Stars in Christian Dior, Betty And Her Bugles

Hello, Happy Tuesday!

We begin today with eye candy for many a fashion fan, a new book, “Stars in Dior”.

Rizzoli via Selectism

The book accompanies an exhibit with the same name, more from Fashionista:

…reports this morning that the Christian Dior Museum on the Normandy coast (which is housed in Dior’s childhood home) will host the exhibit, which will run from May 12 through September 23. And if you’re a classic film buff, you will want to book your ticket now.

Unfortunately the new volume won’t be sold in the US until September, but will available in France next month. (You can pre-order now for US delivery upon publication.)  Below, Natalie Portman is stunning in a John Galliano design, an embroidered silk dress from the 2009 autumn/winter Haute Couture collection.

Alexi Lubomirski/Courtesy Dior via The London Telegraph

More from Fashionista:

The first floor of the exhibit will feature actresses “wearing Dior in everyday life” and an area dedicated to Marlene Dietrich, who was a famous fan of the label and even had it written into her contract that she would only wear Dior in Hitchcock’s Stage Fright.

Below we see Ms. Dietrich wearing Dior for that film in 1950.

© Rue des Archives/Courtesy Dior via WWD.com

This is an exhibit clearly meriting its own excursion, with a special itinerary planned around the Museum visit, can you imagine seeing these gowns in person?!

Many readers will recognize this advertisement for J’adore perfume, the campaign showcased actress Charlize Theron.

Dior Courtesy Photo via WWD

Bliss.

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Today’s other tidbit involves a Mad Men update of sorts.  By way of background, this season we see blond beauty Betty Draper struggling with a weight issue.  Here is Betty in Season 2.

Carin Baer/AMC-TV

And here is Betty from Sunday’s show.

Michael Yarish/AMC

Here is another look from this Sunday.

Via Lady Lulah Blog

You can imagine how this has been treated online – the interwebs have been blazing hot with buzz about Betty. In reality, actress January Jones was pregnant when filming started, making her perfect for this plotline. If one does a search for “Fat Betty Draper” or “Fat Betty Francis,” the character’s surname following her divorce from Don Draper and marriage to Henry Francis, the result is staggering.

More on this from MSNBC:

Most critics and viewers are in agreement that the storyline was drawn as a result of Jones’ real-life pregnancy, though a hefty — and possibly ill — Betty also opened up a new door in her character’s development. Upon learning that there was a tumor on her thyroid, Betty called upon ex-husband Don Draper (Hamm), rather than her current husband, to express her fear of leaving their children motherless.

There are stories galore at ‘traditional media’ sites, blogs, Facebook, and more. The reaction runs from those dismayed and heartbroken at Betty’s appearance, to those outraged at the alleged lack of political correctness in the portrayal. The show featured Betty in a voluminous pink robe, sitting on her sofa consuming a box of Bugles. (Full disclosure: several of us on Twitter confessed our desire for our own box of Bugles.)

It was only a matter of time before we saw a parody account on Twitter for the character under the name Fat Betty Francis, here is one of “Betty’s” tweets.

Twitter via Mashable

The parody is very funny, although we’re doubtful its origins are strictly grassroots, the account links to sports entertainment site Tauntr.  In fact, this comes via that site:

Via Tauntr.com

Full disclosure #2: Many of us on Twitter think this looks like a mighty fine recipe for ice cream.

Help With Hidden Lilly & Ladurée’s Feline Friend, Don & Roger

Hello-Hello, welcome to an almost-weekend.

We’re all about some Friday Fun today, beginning with word of a Ladurée – Hello Kitty collaboration.  We first heard about the new collection on Luxuo’s Twitter feed.

Ladurée Facebook Page

Here is more from the company’s Facebook page:

“…this joyful cooperation will yield a variety of creations: a new chocolate, a collection of gift-boxes, and a collection of little accessories.”

Below we have a better look at the artwork via fab French department store Colette (left) and a charm bracelet from the collection featuring macarons and the famous Kitty.

Colette (L)/Ana Pettus Diaries (R)

As some readers know, yours truly finds the cute Kitty inexplicably appealing; combining her with Ladurée only serves to increase our interest level. There are some darling stickers in the line as well.

Via Just Lia

The potential for cute food and related goodies is very high, you can see all of the items in Ladurée’s most recent newsletter (scroll down to see the products and pricing, the monetary unit used is the Euro).

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Our other topic today involves that beautiful Lilly Pulitzer textile line from Lee Jofa.

Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

The company carried a fun blog post this week about the hidden signatures in Lilly fabrics.

The Lilly look is easily recognizable, but did you know there is a simple way to test the authenticity of a true Lilly Pulitzer fabric? The name “Lilly” is built into the design of each pattern. This is true both for the clothing patterns and the fabric available to interior designers exclusively through Lee Jofa.

We’ve made it easy to spot the Lilly in each print, take a look!

Up top we show a swatch of the Bimini print, below, Heritage Floral.

"Heritage Floral" by Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

You can see the signatures much better with their help, below Color Me Coral.

"Color Me Coral" by Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

Here’s one I *never* would have been able to find, In a Twist.

"In a Twist" by Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

Our last example, Racey Lacey, a print I really like.

"Racey Lacey" by Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

We’ll make that our Pretty in Pink for the day.

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Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

Finally, a reminder (as if it’s needed) about the return of Mad Men Sunday night.  Because I have been stalking occasionally taken a glance at the Mad Men website, we can share that there are new photos from the new season. Betty is too stern for today’s Pretty in Pink.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

Roger is looking rather intense.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

Peggy’s green frock is TDF.

Frank

I think every hour is the cocktail hour at Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

Much as I hate cluttering up posts with meaningless photos (cough cough), here’s one last image to hold you until Sunday.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

(I’m a little concerned about Don’s cufflinks. They look, well… loud.)

Don Draper and the Anti-Preps, Plus “Do The Preppy Thing”

Hello-Hello, what a gorgeous spring day it is. We are in the middle of a major heat wave, it is supposed to be 86° here today, more-than-unusual for March in The Great Midwest.  But as you might imagine, there are no complaints from these quarters, we are reveling in every nano-second of it.

Today we take a look at something characterized as a “war of words,” a “spat,” “fight,” and too many other names to list. It involves Don Draper Jon Hamm, coming as we approach this Sunday’s launch of Mad Men Season 5. (We can’t resist showing this still from one of the upcoming episodes, that madras jacket ‘Pete’ has on is just too cool.)

Michael Yarish/AMC

We’re talking about comments actor Jon Hamm made on the cult of celebrity (note: there is an f-bomb mostly deleted in the quote) in Elle UK’s April issue.

“Whether it’s Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian or whoever, stupidity is certainly celebrated,” said Hamm. “Being a ****ing idiot is a valuable commodity in this culture because you’re rewarded significantly.”

As some readers may recall, both Ms. Hilton and Ms. Kardashian are among our original AntiPreps, longtime members of the Wall of Shame. Mr. Hamm’s comment was part of a much lengthier story, in which the actor also says “Incuriousness has become cool… It’s celebrated. It doesn’t make sense to me”.

As one might expect, Ms. Kardashian responded, using her Twitter account to make her point:

Twitter via The Daily Mail

To his credit Mr. Hamm remains steadfast in his opinion, telling E! Online:

“It’s surprising to me that it has become remotely a story,” he told E! News. “I don’t know Ms. Kardashian, I know her public persona.

“What I said was meant to be more on pervasiveness of something in our culture, not personal, but she took offense to it and that is her right.”

The subject was raised again on Monday’s Today show appearance promoting the show’s return.

The Today Show

Host Matt Lauer asked about the kerfluffle (technical phrase):

‘I don’t think [my comments] were careless. I think they were accurate.’

The Today Show via The Daily Mail

That is from the Daily Mail’s story, here is more.

He pulled no punches as he made another attack on the culture of reality television.

It’s a part of our culture that I certainly don’t identify with, and I don’t really understand the appeal of it other than in a sort of car crash sensibility,’ he said.

By the way, Pete (shown above in the snappy madras) Vincent Kartheiser concurs with Mr. Hamm, back to E! Online.

“I agree,” he said. “He said it very eloquently. I agree with everything he said. I think our society enjoys to turn on the television and see someone who’s maybe awful and they can say, ‘Maybe I’m not as terrible as that person.’ “

The most interesting thing about all this? We’ll let the Ministry of Gossip point it out:

Meanwhile, Paris Hilton is actually looking pretty smart in all this, for going happily on with her Twitter life and not saying a thing.

Perzactly.

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Also today, a glance at “Do The Preppy Thing,” a series of links to other sites with hypothetical preppish styles.

Styel.DailyBuzz.com

Most didn’t work for us, but some are fun to look at, including the link to “Under $100: Perfectly Preppy Spring Must-Haves” from Fit Fab Cities.

Fit Fab Cities

There is also a fun one from the always-delightful Pretty Worthy, a collection of things for the “Rainy Day Prepster“.

"Pretty Worthy" Blog

If interested in seeing all of the sites/stories linked to in Do The Preppy Thing, click here.

Our final tidbit is the lucky winner of our LL Bean 100th Anniversary/Preppy Princess 100th Post giveaway:

That is Stacy L., her favorite LL Bean product is her Boat Tote, she gets the fabulous 100th Anniversary Book and the world’s cutest key fob. (Stacy, I am sending you an email today.)

LL Bean

Many thanks to everyone who entered and shared their favorite LL Bean products and stories!

“Don. Don Draper.”

Hello-Hello, welcome to a lovely new week, it is a gorgeous day here in The Great Midwest, hopefully it is the same in your corner of the globe.

We take a look today at the just-released promos for Mad Men Season 5.

AMC-TV via Broadway World

With thanks to Life of a Suburban Princess for letting us know the Jon Hamm Don Draper promo is out, it seems things will pick up where they left off….if one can remember that far back.

AMC-TV

The show has been off the air since October. Of 2010. The Consort’s comment after seeing the promo speaks to what could be a challenge for the show, he noted that he couldn’t even remember how last year’s series ended. When told there was a “cliffhanger,” he merely responded with a shake of his head, saying he didn’t remember it. In all candor, I don’t either.

AMC and the show’s producers will have to find ways that will engage viewers, get them to care and connect with the program again. The new promo uses video and full screen graphics like this:

AMC-TV

The jury is out on whether promises of debauchery are the best way to get viewers excited about the show. It’s likely most women viewers are primarily interested in this:

AMC-TV

Although it probably never hurts to tell everyone this:

AMC-TV

Series star Jon Hamm has been out and about on behalf of the show in the UK, below left we show him promoting Mad Men at an event last week, and on the right, at an awards show in London.

Getty/Reuters

The season premieres with a two-hour show Sunday, March 25, followed by 13 one-hour episodes. To see the entire 30-second ‘Don is Back’ promo click here.

There are other promos, including a ‘Roger is Back‘ version.

AMC-TV via Oregon Live

We’re also reminded in this one that debauchery is back, as are lust (gasp) and several additional activities mentioned in the other promos.  It goes without saying (so allow me to go ahead and say it) things of this nature are far too racy for your faithful scribe to view. (Cough-cough.)

Fans will be pleased to know this is not the last season for Mad Men, more from Broadway World:

The cable network recently announced that the award-winning series will run for three additional seasons, with the series finale coming at the end of the show’s seventh season.

AMC-TV

Some may remember reading that Banana Republic is doing a second Mad Men clothing collection.

Banana Republic

The line officially launches on March 1st, however, many Banana Republic stores are doing a ‘Mad Style Party’ on the 29th, the collection will be on view then and card members can buy pieces. (Do check with your local BR, it’s not clear if this is at all stores or not.)

Banana Republic

Will the show’s return help fill the gap left by the end of Downton Abbey?

Downton Abbey via PBS

That remains to be seen, but it can certainly ease the ache, don’t you think?

AMC-TV via Oregon Live

We leave you with something from DA sure to prompt a smile, especially if you missed it last night: a collection of Dame Maggie Smith’s best lines set to a somewhat hipper beat than what the show’s soundtrack offers. 🙂

Bits & Bytes: Royal Ascot Gets Tough, Mad Men Premiere & That LL Bean Bootmobile

Hello-Hello, today we have loads of little bits and bytes we hope you find moderately entertaining, beginning with a change in the dress code for Royal Ascot. From The Guardian:

Nick Smith, a spokesman for Ascot, said: “It is stretching a point to say standards have collapsed but there is no doubt that our customers would like to get back to a situation where it is universally acknowledged that this is a formal occasion and not an occasion where you might dress as you would at a nightclub.

“It is probably fair to say that the dress code hasn’t necessarily been enforced quite as rigorously as we might have liked.”

It turns out that relaxing the rules in an effort to appeal to a broader section of possible attendees hasn’t gone as well as hoped, at least not when it came to how those attendees were dressed.  If confused, one need look no further than the Royal Ascot website, where the new rules are laid out:

• Dresses and skirts should be of modest length defined as falling just above the knee or longer;

Methinks most of the ladies seen in this photo from last year would not pass muster under that new hemline rule.

CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images

Back to the more stringent standards:

•  Dresses and tops should have straps of one inch or greater;
•  Jackets and pashminas may be worn but dresses and tops underneath should still comply with the Royal Enclosure dress code;
• Trouser suits are welcome. They should be of full length and of matching material and colour;

Something of a visual style guide was released along with the new rules, this next photo seems to reinforce the ‘trouser suit’ information. (FYI, ‘trouser suit’ as opposed to ‘pants suit,’ because on the far side of the pond ‘pants’ generally refers to a ladies’ unmentionables, a cultural distinction your fearless scribe only discovered last summer.) We’ll make this our Pretty in Pink for the day as well, it is a lovely look.

Royal Ascot via The Guardian

However, those are not the only new rules, back to Royal Ascot:

Ladies are kindly asked to note the following:

• Midriffs must be covered;
• Strapless, off the shoulder, halter neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than one inch (2.5cm) are not permitted;

Again, ensembles (we use the term loosely here) worn last year to Royal Ascot that do not appear up to snuff vis-à-vis the updated standards.

Getty Images

With the possible exception of the pink floral frock in the center, that seems like a good thing.

•  Fascinators are no longer permitted in the Royal Enclosure; neither are headpieces which do not have a base covering a sufficient area of the head (4 inches / 10cm).

Another ‘approved’ look via The Guardian:

Via The Guardian

For those who plan on attending with your MOTH (Man Of The House), one final photo, this one showing acceptable styles for both the Lord and Lady at your palace.

Via The Guardian

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Our other primary item of interest involves Mad Men, Season 5 premieres with a special 2-hour episode March 25.  Below, the poster promoting the new season.

Via BuzzSugar.com

Sure to be a collector’s item, this year’s poster takes mid-century minimalism to a new level. We can only hope things are looking up for Don and Betty, I fear he has pickled his liver by now.

amc-tv via Film.com

An interesting sidebar involves Newsweek, word is the magazine is doing a special issue in conjunction with the new season launch. More from Advertising Age:

Newsweek is planning an issue marking the return of “Mad Men” this March by adopting the magazine’s 1960s design throughout — all the way, it hopes, to the ads.

The “Mad Men”-themed issue, which will be dated March 19, will include a cover story on the series and a feature on the role of advertising in U.S. culture.

It seems that virtual wall keeping editorial content and advertising separated isn’t in place at Newsweek.  Below, two Newsweek covers from the Mad Men era, the cover on the far left is January 1964 and on the right, December 1965.

Newsweek via Ad Age

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We leave you with two lighthearted items, the first involving these delightful images: what happens when an illustrator creates a few fashion pooh-bahs in the manner of the Simpsons?

aleXsandro Palombo via British Vogue

Above, Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld, below Vogue’s Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington, all created by illustrator Alexsandro Palombo.

aleXsandro Palombo via Vogue UK

Mr. Palombo is known for, among other things, creating the blog Humor Chic. He also created Vanity Karl, seen below.

aleXsandro Palombo/Humor Chic

We like the illustrator’s sly eye and sense of humor.

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Our other lighthearted tidbit today involves a much loved product.

Via PSFK

Meet the new LL Bean Bootmobile.

Via LL Bean

It was created as part of Bean’s 100th Anniversary this year (more about that in a future post, as well as a special giveaway), and it must be just something to see on the road.

Here is how it looked as it headed to Times Square today.

Zerina Phillip/LL Bean Facebook Page

The Oscar Mayer Weinermobile may have been bumped to second place in our hearts and minds. You can read more about the Bootmobile travel plans (yes, it will be on the move) and other Anniversary events on Bean’s first official blog.

Until next time, keep smiling and keep warm!