More Election Fashions Including Michelle Obama’s $10,000 Earrings, Sneak Peek at Thakoon for Target, Preppy Updates

It is Friday, and what a magnificent thing that is… sigh. “And visions of bubble-baths danced in her head…”

We start with more photos from Election Night in response to the ongoing inquiries we are receiving related to Cindy McCain’s dress (a suit), as well as Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin’s apparel.

PHOTO: Jim Bourg/Reuters

There isn’t really loads more to report.  However, we can share new information regarding the future First Lady’s earrings on Tuesday night, hopefully seen in the photographs that follow.  (We do apologize in advance for their large size; clearly we are trying to show those beautiful earrings!)

PHOTO: Morry Gash/AP

They are by Loree Rodkin, crafted of white gold and diamonds. UPI spoke with Ms. Rodkin about Ms. Obama wearing her design election night:

“Loree Rodkin, a Los Angeles-based designer of expensive jewelry, said she was surprised and pleased to see Obama wearing her earrings. Rodkin said the design retails for $10,275 a pair — and were not a loan.”

PHOTO: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty

The earrings look light and lacy, and very feminine, stunning on Ms. Obama.  In the online bio at her website the designer is described:

“…known for her noncomformist visionary approach to jewelry making…. has designed jewelry for most of Hollywood’s brightest stars including Madonna, Mary J. Blige, Cher, Aerosmith…”

According to the Browns Fashion website, the earrings are available for ordering now, if one is so inclined:

Courtesy Browns Fashion

If interested in purchasing the earrings, one must email Browns, they are not currently available on the site.

Here is a photo someone named Diablo Cody (?) in what is a similar style if the skull and crossbones are removed:

 

A Loree Rodkin ad from May, 2008:

 

TheEssentialist.com

For a good look at the designer’s work, try these items at Glimpse, or the selection at Blue Bee.  It would seem from surveying a variety of retailers and other sites that a fair amount of Ms. Rodkin’s work is done using images of skulls, daggers, and other “goth” (?) motifs. (Is that the term…?) Here is the designer in a press photo:

 

Courtesy Loree Rodkin

Our journalism background requires us to point out that Cindy McCain received substantial criticism for wearing diamond earrings at the Republican Convention valued at $280,000. A popular magazine estimated them to be 3 carats in size; the report was not confirmed or denied.

Today the Obamas attended a parent-teacher conference in Chicago:

PHOTO: John Gress/Reuters

Otherwise, the onslaught of newsprint and airwaves devoted to the Narciso Rodriguez dress worn by Ms. Obama election night continues to grow.

Back to the continuing questions here at the Prepatorium regarding Cindy McCain and Sarah Palin and their election night dresses.  Actually, neither wore a dress; they both were attired in what TP would call a “cocktail suit.” (Oh dear, that may reveal a bit too much information regarding our age, shall we say. There you have it.) And here we have the photo:

PHOTO: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Ms. Palin’s dark navy suit is by Tahari, and we have lots more information on it as well as several more photos, here at Wednesday’s “extended election night fashions” post.  That post reveals the only store where the navy color is available.

A reminder on the Michelle Obama book, the biography by WaPo reporter Lisa Mundy; reports indicate it is selling fast; why this would surprise anyone is beyond us.

LizaMundy.com

Readers may remember hearing about Target’s upcoming collection by Thakoon Panichgul, a designer Michelle Obama has worn several times. We have early photos showing some of the designs thanks to the always on top of things people at Nylon magazine.

 

As detailed in a previous post, this is one of a handful of designers favored by Michelle Obama. The collection is due to debut at the retailer on Christmas Day.

 

The pieces look very beachy, ideal for one’s resort wardrobe over the winter holidays. And that is perfect as the collection debuts in the middle of winter, on Christmas Day. That seems rather odd, doesn’t it?

The coat won’t work on an elderly prep like TP (sniff), but it will look darling on most anyone else.

 

Prices for the pieces will range from $20 to $70.  Also to debut On Christmas Day, the Erickson-Beamon for Target Collection, another line Ms. Obama is seen wearing. Here is a preview picture of what to expect, courtesy of the oh-so-hip Nitrolicious.

 

Courtesy Nitrolicious.com

Erickson-Beamon has already collaborated with a retailer, Urban Outfitters.  That line is available in the UK at the Kensington High Street and Oxford Street stores, as well as at the UK online site. Below, their Crystal Cube Necklace from that line:

 

Erickson-Beamon for Urban Outfitters UK

If the subject of designer collaborations with Target sounds slightly familiar, perhaps it is because just this Tuesday we talked about the surprise announcement of Target’s upcoming line with edgy designer Alexander McQueen.  We now have a date for that collection to be available: March 1st, 2009. If seeking more information and photos showing multiple pieces from each designer, this post is fairly comprehensive, albeit in a bloggage sort of way.

We close with few quick hits on preppy goings-on …

• Talbots has confirmed they are selling J. Jill
• the oh-so-stylish Third Coast Preppy found this fun article about the Lilly Pulitzer exhibit that opened at the New School for Design at Parsons
• Online shopping is now available at Lilly Pulitzer! FULL DISCLOSURE: An awesome preppy blogger discovered this outstanding information, and we cannot remember who it was, but they deserve the credit, not us. (If you know, please let us know so they might be properly thanked
  • NOTE: We owe our thanks to the incredibly gifted Teddi, as we read about this in her superb blog, Jewish Girl in WASP’s Clothing.  🙂
• The über-preppy television show known as Gossip Girl has another star landing a big endorsement opportunity: Ed Westwick (who plays Chuck Bass) is the new face for K-Swiss. Below, the actor shooting in New York Thursday:
  

And a reminder to enter our Great Preppy Giveaway Contest by leaving a comment telling us one thing you are thankful for related to America …one thing about the United States for which you are thankful. Remember, if you mention this contest on your blog, you are then eligible to send the snappy Madras photocards to a friend! And the best part of this?  It is all free! Here is a quick glance at the Primary Prize, the Scout Tote:

Bungalow Scout Tote

And here are the Holly House Madras photocards, also from the Preppy Princess store.

Holly House Photocards at PreppyPrincess.com

For all of the details and information, just click here.

Have a splendid weekend!

Election Night Fashions from Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain, Sarah Palin and More

Hello-hello everyone! We hope everyone is enjoying the soft and sunny weather we are experiencing today!

As we are more than a little swamped here at Princess HQ, we will offer a short post looking at the Narciso Rodriguez dress worn by Michelle Obama Monday evening.

Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty

Clearly not a Mario Pinto creation, as discussed in last night’s post, this was shown as part of the Rodriguez Spring 2009 Collection.

PHOTO: George Chinsee

The selection of this particular dress and cardigan brought some negative fashion feedback, unusual in and of itself as Mrs. Obama has been credited throughout the campaign for her fashion-forward style.

The issue? This is not considered a “good TV dress.”

PHOTO: Joe Raedle/Getty

PHOTO: Joe Raedle/Getty

While TP is convinced this is a stunning dress in person, it was probably not Ms. Obama’s finest fashion moment.  The ombre dot motif is exquisite in design and tres figure-enhancing but it doesn’t stand up well on television and in photographs.  And yes, the broadcasting & print careers influence our thought process on this topic, no doubt about it.

However, we think the First-Lady-To-Be is entitled to wear whatever strikes her fancy, whatever makes her feel good.  And no one can say the family was not color-coordinated last evening.

PHOTO: Jim Young/Reuters

For those unfamiliar with Mr. Rodriguez, here is a look at one of his more memorable gowns, Carolyn Bissette Kennedy’s wedding dress.

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NOTE: The following portion of the blog is INCORRECT!

On the other side of the aisle, Cindy McCain chose to wear the Oscar de la Renta silk suit she wore for her appearance with First Lady Laura Bush at the Republican Convention.

PHOTO: Chris Carlson/AP

Here is the CORRECT info: Below, a photo of the dress worn by Cindy McCain at the convention on September 1st. (Okay Princess, dress vs. suit…. how difficult can this be?! Perhaps it is time for a little Prozac pick-me-up, hhhmm?)

PHOTO: Mike Segar/Reuters

Thank you to the wonderful MOMX2 for alerting us in her ever-so-kind manner that we had a boo-boo in today’s post. She is too sweet and if you haven’t been over for a visit, you must reward yourself and pop in to say ‘hello.’

Now we must start our hunt for the designer behind last night’s Cindy McCain fashion; we still think we have seen this particular suit before, which is the thought process that started us on this slippery slope in the first place. But before we can do that, we must toddle along to our Tiara repair expert. We need to bring down the size of our Tiara a tad, as our head has shrunk just a bit in the last few hours. Silly Princess.

(Editor’s Note: We are leaving in our mistake deliberately to avoid any confusion we would create by simply correcting this in the ‘comments’ section.)

Back to your regularly scheduled programing now:

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Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was in an elegant deep navy cocktail suit.

PHOTO: Mike Blake/Reuters

We must include this photo of a rather woebegone Piper Palin last night, as she has definitely been one of those little delights that always brought a smile to our face during the long campaign…

PHOTO: Rick Wilking/Reuters

…as did Malia and Sasha Obama, no doubt thrilled to know they are getting the new puppy they were promised if their father was victorious in the election.

PHOTO: Jason Reed/Reuters

For those interested in a possible Inauguration Day look for Ms. Obama, last night’s late post touched upon that and also shared Oprah Winfrey’s plans for an Inauguration Day dress.

We close with a look at how the story was played elsewhere, starting with one of the President-elect’s hometown newspapers, the Chicago Sun-Times:

Chicago Sun-Times

WaPo as TP refers to it, the Washington Post:

The Washington Post

The Times:

The New York Times

And USA Today:

USA Today

Out the door and simply *racing* to another function!

Cindy McCain Fashion, People Magazine Palin-McCain Cover Shoot, Prince William Stolen Photos

Hello-hello… here we are again, smack dab in the middle of another political convention. For one more night TP and The Princess Consort will find themselves tuned to CSPAN to follow the goings-on in St. Paul, turning to the network started by Brian Lamb, if and when we can no longer cope with the network and cable commentary.

Has anyone else watched the ongoing spats and on-air fights between Keith Olbermann (below with flag) and Chris Matthews and occasionally Joe Scarborough on MSNBC? Here’s one description of such an incident via the Los Angeles Times of just one nasty encounter.

Photo by Peter Yang for Rolling Stone

“Take, for example, the Matthews Meltdown. Discussing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s speech on Tuesday, MSNBC host Chris Matthews lost it after colleague Keith Olbermann seemed to mock him with a hand gesture that suggested Matthews was talking too much. Hair askew, looking as if he had spent the night on a bench in a bus station, Matthews shed TV’s normal protocol and retorted: “I can do the same to you!” and defended his Hillary spiel: “That’s what I thought, all right? And I said it.”

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

This conjures images of Sister Mary Hand Grenade hovering at the front of the room in front of the black board with the ruler in her hand. If we could all play nice in the sandbox TP would find it all so much more watchable. BTW, in case you didn’t know, Mr. Olbermann is quite the original preppy, growing up in Westchester, attending Hackley and Cornell.

Above, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough on the air during the Democratic Convention in Denver last week. Below, a quick glance at a meeting Wednesday afternoon of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, First Lady Laura Bush and possible First Lady Cindy McCain.

TP has been fielding questions about Cindy McCain’s style, her favorite designers, etc., and frankly, we feel quite inadequate to the task. We can provide some background information and photographs to help illuminate the topic, but really, there are many sources vastly superior to our little blog.

We commence our feeble attempts by showing both Laura Bush and Cindy McCain in designs by Oscar de la Renta as they approach the dais for their opening remarks at the Republican Convention.  Ms. Bush is said to have been in heels by Stuart Weitzman, her only accessory a pair of pearl stud earrings.

Below, a closer look at the two women onstage, Ms. Bush in a knit suit and Ms. McCain in a silk dress with the collar turned up, a move many ‘fashion commentators’ criticized. (TP felt it was somewhat overly dramatic because of the collar’s size.)

Tonight, a lush turquoise suit, with a double-breasted jacket reminiscent of some of the 40’s swing tops.

Also this evening, Alaska Governor & vice=presidential candidate Sarah Palin in a dark grey suit, being greeted by Henry Kissinger.

Below we see Ms. McCain at the convention in a deep coral-colored suit that appears to be a raw silk or silk shantung, and on the right, another dress, in this case a more pastel tone.

In almost every instance one can note the two pins worn by Ms. McCain on a daily basis; they spell the words “NAVY” and “USMC”. Below, the white Chanel J-12 wristwatch frequently seen on Ms. McCain’s wrist is visible.

It is such an important part of the Chanel brand, the company has a special microsite for the watch. Below left an undated photo, and on the right a shot of Ms. McCain and Todd Palin, as they enter the “One Heart, One World” luncheon today, an event honoring Ms. McCain’s humanitarian work.

Above on the right one can also see the constantly-in-use bone or taupe pumps worn by Cindy McCain throughout the campaign. Below we see the vivid blue dress worn on the day Sarah Palin was announced as the vice-presidential choice by Senator McCain.

TP thought this a beautiful color, but the additional flounced or ruffled detailing on the front added little to the dress, actually moving it into her “Frou-Frou Danger Zone.”

Ms. McCain is also known to be a fan of Carolina Herrera and Michael Kors.

Michael Kors website

As evidenced in the photos, Ms. McCain favors bright colors and frequently wears suits as opposed to dresses, although of late we are seeing more dresses; rarely is she seen in patterns, or florals. Below, seated with the family of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The four-strand pearl necklace worn all week is visible in many of the photos, including those below.

The rich green dress featured Grecian style draping on the back, a style TP finds more appealing in evening gowns, and a self-tied bow at the front waistline. In more casual surroundings it is clear Ms. McCain is more than comfortable in a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt.

While often seen with her hair up, sometimes in elaborate coiffed styles, Ms. McCain is often seen with it down, or loosely pulled back in a ponytail.

Ms. McCain’s wardrobe must also suit her frequent overseas trips (often without her husband and also without media), for her volunteer work with Operation Smile and CARE.  She also started the American Voluntary Medical Team, her own nonprofit humanitarian agency, which sent medical teams to disaster or war-torn areas around the world.

Cropped sweaters, or shrugs are also favored by the always-on-the-go mother, wife, and philanthropist.

The lower two photographs are from today’s walk-through for the presumptive candidate; the pink cast is for a wrist sprain. Of course, there is always the magazine cover shoot, requested by more publications than one knew existed. Here we see a People magazine cover shoot with both the McCains and the Palins.

Most of these candid shots are from daughter Meghan McCain’s campaign blog. Here is the one TP absolutely adores, little Piper Palin with baby brother Trig.

At some later point perhaps we can look more in-depth at more of the leading political candidates and/or spouses and their individual styles.

Next……

…quite the to-do over photographs of a royal kind. A man is free on bail on the other side of the pond, following an early-morning raid earlier this week by Scotland Yard. This all involves the memory card to a camera that was stolen from Kate Middleton’s younger sister, Pippa, seen below with sister Kate. (That is Kate above, with Prince William.)

Kate & Pippa Middleton

Why the worry about the photos on the memory card? Because Kate Middleton is Prince William’s longtime girlfriend, and the photos were of the couple on their recent holiday on the Caribbean island of Mustique. The suspect was actually trapped with the assistance of The Daily Sun, when he tried to sell them the card with 40 photos of the two relaxing on vacation. His asking price? £50,000, or about $85,000.

Tomorrow…? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see what trouble we can stir up.

PHOTO CREDITS: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, REUTERS/Mike Segar, AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, REUTERS/Brian Snyder, Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images, Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, Justin Sullivan/Getty Images