The Nautical Prep

Hello-Hello! We hope the gorgeous sun we are seeing here at the Prepatorium is shining for all of our cherished readers, but particularly for our drenched and sodden friends in those areas pounded by yesterday’s record-breaking downpours.

The sun prompts more thoughts of boats and beaches, so we gaze upon goodies in this genre today, beginning with items for the smaller preps in your life.

We think the Girl’s Nautical Capri set is darling, as is the Little Me Nautical Romper, covered in sailboats and anchors.

We’re somewhat taken by the Oceanside Sleep Shorts (for grownup girls) and your MOTH (Man Of The House) might find the Old Port Graphic Tee appealing, both items are from one of our faves, LL Bean.

We just love the Coastal Crab hooked pillow as well as the Embroidered Crab linen pillow, both can be found at Blue Barnacles.

The red, white and blue Anchor Duffle on the left is from Fred Flare, the Anchors & Stripes Vinyl Handbag on the right was discovered at a site called PlasticLand(?).

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Also popular looks, the Straw Studios Anchor Tote and the Heart Anchor Tote.

Because one can never have too many reuseable market bags, below left we show the elegant Tote Aweigh eco-friendly bag ($13.99) at ModCloth, our eco-prep Anchors Away ($14) market bag is insulated, often a plus for getting things home from the market.

If seeking heels with a sea-going motif the 56 Platform Mary Jane might be for you, or Alberta Ferretti’s Nautical Wedge Sandals.

Not for us, but then, the Maine Isle Flip Flops at LL Bean are probably more our speed.

Of course, when researching one of these little thematic posts one always bumps into thing things not completely in sync with personal tastes; the TUK Nautical Anchor Heart Striped Heel Platform Double Strap Maryjanes is in this category.

Perhaps we’re not seeing their full potential.

Nautically-inspired jewelry is always fun, below we share Anchor Necklaces at Cherry Red Boutique, only $9 and $10, quite the bargain for the younger set.

When it comes to home decor, Targét offers the Oversized Striped Wall Clock, along with some cute Double-walled Plastic Tumblers (à la Tervis perhaps?).

The Nautical Lamp is available at Posh Tots,while Land of Nod carries this “Totally Nautical Bedding, Dude“.

We head back to Le Boutique Targét for this final item:

Target

The Paws Aboard Doggy Life Jacket comes in a variety of sizes and is made of nylon.

We might just have to do another post on this topic, we saw oodles of goodies we would like to share, from clothing and home accessories to more jewelry….hhhm.

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A few quick hits:

• Our friend Lila (aka Madison Avenue Spy) has a wonderful interview with Lilly Pulitzer’s design director, Janie Schoenborn, found here.
• We have a gentle reminder for those interested in tomorrow’s Princess event:

DON'T FORGET....

Our ‘Not an April Fool’ special gets underway at midnight tonight: everything at The Princess is 20% off for one-day-only, ending at 11:59pm tomorrow (Thursday, April 1st) night. The promo code to enter at checkout is APRILDEAL, all one word.

The sale includes everything at the shop, from our brand new Jonathan Adler Nifty Gifties to our Lilly Pulitzer and Kiel James Patrick collections; our Greek Preppy paper and bag tags, the new monogramed Argyle Doormats and House Flags (talk about a great wedding gift!) in our Preppy Home Collection, and other preppy standards you have come to expect, our Ribbon Flip Flops, Custom Grosgrain Belts, and Scout totes, to name just a few.  We hope to see you there!

A British Look at Preppy Style, Pain in Palm Beach, & Good News!

Hello-Hello, we hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

We always savor the way preppy fashion is perceived in different cultures. President & Mrs. Obama’s recent G2 trip has turned up fun fodder.

Amidst the frenzy over First Lady’s fashion selections The Independent ran a story with this subhead:

“Its preppy, casual clothes are worn by actresses, housewives – and First Ladies. So why can’t we buy J. Crew in Britain?”

The story looked at similarities between J. Crew stateside and British equivalents like Jigsaw (womenswear), and Racing Green (menswear).

“J. Crew’s… careful mix of the sort of casual and preppy items you find at Gap (like jeans, chinos and basic T-shirts), the smarter pieces from Jigsaw (workwear and smart separates), and the prettier, dressy pieces at Whistles …. Except all these styles are under one roof, and ever so slightly cheaper.”

Jigsaw actually uses US-centric names to market some merchandise; every hat on their website this spring is named after an American city: the Chapel Hill hat, the Kentucky Straw Trilby, etc.  Below, a look from Jigsaw look that appears très Banana Republic to us; what do you think?

Jigsaw

Jigsaw’s pure Cashmere Trim Cardigan also has the classic look many of us are fond of, timeless fashions that are always in style.

Jigsaw

The article details the frustration felt by Crew’s UK fans:

“J. Crew is basically what Next and Racing Green never quite managed to be for us, and what Marks & Spencer consistently fails to achieve: it’s chic and classy, with a pretty, trendy edge that that doesn’t look cheap, frumpy or too outlandish… And it’s infuriating once you get into the habit of it, because you can’t buy it over here, nor does J. Crew ship to the UK. “

Well, this is no fun for our friends on the far side of the pond.

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In light of this weekend’s wild play in Augusta (how fun was that?!) we thought we would share a few lines from The Augusta Chronicle. The paper’s story on spring fashion trends quotes students at Augusta Prep, like Laura Lemley:

“I’m most looking forward to wearing Lilly Pulitzer dresses and skirts, Jack Rogers sandals and white shoes,” she said.

Absent the white shoes we couldn’t agree more with Miss Lemley. The brighter, lighter, perkier clothing we can wear as a result of the warmer weather is probably our favorite thing about spring.

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We have a few quick shoe notes, starting with today’s Adventure in Argyle: the Ecco Casual Pitch Argyle Golf Shoe as seen at Golfalot.

Ecco Golf Shoe

This gem also comes in a camel brown colorway that is fetching.

Barneys is promoting this spring’s crop of wingtips, saddle shoes, and oxfords for both Men and Women.

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We share a few SOTTs (Signs Of The Times) relevant to preppish style:

• Today’s USA Today has a story stating that retailer Eddie Bauer is facing a “…potentially dangerous level of financial duress…”
• This weekend the Times ran a story about recession-caused pain in Palm Beach:

“More noticeable are the empty storefronts, which have started popping up even on Worth Avenue, the home of a Saks Fifth Avenue, a Chanel and an Hermès, to name just a few.”

“Caterers are finding that charity galas, long the core of the Palm Beach social scene, are either canceled or sparsely attended. We’re getting fewer requests for lobster and caviar,” says Charlie Crawford of the White Apron Catering Company, “and a lot more for mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese.”

Yikes.

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There are multiple sales and clearances underway at many of our favorite shops; we shall effort updates on them throughout the week. If you have any to suggest, do let us know so we can share with the rest of the class. 

We noted last week that J. Crew is now doing a Spring Sale; erstwhile prep purveyor Banana Republic is also offering substantial savings throughout the store, including 30% off the Nantucket Tote.

Banana Republic Nantucket Tote

The tote’s price is reduced approximately 30% from the original $130; it is now offered at $89.99.

Saks starts pre-sale today for their Friends and Family event that begins this Thursday, running through Sunday the 19th. The sale offers 15% off cosmetics & fragrances, an unheard of 20% off jewelry and 25% off just about everything else. The Coupon Code to use at checkout is SFAFAM8.  (Some brands are excluded in the jewelry category, but it is still a remarkable discount for a major retailer to offer.)

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In light of the spring season and cheerier spirits, we wanted to share some Good News of our own here at the Prepatorium:

Scout Good News Bagette Tote

We are so excited to finally have all of our Good News merchandise in stock from Bungalow Scout, including the Bagette Tote seen above.  The pattern features fun words and phrases with a bit of camp, like ‘sunshine’ and ‘my-t fine’ and ‘Sure!’, to name a few. It is one of of our most popular Scout patterns, selling out with amazing speed.

The Bagette totes are great bags, the perfect size to replace paper/plastic at the market, 15″ x 12″ x 12″, with dual handles allowing one to carry it over the shoulder or by the handles.  We aren’t sure which is better, the fact Bagettes are only $20 at the Princess, or knowing these are collapsible for easy storage. 

With such “Good News” it seems appropriate that we make our exit.  Team Princess sends everyone wishes for a blissful afternoon and evening!

Love that Lilly, and Michelle Obama in $500,000+ Diamonds

Hello-Hello everybody, and welcome to the almost-weekend!

We promised more Lilly Pulitzer Stationery goodies, so here we go! First, the Note Card Books in Patchtastic and Lillywood:

Lilly Pulitzer Note Card Books at PreppyPrincess.com

At only $15 for each Set of 10 Note Cards (2 each of 5 different patterns) and envelopes, these are already a favorite here at the Prepatorium.  And they haven’t even arrived yet!

Also due in around the 4th or 5th of February, these bright and cheery Large Notebooks in Animal Crackers (L) and Cabanarama (R):

Lilly Pulitzer Notebooks at PreppyPrincess.com

The Large Notebooks are about 9″ x 12″ with an inside pocket; they will be $16.

At 6″ x 8″ the Mini-Notebooks are perfect for tossing in the tote.  They also have an inside pocket, and will run $14.  Below, the Mini-Notebooks in Mumsie and Bee’s Knees Patch:

Lilly Pulitzer Mini-Notebooks at PreppyPrincess.com

A reminder that the Princess Consort has been typing his little fingers to the bone, making sure some of the Lilly merchandise is up on the Princess website for pre-ordering.  The Lilly folks say they are shipping February 1st; we expect our first shipment being here by the 4th or 5th of February. Pre-ordering means your order gets out the door first when the Lilly merchandise arrives here. Pre-orders are at the top of the list and will be turned around on the same day we receive the merchandise from Lilly.

We also said we would share some sneak peeks from the market. Here is a glance at two new patterns from Scout that we went ga-ga over, starting with the Poolside Stripe:

Available 2/15/09

Stripes Away is another new pattern we will be getting in mid-February.

Available 2.15.09 PreppyPrincess.com

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On the topic of Inaugural fashion, the LA Times raises a question about the propriety of a First Lady borrowing jewelry, in relation to these $17,000 Loree Rodkin earrings.

LoreeRodkin.com

Michelle Obama wore the sparklers to Sunday’s concert.

PHOTO: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty

(Frankly, TP is far more fascinated by the Narciso Rodriguez ensemble in camel and black, really quite elegant IOHO.)  The paper’s All the Rage blog cites rules about borrowed apparel and accessories set up when Ronald Reagan was President in the 1980s, and Mrs. Reagan was chided for her frequent borrowing of designer clothes.

“Michelle Obama wore $17,000 diamond chandelier earrings designed by Loree Rodkin to the “We Are One” concert on Sunday — not a gift from her husband, but borrowed from a Chicago retailer. The next morning, dispatches were dutifully sent out from the publicist for Rodkin to let the press know whom to credit for her ear candy. How very red carpet.”

Yikes… that seems a little cranky, no? We presume All the Rage would apply the same question to Tuesday night’s jewelry, a healthy 77.6 carats in diamonds, again, borrowed from Loree Rodkin. (Mrs. Obama is seen with U.S. Army Sgt. Margaret H. Herrera following her dance with President Obama.)

PHOTO: Gary Hershorn/Reuters

The Arizona Republic has a little more information on the bling (that is the proper term…yes?) in this story:

“Curious about costs, we called Moody Blues boutique in Scottsdale, which carries Loree Rodkin jewelry. There, a chain necklace with a cross pendant covered in an estimated 3 carats of diamonds is $21,000, says Catie Cerutti, store manager.

We’d hate to draw any cost-per-carat conclusions based on that, but . . . oh, who are we kidding. Our math shows that Obama could have been wearing $543,200 worth of diamonds.”

There you have it.

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Now, if you are interested in sporting a knock-off of the First Lady’s Jason Wu gown, eDressMe has one available. Really.

eDressMe.com

We have an answer to our question Is Jason Wu Preppy?, asked in this post: absolutely.  Without question. According to Eric Wilson’s story in today’s Times, he attended Loomis, a not-very-well-know Connecticut boarding school.

We credit the Consort for the sharp eye on this – he is such a Fashionisto. (The male version of Fashionista…hello?)

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And in our “The Princess wasn’t Born Yesterday” category, we pose a question: is it possible that the “Marvelous Malia” and “Sweet Sasha” dolls pictured below have absolutely no connection whatsoever to the little girls who just moved into the White House?!

PHOTO: Scott Olson/Getty

That’s what the folks at Ty say; they just released the dolls for sale, and controversy  about the TyGirlz dolls is growing. An Associated Press story explains the “coincidence”:

“The Oak Brook-based company chose the names because ‘they are beautiful names,’ not because of any resemblance to Malia and Sasha Obama, said spokeswoman Tania Lundeen.”

“‘There’s nothing on the dolls that refers to the Obama girls,’ Lundeen said. ‘It would not be fair to say they are exact replications of these girls.

Oh.  Silly Princess.

However – let it be said that at least the moronic company (really, this is PR Debacle 101 level stuff) put a little madras on the dolls’ cuffs and one pair of sneakers.

PHOTO: Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

Do enjoy your Saturday and Sunday!

New Collections at the Preppy Princess! (Oooh, more madras!) Plus Giveaway Winner!

Hello-Hello!  Things are bright and sunny here at the Prepatorium, oh-so-wonderful after all the dark and dreary days we have seen.

In fact, we are more than a little excited over new collections at the Preppy Princess, although we fear TSU (The Spousal Unit) would make the case we are closer to ‘completely ga-ga’ in our enthusiasm. And it goes without saying we have to share them with you!

We start with the Bermuda Madras Placemats, 100% cotton patchwork madras, reversible to a solid plaid madras on the other side.

PreppyPrincess.com

Accompanied by the Bermuda Madras Table Runner in the same patchwork and reversing to the plaid on the other side.

PreppyPrincess.com

Matched by the Bermuda Madras Napkins, also 100% cotton.

PreppyPrincess.com

Everything in this group is machine washable, like all of our linens. It would be simply insane to have to go to the trouble of taking things like this to the dry cleaners. We also have new napkin rings that complement just about any color in your linen closet!

Glass Napkin Rings

The Glass Napkin Rings are solid with in bright, vibrant colors.  You just know what is going to happen with our dinner table:

At only $2 each, they make an ideal stocking stuffer! The red and green would be fun and festive right now.

Now we also want to show you another new group, starting with the Blue Lagoon placemats in a classic blue, white, and yellow design.

PreppyPrincess.com

Fun for perking up the table now, or perhaps while wintering in Florida, and absolutely ideal at the cottage this summer. The matching napkins:

PreppyPrincess.com

And we even have matching Blue Lagoon kitchen towels:

PreppyPrincess.com

The Blue Lagoon group is also constructed of 100% cotton and entirely machine washable.  A really fun Christmas or Hanukkah gift basket could be easily put together with any of these groups. And everything is fiscally friendly with placemats (place mats?) at only $8, napkins $4, the towel also $4 and the table runner $20.

Enough about us… let’s talk about you! We have a winner of this week’s Great Giveaway. Congratulations to one of the private blogs we enjoy, Well, I Do Declare! Amelia receives these goodies from the Princess:

The Classic Whales Guest Towels:

Classic Whales Guest Towels Set

Our exclusive Have a Whale of a Holiday notecards…

"Have a Whale of a Holiday" notecards

And the Black Baguette market tote from a line we love, Bungalow Scout.

Scout Baguette Tote

We will be posting information on our last fifth and final (at least until we are well into next year) Giveaway later today or early tomorrow.

Enjoy a splendid day!

Is J. Crew Discounting Too Much? And the Free Preppy Goodies – Enter Now!

Courtesy J. Crew

Most readers have seen this email alert from J. Crew.  As many are no doubt aware, it is just one of many promotional efforts from the retailer that have hit our electronic in-bins recently.  And the company is not alone in its aggressive promotional moves; we are hard-pressed to come up with any retailers not currently promoting some sort of discount or sale to customers.  (If anyone is not aware of the discount shown in the photo above, it offers 20% off full-price sweaters and ends Thursday night at midnight; the promo code needed at checkout is SWEATERS.)

However, elsewhere on the J. Crew site one finds this:

Courtesy J. Crew

… and this sale is not a discount or promotional price that ends tomorrow at midnight, as with the sweaters. This is an ongoing sale offering very deep discounts, especially for a retailer of Crew’s caliber, with items like the Men’s Patchwork tartan vest that originally sold at $228 now offered at $59.99.  The Princess is no mathologist, but it seems to us that is almost 75% off the original price.

And the site is full of merchandise on Sale, not all at this level of markdown, but a hefty amount nonetheless.  Why are deep discounts, other than the obvious appeal they hold for most of us, an issue? Because they make investors in the company’s stock nervous.  From Thomson Financial News:

“Shares of the preppy clothing company run by Wall Street darling and former Gap Inc CEO Mickey Drexler fell 14 percent to their life-time low of $11.90 in morning trade.”

The article cites a memo written by a stock analyst:

“…’The worst is yet to come for J. Crew, which has continued to reel under a weak economy’ …analyst Eric Beder wrote in a note to clients…”

“…surveys and store tours have shown J. Crew is becoming “more and more aggressive,” to clear out inventory….

While TP is always excited to see merchandise offered at more fiscally friendly price points, Crew cannot be making much profit on this Cashmere Sequin Shell being sold for $49.99, roughly 70% less than its original price of $158.

The story also quotes the analyst:

“We do not believe the J. Crew business model works at the current levels and depth of price cuts,” he wrote.”

J. Crew Group’s stock closed at a new all-time low this afternoon, $11.64 per share. Ouch. We wish we were a bigger and better person Ladies, but let’s face it: their pain is your gain.

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A quick reminder on the Great Preppy Giveaway: enter to win this Scout Zip ‘n Tuck Market Tote by leaving a comment before midnight tonight telling us one thing about America you are grateful for.

PreppyPrincess.com

…just anything at all about the United States that you are thankful for, and you are entered to win the tote! And if you mention the giveaway on your blog, then you will automatically be able to send the Preppy Princess Madras Photocards to anyone you choose! And we pay the shipping on everything!

PreppyPrincess.com

Tomorrow we will reveal the lucky winner(s)! And don’t forget we’ll be starting a new Thankful Thursday Giveaway tomorrow too, so pop in and say “Hi” when you have a spare nanosecond. We’re always glad to see you!