Win True Prep *and* an Original Preppy Handbook + Preppy Goodies

Hello-Hello, here at the Prepatorium it is a stellar Thursday, in part because we are *finally* getting around to our much-delayed giveaway!

The good folks at Random House sent us an amazing gift bag filled with all manner of treasures, we’ll get to those momentarily, however, the first gift bag business involves reading material: the giveaway includes both “True Prep” from Lisa Birnbach and Chip Kidd, as well as an authentic copy of The Official Preppy Handbook.

 

"Two! Two! Two Preps in One!"

 

Yes, TP is surrendering one of her copies; we must all make sacrifices, and today we offer this up for The Planet’s greater good. (Heh, heh, heh.) With 1.3 million copies of TOPH sold, and True Prep’s continued presence on the NY Times Bestseller list, clearly this is paradise for one lucky prep.

Also included in the fabulous prize package:

• From LL Bean Signature, the tote bag in Nantucket Red Saltwash (absolutely TDF, heavy cotton canvas)

 

LL Bean Signature

 

• The Vineyard Vines treasures include both a Bangle Bracelet for her, and the Whale Wave Tie for him

 

Vineyard Vines

 

• An elegant leather wallet from a Princess fave, Cole-Haan
• Hilfiger Cologne from Tommy Hilfiger
• a snappy pair of Knockaround Sunglasses
• the official True Prep Crest Bracelet from Jessica at Jewelry for a Cause, complete with its own gift bag

We admit to being excited about our Giveaway; it’s crisp and cool outside, a good time for a little fun and frivolity, oui?  Here is the scoop on how to enter.

• For one entry, leave us a comment, any old comment will suffice;
• For a 2nd entry, post the Giveaway on your blog or Facebook page & leave a comment telling us you did;
• For a 3rd entry, Tweet about the Giveaway on Twitter & let us know you did (here’s the Princess on Twitter);
• For another entry, become a Preppy Princess fan on Facebook & let us know you did (If already a fan, just let us know so you receive this additional entry!)
• For another entry, become a True Prep fan on Facebook & let us know you did (If already a fan, just let us know so you receive this additional entry!)
• For multiple additional entries, tell a friend! For each friend leaving a comment that mentions your name (or your blog or email or other means of identifying you) you receive two additional entries!

Entries will be accepted until midnight on Wednesday, October 13th and we shall announce the lucky winner in Thursday’s post.

Enter early, enter often, and please come back to visit with us again!

The Times Reviews True Prep, Mad About Emmy Party Frocks

Hello-hello, we are clearly embarking upon another wild and wacky week here at the Prepatorium, how are things shaping up in your corner of the globe?

We begin with a look at one of the first big reviews for True Prep, this one from Janet Maslin in the Times.  Ms. Maslin begins with a look back at the volume preceding True Prep, TOPH, along with another classic.

“But much of “The Official Preppy Handbook” just codified widely known information about high-WASP habits and affectations. (It also borrowed from “Take Ivy,” a 1965 style guide published in Japan.) Its original readers, whether they were knowing or curious, were apt to be of boarding-school age or a little older. Now they’re pushing 50.”

PreppyPrincess.com

Above, that iconic cover of Take Ivy.

The review mentions some of the societal changes since TOPH was first published.

“Among the post-1980 phenomena with which “The Official Preppy Handbook” could not conjure are the Internet, the McMansion, the cellphone, synthetic fleece and the emergence of famous rehab facilities as today’s new boarding schools.”

Below, one of many illustrations in the book.

Random House/Knopf

As mentioned in previous posts (here and here), the book includes many contemporary brands and companies.  A few seen in the Casual Friday image shown above, LL Bean, Cole-Haan, and J. Crew (too much Crew); product mentions caught Ms. Maslin’s attention:

“Ms. Birnbach is best suited to the shopping guide and flagrant product plugs that are a large part of this book’s raison d’être.”

Overall Ms. Maslin’s review is positive, with appreciation for the book’s humorous style and efforts to update common topics. Click here to read the review in its entirety.

Also of note, this month’s Allure features a True Prep tie-in piece, our thanks to the Bellini Bunny for showcasing it on her blog. The story contrasts popular styles of today with styles back in 1980 when TOPH was published.

Allure magazine via the Bellini Bunny

For example, “Beauty Icons then” include Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, “Now” it is Gwyneth Paltrow. (Ahem.)

Also meriting a visit, Apartment Therapy’s “Waspy Whimsey“.

Apartment Therapy

Guerrin Gardner and Mat Sanders put together a wonderful styleboard inspired by the book.

For anyone interested in the schedule with dates and times for True Prep Book Tour events, click here; the link takes you to a page with all that info and more, The Consort the IT department put it together for the site.

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We quickly revisit some of last night’s fashionable (or not) moments at the Emmys. Below, three stars of Mad Men,  January Jones in Atelier Versace, Elizabeth Moss in Donna Karan, and Christina Hendricks in Zac Posen.

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

Below, Sally Draper actress Kiernan Shipka at the event.

Here are a few of the Mad Men, along with the show’s producer, Matt Weiner.

Chris Pizzello/AP

Actor Jon Hamm and longtime partner Jennifer Westveldt both wore Armani for the big do, while Tina Fey opted for a stunning Oscar de la Renta gown.

Perhaps the most unusual dress was worn by Rita Wilson, seen here with husband Tom Hanks.

Michael Buckner/Getty

The dress and shoes were both from the Prada runway show, we don’t know who did the handbag.

We generally adore Ms. Wilson’s style selections, but this one just didn’t work; it was a classic case of the dress wearing her, not the other way around.

Actress Claire Danes was a knockout in Armani.

We leave you with two more images from last night’s festivities.

Until next time!

ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS:

• AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
• Frazer Harrison/Getty
• Jason Merritt/Getty

Lhuillier Bliss, FNO Plans of a Preppy Sort

Hello-Hello, and welcome to a wacky Wednesday that feels like a Tuesday. We cannot tell you how many times TSU has been required to answer the question “Okay, quick, is Tuesday or Wednesday?” But there shan’t be any complaining about the shortened week here at the Prepatorium, nay-nay, it is a lovely concept, simply bliss in our little brain!

Speaking of such, has everyone heard about the more affordable line coming from gown designer extraordinaire Monique Lhuillier? That is the name of her new line, “Bliss“.  The eagle eyes over at StyleList mentioned it in a post last week, including these sketches:

Courtesy Photo via StyleList

As the article details:

“The line will offer dresses in the best lace, organza and silk, featuring both ML’s signature embellishments and flair for fashion, but priced for the masses.”

Pricepoints for the gowns are expected to range from $2,300 to $3,500; the line will include fifteen styles available this fall.

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Is everyone familiar with FNO, Fashion’s Night Out? The brainchild of Anna Wintour, it is officially described as a “global initiative to promote retail, restore consumer confidence, and celebrate fashion…”. We like Christina Binkley’s description better, as seen in this Journal story:

“… a global pep rally sponsored by two fashion icons, Anna Wintour and Diane von Furstenberg.”

“The goal is to revive the now-comatose basic human urge to snap up lipstick, socks, neckties, designer gowns, jewelry, handbags and all the other goodies that people cut—with a certain pride—from their household budgets…”

All over the country tomorrow night hundreds of stores will be staying open until at least 11pm, offering special promotions, gifts with purchase, and more. Events range from free chocolates at Maison du Chocolat (the Rockefeller Center store) to the Olsen twins serving drinks at Bergdorf Goodman.

If not out watching the Open, shoppers at Cole-Haan (on Madison) can meet Maria Sharapova, showing her new Collection again (previewed in this post), while also sampling goodies from Dylan’s Candy Bar.

Fashion's Night Out

As is the case with almost any event held these days, one may acquire a tee-shirt commemorating the occasion. For those not attending in person, the shirt is available online at Needless Markup Neiman Marcus.  The nice thing about the tee? 40% of the proceeds are being donated to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center.

A number of Preptastic retailers are participating, including Lilly Pulitzer.

Lilly plans include giving shoppers a chance to see some of the amazing designers in action at the Mother Ship on Madison Avenue, and it seems there will be liquid refreshments as well, the invitation does say “Cocktails and creativity will flow.” For more on all of the Lilly events, click here.

Tory Burch has even designed a special tote for the occasion.

Purchase *anything* at either the Nolita or Meatpacking stores and one of the limited edition totes is yours. Kate Spade shoppers have an opportunity to party, as the retailer is offering cha-cha lessons and Havana highballs will be served!

Brooks Brothers is unveiling a yet-to-be-announced product, Polo Ralph Lauren is hosting an art event, and J. Crew is promoting their Jewelry/Accessories store by offering refreshments and a chance to meet a jewelry designer.

We have read of several bloggers planning to partake of the festivities, including the fabulous Magnolias, Marriage & Manhattan. There are also events scheduled all over the country, including Los Angeles and Orange County, San Francisco and Chicago.  If interested, check online, in the local newpaper or at the official FNO site. For a list of events in London, click here.

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One other quick note: the Anna Sui Gossip Girl-inspired line for Target launches tomorrow. Below, a look at the ‘Blair dress‘ as seen in a print ad for the retailer.

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We close with a few more lines from Ms. Binkley’s excellent story about tomorrow’s big events:

“But can fashionable entertainment persuade people to pay full price when they are still feeling queasy and bloated from over-spending?

Discounting is a matter of supply and demand. During the boom, luxury goods and fashion brands became so plentiful that they turned into commodities. Stores, carrying the same items around the world, were left to compete on little more than price when the recession set in.”

We are curious about your thoughts on shopping…? Do you spend less time engaged in that activity than you did a year or two ago? Did you always look for bargains regardless of the economy, or are you more cognizant of that now?  Do you have any concerns about being perceived as someone who is a conspicuous consumer, or are things essentially the same? Is your perception of luxury different in any way?

You know TP has an inquiring mind, and she is simply dying to hear your reactions to this idea of an evening spent celebrating shopping.

It’s That Time… Tennis, Tiffany and Fashion

Hello-Hello, we are ever-so-far-behind, having just walked in the door from being on the other side of the state most of the day, goodness, what a frenzy today has become! (But a good frenzy.) So we shall effort brevity, as difficult as that may be to comprehend coming from these quarters.

Today the talk is of tennis, US Open Tennis to be precise, accented with a little Tiffany and Cole-Haan thrown in for good measure.

As any fan knows, it is Tennis Week. This afternoon was the draw, and play begins on Monday.  Festivities kicked off earlier in the week however, at a party hosted by Tiffany and In Style magazine.  On hand, Maria Sharapova, wearing a new pair of Tiffany earrings per the athlete’s arrangement with the jeweler.

PHOTO: Jemal Countess/Getty

Also on hand for the party? Gossip Girl star Blake Lively, celebrating her 22nd birthday.

PHOTO: Jemal Countess/Getty

But back to Ms. Sharapova’s earrings, the Stria in sterling from Tiffany’s Frank Gehry Collection,

Courtesy Tiffany & Co.

The earrings have a sweet little diamond at the top, and offer an elegant touch sure to be ideal for many occasions.  For those curious about the background of Ms. Sharapova’s partnership with the famed jewelry house, there is a post here (also covering Ms. Williams tennis ‘Trench Coat’) and here (‘the Pirate over the Preppy’).

EDITOR’S NOTE: Obviously this is the point in our post where we would normally have a small mention about the absolute horror of Tiffany partnering with a common celebrity magazine to promote their products.  You know, the “…GAM (Great Aunt Molly) rolling over in her grave if she knew…” part of things. We’ll simply say that the exigent circumstances surrounding today’s schedule are sparing everyone this dreaded tirade.

Speaking of Gossip Girl, we simply must include this next photo of actor Ed Westwick on his way to a shoot with co-star Jessica Szohr today, in honor of the one and only Nautical by Nature, she who occasionally enjoys a look at ‘Chuck Bass‘.

PHOTO: Jose Perez/Splash News

Back to Ms. Sharapova, tonight she will also be busy on behalf of a sponsor, footwear and accessories firm Cole-Haan, still a Princess favorite. (As opposed to Tiffany, now occupying space as ‘the jeweler once known as TP’s number one until they made the Princess pout‘ episode.)

Courtesy Cole-Haan

The statuesque beauty and tennis ace will be celebrating the launch of her eponymous collection of shoes and handbags. Below, a sampling, starting with the Air Milano Short Boot…

Cole-Haan Air Milano

And the Maria Frame Convertible Clutch…

Cole-Haan Maria Clutch

For more on the tennis star’s partnership with Cole-Haan, StyleList has an excellent Q&A with Ms. Sharapova.

That wraps up our entirely frivolous post on the topic, tomorrow we hope to share some photos and insight about the tennis togs themselves, something near and dear to to TP’s heart. And by all means, scoot over and say hello to Rich at Down the Line Tennis where you will find information and perspective vastly superior to ours.

Thank you for your kind tolerance of our frenetic schedule, and may Friday be fabulous!

Your Help is Needed for a Bridal 911. Now.

Hello-Hello everyone!

Today we have a post that is a bit different from the norm, certainly one likely to be vastly more engaging for readers than most of our day-to-day mental meanderings.

Many readers already are familiar with our ever-so-dear and delightful bloggy friend, Daisy Duke, attorney-at-law.  If not, the link below will pop you right over to her wonderful blog, Legally Blonde Ambition.

Ladies, Miss Daisy is in need of our assistance. Pronto. The situation has not yet reached dire nature proportions, but we promise you it could if we cannot offer prompt action.

The nature of the problem? We are talking about a fashion emergency, of a sort that has potential to reach cataclysmic levels. You see, Miss Daisy is now engaged to her Prince Charming.  (For all the romantic details on how Mr. Wonderful asked the question, including photos of the ring he designed, just click here.)

But we stray from our mission.  Here is the challenge: the bride-to-be has selected her gown, a stunningly simple and elegant design we show below.

PHOTO: Courtesy Brides.com

This piece of bridal beauty is from Anne Barge, and we adore the clean and classic lines.

But Miss Daisy is in desperate need of shoes, and she is beginning to despair of ever locating the absolutely-perfect pair.  So she asked yours truly if we might solicit your input on the topic; we all know what a fashionable lot Princess readers are, also possessing impeccable fashion taste.

A quick look at the bodice of the gown, adorned with über-elegant pintucks.

PHOTO: Courtesy Brides.com

Now here are the details on the dress and wedding itself:

• it is ivory silk taffeta with a chapel length train
• the wedding is in Savannah, Georgia this October

And here is the scoop on Miss Daisy’s shoe preferences:

• her taste is classic, no sequins or over the top frou-frou
• the biggest dilemma is matching the ivory gown, so much of what Daisy has looked at is bright white
• she prefers delicate flats or a kitten heel, no more than 2″, ideally a scosh less if possible
• Daisy has already looked into Cole Haan (their adorable ballerina wedding flat only comes in white-white), Stuart Weitzman, Tory Burch, Kate Spade, & Neimans
• our bride likes bows, and is fine with champagne, gold or silver for shoe color
• her personal personal shoes are mostly Coach, Cole Haan, Kate Spade & Stuart Weitzman

What do you say Princesses? Can we do this? Can we step into the breach and take one for Team Prep? We bellow shout come back with an appropriately discreet, “Why yes, of course, this is not a problem for us. Not at all. We’re on it.”

We offer our gratitude in advance for what we know will be utterly divine suggestions, be they designers you are fond of, a certain shop you frequent that our Miss Daisy may be unaware of, or a specific pair of shoes you just know will work their magic on Miss Daisy’s twinkling little toes.

Feel free to offer your insight here, or over on Miss Daisy’s blog.  A grateful nation thanks you.