the Prepatorium: there is another preppy resurgence! Oh my!

Umm… not exactly. We apologize for our poor step into hyperbole, we were unable to resist the temptation. The not-breaking-news comes via our friends on the far side of the pond.  In yet another look at ‘preppy style’ this story from Sunday’s Independent asks: “Are you Ready to get Preppy?” with the following as a subheadline:

“After 30 years in the doldrums, the relaxed East Coast look is back – along with a new handbook to help you wear it with elan”

The story is pegged to this fall’s release of “True Prep” from Lisa Birnbach and Chip Kidd, a topic covered previously in this space. Here is the story’s opening paragraph from writer Susie Mesure:

“Can’t tell your Top-Siders from your Sebagos? Unsure how high to roll your chinos? After some preppy shopping primers? Well, unfurrow your brows and raise a gin and tonic because help is at hand from a new book out this autumn that will exploit the current clamour for East Coast style.”

We doubt Princess readers are struggling with the issues mentioned above, but we could be wrong.  The photo accompanying the story shows looks from the spring 2010 Ralph Lauren collection (our post on the collection may be found here.)

Courtesy Polo Ralph Lauren

If given a choice of designers to illustrate the Independent story, we lean more toward these Brook Brothers promotional pieces…

Brooks Brothers

They promote the Summer at the Cape collections.

BrooksBrothers.com

An editor from Gentleman’s Quarterly is quoted in the Independent story:

“Robert Johnson, associate editor of the fashion magazine GQ, said: “Preppy is back. Every season, particularly summer, there is always a nod to classic Americana but preppy is a big trend this year.” He partly attributed its popularity to the fact that people are “bored” with denim.”

To read the story in its entirety, click here.

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

One of our favorite blogs, All the Rage, also previews the upcoming book in this piece by Adam Tschorn.  This photo collage is used to illustrate his story.

Brooks Brothers & Tory Burch via All the Rage

Mr. Tschorn (aka ‘Cuffy’) offers the perspective of someone who actually attended prep school.  In today’s post his interview with Ms. Birnbach offers insight on what brands readers can expect to see in the upcoming book:

“…familiar favorites are revisited. Among them are Lacoste, Sperry Top-Sider, Brooks Brothers, and Ralph Lauren. “I was very, very stingy with [Ralph] in 1980. I think he’s referred to maybe once,” she said. “But this time he gets a lot of play.”

She said that some additions are labels that actually pre-date the first book, including Burberry, Barbour, Hermès, Verdura, Kenneth Jay Lane, Hunter Wellies, and J.M. Weston (“They have these beautiful loafers from France,” she explains).”

Many brands included in the upcoming volume did not even exist when TOPH (The Official Preppy Handbook) was published. More from Mr. Tschorn’s story with Lisa Birnbach:

““We’ve got Vineyard Vines – they started in 1998, and of course J. Crew — which wasn’t around then either [it launched in 1983 as a mail-order company]. And we’ve got some Kenneth Cole [1982] and a little bit of Robert Graham [2001].”

Below, two shirts from Robert Graham.

Ms. Birnbach also chats at length about Tory Burch in the story.  We recommend popping over for a read, it is a fun piece.

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

Perhaps the most amazing thing we’ve seen yet on the book was in today’s Book Bench from the New Yorker site.  In a post titled, “Prep is Dead, Long Live Prep” Meredith Blake mentions yours truly (prompting a most unPrincess-like shriek):

“While the original handbook advised that “you should appear in print only three times in your life—upon birth, marriage, and death,” today’s prep is virtually screaming for a little attention; the wasp mystique, it seems, has faded. Like everything else, we can blame it on the Internet, where there’s a thriving community of bloggers dedicated to all things prep-related. At the pink-and-green themed The Preppy Princess, Susan Kelly defends her love for Lilly Pulitzer, while Melissa Morris’s May December has such an impassioned following that its author was the subject of a profile in the newspaper of record. There’s also The Trad, a slightly more idiosyncratic blog dedicated to classic American-made garments.”

Saying we were astonished would be an understatement, and we send our thanks to Ms. Blake for including us with such illustrious company. To see the rest of her post just click here.

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

We conclude all this blather with a cautionary note: it is likely we shall encounter an increasing volume in the mainstream media about the preppy aesthetic being raised from the dead (ahem), in sync with the calendar’s movement toward True Prep’s September release date.

And with visions of books dancing in our head we say, g’bye!

“Herds of Thundering Preppy Clothiers”

Hello-Hello, and welcome to another wacky week of preppy insanity here at the Princess!

We begin with more in-depth looks at the new LL Bean Signature and Lands’ End Canvas lines, most notably on AOL’s Walletpop blog and in Luminosity Marketing, an online journal.  The first item is titled “LL Bean’s New Signature Line: The preppy look gets a risky makeover“. 

“After all, Bean isn’t just a brand; it’s an institution, a torchbearer, a monument to a bygone lifestyle. Along with Brooks Brothers, Sperry and a few other labels, it represents one of the last survivors of the great age of prep, when vast herds of preppy clothiers thundered across the American retail plain, dispensing tweed and bespoke throughout the land.”

We absolutely adore the “thundering across America” imagery, hordes of preps armed with canvas totes and headbands, wielding strands of pearls like slingshots.

More from WalletPop’s story:

“And while the new clothes are recognizably Bean, they sport a more tight-fitting, body-conscious style that should draw in Gap, Abercrombie, J Crew and Banana Republic fans.”

Below, the Signature Madras Dress and the Skinny Madras Scarf.

.

We don’t recall seeing a madras scarf before and think this item could merit a second look. One more line from the story, this raises an interesting topic:

“In fact, many of its items are often less expensive than comparable garments at Gap, which has long been perceived as the well-made, reasonably-priced choice for the casually preppy look.”

We are curious to know your thoughts on the issue, do you find Gap prices higher than Bean?

Now to the post from Luminosity Marketing, “Geek Out: Lands’ End and L.L. Bean’s Preppy Resurgence“. Geek out. Hhhhmmm. From that story:

“With preppy, All-American fashions enjoying a nice comeback, we’ve seen many brands that have been able to successfully leverage the trend.”

As always, the “preppy comes back” theme prompts an inner smile here at the Prepatorium; from comments in the past on the topic, many readers share this reaction. Back to the story by Lamont Swittenberg:

“We’ve commented here on the resurgence of Sperry Topsiders, but brands like J-Crew, Barbour, Lacoste, Brooks Brothers, Clark’s and a host of new labels have also been successful at taking advantage of this shift in consumer preference. Before recently however, two of the most iconic preppy brands, Lands’ End and L.L. Bean, had remained curiously silent.”

We apologize for this temporary break from our point, but we have to insert this tongue-in-cheek item from Lacoste, the Comic Croc Shopping Bag:

Back to the primary point of today’s post, new styles from Bean and Lands’ End; below, a Webbed Belt from the Canvas line and the classic Tretorn sneaker.

Our hats are off to Mr. Swittenberg; he purchased a substantial amount of merchandise from both the Signature and Canvas lines to better judge the end products from both companies. Ultimately the story makes this point:

“It’s great when brands have the product development and marketing smarts to update their image while maintaining their essence. It’s a delicate balance that’s not easy to pull-off. The tendency is either to jump too far onto the latest bandwagon or to dogmatically stick to the tried and true past (while slowly becoming a dinosaur). Kudos to both Lands End and L.L. Bean for showing us all the way forward.”

Both pieces make for a good read.

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

A few more tidbits:

Lord & Taylor is promoting ‘preppy sneakers’:

Lord & Taylor

While The Fashion List talks about the upcoming limited edition collection from Sebago.

Courtesy Photos via The Fashion List

The firm is celebrating 40 years of their Dockside shoe, Sebago’s counter to the Sperry Topsider.

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

We wrap up with two quick items, including today’s Pretty in Pink:

Rosie Campbell is a talented designer we were fortunate enough to discover when she entered our most recent giveaway.  We fell in love with her belt buckles, handmade in the USA.

We close with yet another popular culture phenomenon we were completely clueless about: the micro pig.  (With apologies to any Facebook fans who may have seen this mentioned on that venue.)

We had to include it because of one of the creature’s bigger fans is one of our original AntiPreps.

Hello! Magazine

And because the little critters were included as part of this year’s Golden Globes swag bags. (Yes, we put this in the “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” category.) The LA Times has more:

“The pet pigs usually sell for about $5,000, the suite people tell me, but the visiting celebrities would be able to get one for free. All they’d have to do is complete a one-hour course on how to treat the li’l porkers and present a certificate of completion.”

There you have it.

On that note, g’bye until next time!

Spring Goodies and ‘BritPrep’ Arrives on the Scene

Hello-Hello everybody, and Happy Weekend!

There is an old saying that those of us living in the Great Midwest enjoy two, not four, seasons: there is winter, and then there is the construction season. And while the adage isn’t entirely true, we acknowledge succumbing to a raging case of Spring Fever Friday, a syndrome most difficult to contain and almost impossible to control.

With that in mind, we are excited to share some of the new treasures here at The Princess!  We begin with our new Seaworthy Collection, its style enhanced by nautical influences. Below, the Beach House placemats in authentic madras….

We love them because they are 100% cotton, just fine in the washing machine, and they are also reversible, providing two looks for the price of one!  Of course there are matching napkins in a snappy red stripe, or the matching blue stripe.

.

The Sailor’s Knot Napkin Rings add a great touch.

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

Also new to our little shop, the One, Two, Three Lilly Pad from our Lilly Pulitzer Stationery & Gifts collection.

.

Here is help for those struggling with different lists, as this is actually three separate notepads under one cover. Labeled Home, Work & Play, we are more than hopeful these might help TP improve her organizational skills here at the Palace!

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

Next on our list, a question about an issue we have struggled with for several days. The challenge isn’t our reluctance to ask for your opinion. Rather, it is because the issue itself is the nature of the photograph that actually *is* the issue. Obviously you will understand why we find it vulgar, but even that isn’t the issue. Anyone opening a fashion magazine in the last several years is familiar with the Marc by Marc Jacobs print campaigns.

DAISY LOWE PHOTOGRAPHED BY JUERGEN TELLER

Here is our question: Is this appropriate for the hypothetical readers of Teen Vogue?  That’s all. We are merely attempting to determine the level of our fuddy-duddyness; are we over the top finding this not proper for inclusion in a magazine targeted at that particular demo? We are ever-so-appreciative-in-advance for your candid comments and insight.

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

Many readers know a fave read of ours is The Luxist, with a finger firmly on the pulse of all things posh.  Recently they took a look at Barbour and their efforts to expand their customer base with a collection named BritPrep.  The Luxist’s Jared Paul Stern fills us in:

“So what exactly is “Britprep”? According to Barbour, the look is not quite as clean and crisp as American Preppy. Simple, stylish, and contemporary, the collection “pays particular attention to fashion, color and tradition capturing the essence of ‘Britishness.'”

Courtesy Barbour via Luxist.com

The new line looks as if it may offer some intriguing possibilities for one’s walk-in.  TP has always adored Barbour; for decades they adhered quietly to their own fine standards, with exquisite attention to detail, very much like the old Abercrombie & Fitch. (The current company using the A&F name bears no resemblance whatsoever to its predecessor. None.)

Another look:

Courtesy Barbour via Luxist.com

The only fly in the ointment, so to speak? There are pieces sure to induce a serious bout of  Logophobia:

“Barbour has never really gone in for logos, but with the Britprep collection (above) they’re employing a new crest. Unlike designers who invent crests, it’s an authentic bit of heraldry deriving from the original Barbour family coat of arms originating in Galloway, Scotland.

Courtesy Barbour via Luxist.com

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

On a lighter note, we wanted to share another addition to the When Pink Goes Bad gallery:

Dr. Martens at Zappos.com

Don’t be worried about missing out on these dolls, they are available in an amazing array of colors, and sizes.

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

In other news, word that ANTM (we have finally figured this acronym out and are feeling ever-so-hip, it is America’s Next Top Model) is also doing apparel. The tip for this comes from one of our fave daily blog reads, All the Rage at the LA Times website, and apparently the collection can be found at Wal-mart.

PHOTO: Wal-mart via All the Rage

We presume you will sleep better this evening knowing this is available. (Ooooh, the Princess is a Crankenstein!)

We must fly, but hope you have a splendid spring weekend!