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!

About That Ivy Style, Preppy Sales & Savings

Hello-Hello, happy Monday!

We begin with a look at Vanity Fair‘s photo piece on the “Hallmarks of Preppy Style“.

Is that poly blend? Three raps over the knuckles with a braided belt! Preppy fashion is all about rules—the standard bearers sniff at synthetics, cleavage, sparkles, and a million other don’ts.

Below, a photo we may have shown previously, Deerfield students in 1961.

Via Vanity Fair

More from the preface to the photo piece:

But those dictates source originally from the “windswept and privileged” attire of 1920s college men, the supposed first to co-opt athletic gear as daywear in an unstudied, thrown-together way.

A 1920s print ad.

Via Vanity Fair

Back to the Vanity Fair writeup:

Preppy, released on October 4 from Rizzoli, lays out the evolution of Ivy style in a sleeker, glossier way than all those prep-devoted Tumblrs you’ve probably seen. Here we trace the touchstones of the look, from Jack Kennedy’s flannels to coltish Ralph Lauren models and the original Lacoste croc.

Photofest via Vanity Fair

As mentioned in the Vanity Fair piece, Preppy: Cultivating Ivy Style comes out next week. We are very excited about this one, as soon you will be able to purchase it from The Preppy Princess. And guess where you will be able to enter a giveaway for the book at some point in the not-too-distant future?

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The Vanity Fair piece mentioned above also includes a look at legendary adman David Ogilvy, inspiration for the hit television show Mad Men. That is the perfect lead-in to our next topic, the cast and crew of the show are back at work.  (It is about time.)  The Daily Mail has a variety of images of the cast getting back to work in this story we wanted to share with Preppy 101. Below we show Roger and Don John Slattery and Jon Hamm.

Splash/Splash/GSI-Barcroft Media

The show returns in January.

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One other quick item of note, Casa Sugar’s Ivy League Americana photo montage.

Casa Sugar

From the story:

It certainly screams prep, but there’s a definite elegance in the look above. Deep rosewood hues and tartan plaid make me smell the East Coast Autumn air. And despite the fact that Thomas Chippendale was a Brit, his iconic, ornate Chippendale design is also a huge influence in this style. His cabinetry was reserved for the upper echelon of society in colonial America.

Click here to see the entire piece.

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There are also a few Sales and Savings opportunities you may find to be of interest. It is that time of year between back-to-school and Christmas when retailers boost sales through other promotional efforts, there are several Friends and Family offerings.

Lands’ End is doing Friends and Family, 25% off everything, just go to the site and you will see the information.

Lands’ End

Brooks Brothers is also offering 25% off in its Friends and Family promotion.

Brooks Brothers

To receive a 25% discount at Brooks Brothers, use promo code 11FRIEND.

Speaking of Brooks Brothers, flash sale site Rue La La is doing a sale on Brooks’ Handbags starting tomorrow at 11am.

Rue La La

There is also a men’s Brooks Brothers sale at Rue La La tomorrow, along with Sebago, makers of good boat shoes and moccasins.

Rue La La

And finally, J. Crew Factory is 30% off through Wednesday night.

J. Crew Factory

This is online only, use promo code SHOPNOW to receive the discount.

That is it for today, goodbye until next time!

Party Frocks, Personalized iPad/Kindle Cases & A Man in Uniform

Well now, if it isn’t a Monday.  In every way.  Even Tilly is feeling it.

Because we are slightly overbooked tomorrow (Tuesday), unfortunately today’s blather post shall have to suffice for both days, we do apologize for our appalling lack of time management skills.

We begin with what is becoming an almost weekly event, another in the Sunday night parade of celebrities showing their party frocks, jewels and accessories as they head into yet another awards show. (If it is all so very wretched then pray tell, why dost thou engage in adding fuel to the frenzy, hello?!!) Last night’s venue was the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

We thought Nicole Kidman looked lovely in black lace by Nina Ricci, although we are apparently in the minority, at least from what we gleaned in this morning’s reviews.

Diane Baranski from The Good Wife was radiant and True Grit’s Hailee Steinfeld was very pretty in Prada.

Several stars were in Oscar de la Renta, including Jennifer Lawrence (below left), nominated for her role in Winter’s Bone (the movie was quite the sensation at Sundance last week), she was in a shocking pink gown from the designer’s pre-fall 2011 collection.

Above right Glee’s Lea Michele is also wearing OdlR, a blush crepe de chine dress from this spring’s collection.  We enjoyed this next picture via PopSugar, the young stars of Modern Family: Rico Rodriguez, Ariel Winter and Nolan Gould all looked darling.

Via PopSugar Australia

Not looking as stellar as she generally does, Jane Lynch from Glee missed the mark in a bouffant lavender creation. On a more positive note, Jeff and Susan Bridges provided a note of understated elegance.

When it comes to hits and misses on the red carpet, All the Rage, the LA Time’s style blog, counted these two as “misses”:

AP/Reuters via All The Rage

“…Jenna Fischer’s gray Fendi gown is an odd choice. The fit is off and the color does nothing for her. Not sure about Jayma Mays’ coral-colored Jenny Packham gown either. What’s with the awkward-looking single beaded sleeve?”

Also on the “misses” list and understandably so, Angie Harmon.

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

All the Rage offered this on Ms. Harmon’s dress: “… Monique Lhuillier that looked as if it were about to molt”. Ouch.

Anti-Prep Kim Kardashian’s Marchesa gown was labeled both a hit and a miss, depending upon whom you were reading this morning.

We liked Mad Men’s January Jones in Carolina Herrera, but did not find her highly styled hairdo nearly as fabulous or flattering as most others did; as always, co-star Jon Hamm looked stylish.

The LA Times had a nice note about Mr. Hamm:

“The very clean-cut Don Draper would certainly not approve, but Hamm’s fans certainly did — he signed more autographs than anyone else on the carpet before them.”

That is the sort of thing you like to read about, as opposed to the plethora of “stars behaving badly” stories we so frequently see.

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Our other topic today is fun, albeit crassly commercial (gasp).  We are all gaga over our brand new personalized iPad and Kindle cases.

PreppyPrincess.com

Above we show three of the patterns available, definitely today’s Pretty in Pink and Green. Below, two of the argyle designs available.

The cases come in two versions, one for the Apple iPad (10″ x 7.5″ x 1″) and one for the Kindle DX (11″ x 7.75″ x 1″).

One of our personal favorites is the Sailor Plaid in red, white and blue, although the Rhapsody Stripes make us think of deep turquoise waters and blue skies.

The cases are crafted of durable neoprene and may be monogrammed or personalized in a variety of ways.

We couldn’t be happier to offer Lovie and Dodge, these are precisely what we were looking for after acquiring our very own iPad, and we will have more goodies from this splendid company moving forward.

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We know many readers probably aren’t sleeping well, overwrought by concerns about precisely what Prince William will wear for his trip to the altar in April. Put away the sleep aids, tonight you can snooze in bliss, comforted in the knowledge that question has been answered.

Via Hello! magazine

The Prince shall be in uniform, Savile Row firm Gieves and Hawke is making his suit.

Gieves and Hawkes

It isn’t yet known if he will opt for a Naval, Army or RAF uniform; the Prince is eligible to wear any of the three. Now if we only knew about Miss Middleton’s wedding gown designer….sigh.  That news will come soon enough, the media are camped out simply everywhere trying to get the upper hand on the story, but the family and the varying Palaces involved are managing this one rather well, good for them we say.

On that note, we say goodbye until next time, may everyone be safe and warm and dry.

ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS:

• Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
• Jason Merritt/Getty
• Lucas Jackson/Reuters
• Kevork Djansezian/Getty
• Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

Is It a “Faux Clearance” at Those Outlet Stores?

Hello, happy beginning of a new week, hopefully everyone was able to garner a little bit of rest and rejuvenation over the weekend.

We begin with a closer look at what is actually being sold at factory outlet stores, a timely topic in light of These Challenging Times. This story from Bloomberg points out the majority of what is being sold at the discount stores no longer comes directly from the retailers.  Some may recall that 30 years ago when such stores were becoming part of the retail landscape that almost all of the wares came right from the regular-priced version of the company.

As savvy shoppers are aware, this is no longer the case.

“Increasingly, merchandise is made specifically for the outlets and sold nowhere else at full price (even though it may be made by a top brand like Calvin Klein), says retail consultant Steven Dennis, who dubs the phenomenon “faux clearance.”

The story notes there is now a shortage of luxury goods available at many outlet stores, in part because retailers are manufacturing less, but also because of the abundance of online ‘flash sales’ sites like RueLaLa and Gilt Groupe.  The quality of the goods offered is also a topic of discussion:

“”You don’t have nearly the quality you had in the recent past and you don’t have the degree of discounts,” says Dennis, founder of Sageberry Consulting and a former Neiman Marcus senior vice-president. “It’s hard to believe all of these players can operate 50 to 100 outlets successfully. There’s going to be a shakeout.”

In some cases only 10-20% of the merchandise being sold at the off-price store actually comes from the full-price retailer:

“At Saks’ Off 5th stores, 10 percent to 20 percent of the merchandise is clearance from Saks’ full-priced stores, about 20 percent is Off 5th store-label goods, and most of the rest is made for the chain by vendors, says spokeswoman Julia Bentley.”

J. Crew recently opened its Online Factory store; the retailer makes it clear to shoppers that everything is “…designed exclusively for Factory at J. Crew.com”.

The company is attempting a sense of urgency, a “buy now, time is running out!” mentality, with messages like this weekend’s:

“Pssst… this is a limited assortment, so hurry – you only have three days to shop”

Crew also reinforces the ‘limited time and merchandise’ message by keeping the site active only on weekends.  From the Journal’s story announcing the outlet plans:

“The New York-based clothing retailer is gambling that it can expand sales without cannibalizing demand for more expensive merchandise at its mainline stores. J. Crew is among the first to risk selling outlet gear over the Internet.

Anne Kadet at the Journal recently wrote about her expedition to a factory outlet mall in a piece titled “High Price for a Bargain,” here are her thoughts on J. Crew’s offerings:

“But it all felt a little confusing. When I asked a J. Crew clerk how to tell the factory lines from the discounted overstock, she cheerfully replied, “You don’t!” And to my eye, the construction on some merchandise didn’t look so hot. These stores might make sense for folks seeking the mall look for less. But if it’s not as well made, it’ll wear out faster, and that means another trip to the store. No thanks!”

The trend is confirmed by this column from Australia’s Inside Retailing:

“These stores serve not just to clear merchandise from their full price stores, but also to access a more thrifty but aspirational consumer with branded merchandise made specifically for the outlet itself.”

As noted in this post two weeks back, Neiman Marcus has opened a dedicated Last Call site.  And the company has opened a store near Dallas featuring only goods made specifically for its Last Call stores.  Neiman’s Last Call wares are described this way on a mall owner’s site:

“Last Call from Neiman Marcus offers a consolidation of marked down merchandise from the upscale retailer’s 32 stores nationwide, as well as Bergdorf Goodman. Last Call offers quality merchandise that shoppers expect from Neiman Marcus at significant savings. Prices at Last Call are typically 40%-80% off the original selling price.”

Back to Anne Kadet’s tale of her trip to an outlet mall:

“… I started with the more affordable retailers I’d typically shop in the city, like Gap, Coach and Ann Taylor. These mid-price shops, it turns out, mainly stock “factory” merchandise specially made for the outlet stores. Spokespeople for Coach and Ann Taylor later told me there’s no difference in quality, and that the factory lines include classic designs that originally sold at the retail stores.”

The company is wise to exploit the online channel, expenses are much lower when compared to a physical stores, the issue remains cannibalizing its existing stores, begging the question: will the off-price business move to a model more driven by online sales as opposed to brick and mortar stores?

If shopping at off-price venues do you care if the merchandise comes from a full-price store, or if it is something made only for sale at the outlet store?  Have you noticed a degradation in quality at off-price shops?

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With last night’s finale of Mad Men we say goodbye to Don and Betty for another season. Sadly, there really wasn’t much of Betty this year, and when we did see the former Mrs. Draper, she was less of a stunning, stylish mid-century mom and more of a neurotic shrew, certainly not anyone you would want on your Junior League committee, to be sure.

Betty was ‘replaced’ by a number of women, below we see Don with Megan.

A number of friends have asked if we enjoyed the finale.  Yes, we liked the show, but we were also a wee bit disappointed, hoping for more of the dramatic tension we saw in last year’s final episode.  Below we see Don making The Call, he really is the poster boy for “What is a Cad?”.

Meredith Blake’s piece on Show Tracker is outstanding, this may well be our favorite portion:

“It’s a scenario that I think will be familiar to many women: You do the hard work of making someone into a good boyfriend, then your new-and-improved boyfriend moves on to someone else. It’s like you found this great fixer-upper, you gutted the whole place, pulled out all the ugly vinyl siding to reveal the original moldings underneath. Then all of a sudden someone else is moving her furniture into your exquisitely remodeled home. So not fair!”

The Journal’s Speakeasy blog offers this:

“It will obviously have a profound effect on future seasons of the show. But in the eyes of this longtime fan, that’s not exactly a good thing. The engagement is an enormous misfire—a baffling plot twist that’s surprising but not at all logical.”

The episode does have us thinking we may have misread CreepyGlen, perhaps his name should be JustPlainGlen; his goodbye to LittleSallyDraper was actually rather sweet.  As was the wistful tone in Betty’s voice in one of the final scenes.

 

Jordin Althaus/AMC-TV

 

In reality, that wistful tone may be emanating here in the corner condo at Princess InterGalactic HQ, we liked those characters together, more of a DonandBetty. But that is forever gone, and it is time to move on. Sniff.

With that we say g’bye until next time!

Updates on Lilly Furniture & an Anti-Prep, + a Mad Men Spoiler….?

Hello, and greetings from The Prepatorium, where we seem to be having a bit of the “Monday-on-a-Tuesday” syndrome, making today’s post somewhat brief.  Is anyone else encountering similar challenges, or are we the only one with our whiskers in a wad not feeling like we received all the french fries in today’s Happy Meal?

We begin with a quick peek at a few pieces from the upcoming Lilly Pulitzer Furniture Collection.

 

Courtesy Photo via Home Accents Today

 

The 200-piece Collection debuts later this week at the biannual High Point Furniture Market; the company partnering with Lilly on the undertaking is HFI Brands.

 

Courtesy Photo via Home Accents Today

 

For anyone wondering about a color palette, the Home Accents story features this quote from a company executive:

“”The Lilly Pulitzer Home collection promises to deliver Lilly’s same style, inspired color palette and unique sense of fun to consumers’ everyday lives.”

This photo also provides ample proof of the vibrant hues we’ll see in the line.

 

Courtesy Photo via Home Accents Today

 

(We do apologize to our FB Fans for the repetition of photos.)

Lilly Pulitzer isn’t the only fashion designer to announce a new furniture line, Jean-Paul Gaultier (he just showed his last  collection for Hermès and is taking over Lacoste design duties) is also planning a home collection.

 

Via MoCo Loco

 

Sometimes referred to as “the French fashion enfant terrible,” Mr. Gaultier has done furniture previously; this time he is partnering with upscale brand Roche-Bobois.  As MoCo Loco reports, many pieces will feature the designer’s nautical stripes.

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Next, an update on one of our original AntiPreps, Kim Kardashian.

 

W Magazine via WSJ Speakeasy

 

The latest involves Ms. Kardashian’s sartorial selections for the W Magazine November cover photo. As in none. The Journal’s Speakeasy blog offers more:

“Of course having a naked reality star on the front of a publication has little to do with art–but it has everything to do with selling copies.”

Clearly the real issue isn’t the discreetly cropped image seen in the Speakeasy blog post, but this picture, also cropped (we are not posting the entire cover photo):

 

W Magazine

 

We let our subscription to W lapse for a variety of reasons: too many magazines but too little time, the ease of scanning portions of it online, the increasing lack of relevance to our lives.  All reasons impacting circulation and profits at most print publications. Back to Christopher John Farley’s post, it addresses the bigger picture:

“Kardashian, or one of her sisters, are safe bets to somehow be a part of more such endeavors in the future. Many other reality stars will no doubt remove every stitch if they so much as get a call from Cat Fancy magazine. But every time a star bares all, it will likely move fewer issues than the time before.”

Indeed.

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Finally today, at least one online theory exists about what could happen in this Sunday’s final episode of Mad Men. (Sniff.) Below, an image from the upcoming show, Don Draper (okay, Jon Hamm) certainly looks troubled.

Michael Yarish/AMC-TV

We adore the way LittleSallyDraper (it really is all one word) is growing up, but fear her involvement with CreepyGlen (also all one word) is headed nowhere good. (For those who might not share our insane addiction watch the show, don’t be fooled by CreepyGlen’s uniform, he most assuredly *is not* your classic football hero.)

 

Michael Yarish/AMC-TV

 

One of our favorite aspects of the show is reveling in the vintage styles, like those seen on LittleSallyDraper and her mother, Betty Draper Francis.

Michael Yarish/AMC-TV

At any rate, the possible spoiler comes via Ben Cohen in his column “Mad Men Conspiracy Theories: Will Conrad Hilton Return?” Mr. Cohen puts forth some interesting possibilities, not the least of which is the episode’s title: “Tomorrowland”.  For more, visit the post, we couldn’t possibly risk ruining the end for anyone.

With that we’re out the door, hoping everyone has a sunny afternoon and an evening filled with moonbeams, both literal and magical.