Bargains of a Preppish Sort, Gossip Guys and Girls

Hello-Hello, and happy Thursday, it is simply beautiful here at the Prepatorium, we hope you are enjoying equally blissful conditions.

Once again we are brief, the crush of business remains a significant factor in the day, leaving little time for tea and bon-bons. Sniff.

We begin with an update on Fashion’s Night Out, a repeat of last year’s event during New York Fashion Week, created to get people shopping again. Ahem. Below, a photo from the news conference announcing some of the festivities planned for September 10.

Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Conde Nast

Eagle-eyed readers will recognize some of the notables at that event, including Francisco Costa, Tory Burch, Mayor Bloomberg, Anna Wintour and Marc Jacobs.

However, as Eric Wilson points out in the Times, the shopping celebration comes at a time when we are encountering less-than-stellar economic news (have you checked the balance on your trust fund of late, oh my!) and consumers are less inclined to spend:

“In one typical example of mixed messages, the big reveal for the Fashion’s Night Out Sept. 10 party lineup (celebrities and events galore at hundreds of stores staying open until 11 p.m.) appeared in an issue of Women’s Wear Daily that was otherwise dedicated to a theme of fashion frugality. “Mindless excess is over,” the trend forecaster Faith Popcorn said, right there on its front page.

Shop less!

Shop more!

Shop smarter!”

One of the many specialty items being offered for the event, the toile and striped sneakers Keds has created for Opening Ceremony.

Image via NY Times

Lots of celebrities have been engaged for the event, here is a partial rundown from Mr. Wilson’s story in yesterday’s paper:

“Elie Tahari will be giving dance lessons at Saks, while Simon Spurr and Ed Westwick play darts. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, with Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler, are judging karaoke at Barneys. Thakoon, Georgina Chapman and Reem Acra will model with their dogs at Bergdorf Goodman. There also appears to be an unusual convergence of designer table-tennis games, with matches planned at Barneys, Bloomingdale’s and the Stuart Weitzman store on Madison Avenue.”

There are activities and parties scheduled all over the country, perhaps there are festivities in your corner of the globe as well.

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A few shopping notes to share, this post in the JC Report led us to take a quick look at Consortiums New York, specializing in previously loved classic pieces:

“Consortiums’ brand of vintage prep avoids the era’s notorious pitfalls with sophisticated pieces like pristine mustard boat shoes by Bally, round Brooks Brothers tortoiseshell sunglasses and Ralph Lauren bags made of just-faded bluish green fabric and trimmed with leather.”

Consortiums New York

We do like the aformentioned sunglasses:

Consortiums New York

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We have a number of SOPS (Sales & Savings Opportunites) to share, beginning with the private sale at Tory Burch, offering up to 60% off retail prices.

Savings are significant on pieces like the Auden Cardigan (originally $250, now $100) and the Espadrille Ballet Flat ($46 from $116).

Saks is doing an online-only clearance.

Bargains abound at Polo Ralph Lauren as well, its Last Chance sale is underway, with savings up to 70%.

Speaking of Ralph Lauren, there is news about his daughter Dylan. Ms. Lauren received a marriage proposal on Sunday, Page Six has the romantic details:

“The way Paul Arrouet proposed to Dylan Lauren in Montauk on Sunday, there’s no way she could have said no. After a sporty day of jogging and biking, the squash-playing hedge fund manager invited Dylan, daughter of Ralph and Ricky Lauren, to the beach at sunset, where he’d set up a table under an umbrella with six dozen pink roses. Spelled out in candy for her were the words, “You are my ‘It’ girl.” Arrouet, who has been dating Lauren for four years, got down on one knee, presented her with an emerald-cut sparkler, and said the right words. Dylan — who owns Dylan’s Candy Bar and happens to have a book, “Unwrap Your Sweet Life,” coming out in October — said yes. “We’ve always been best friends. We always have fun together,” she said yesterday. “It’s very exciting.” Her parents joined them on the beach to celebrate. No date is set yet.”

Here is a photo of the couple, although it dates back to 2008.

Photo via Jet Set Socialite

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We have a quick update on two stars from everyone’s favorite faux-prep school show, Gossip Girl.

CraigMcDean for Interview Magazine

Blake Lively has landed another magazine cover, Interview features the actress on its September cover.  We had to giggle at the Daily News headline for its story on the photos:

“Blake Lively says she’s ‘shy’ but has no problem posing in bra and handcuffs for Interview magazine”

Also gracing a cover, costar Chace Crawford.

Nicky Emerson for ES magazine

Mr. Crawford was showcased in last week’s issue of ES, the Evening Standard’s magazine.

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We leave you with several images we have been hoping to share for some time.

Sarah Cates via Refinery 29

Yes, that is a cat, as is this.

Sarah Cates via Refinery 29

They were part of the “Fashionable Feline Extravaganza,” an event put together by the North Shore Animal League. Below, Carmen Miranda lives.

Sarah Cates via Refinery 29

And they are connected to preppish styles or fashion… how? Not. at. all.

For more wacky photos, pop over to Refinery 29.

Until next time, may you be surrounded by sunshine and smiles!

Early Look: Fashion Week Sketches

Hello-Hello from the Great Midwest. Where we have much. less. snow than our friends in the east and south. More than 2 feet in Our Nation’s Capital?

Everything about this photo is just plain wrong.

Jason Reed/Reuters

Evidently our lack of snow is about to change, if the weatherologists are correct. We are standing by to stand by.

Amazingly, New York Fashion Week starts this Thursday; designers will show collections for the fall season while most of us are focused on simply making it to spring. We have sketches from a few lines that will be showing, starting with a look Milly look as designed by Michelle Smith.

Courtesy Milly

Some may recall Jill Biden wore a Milly houndstooth dress for the Inauguration ceremony and luncheon.

Next, a design from Elie Tahari; there is more than one piece from this brand here at the Prepatorium.

Courtesy Elie Tahari

We read a fascinating story about Mr. Tahari in our Journal this morning; if interested, click here.  This is the first time the brand will show at Fashion Week.

Next, Rebecca Taylor’s style.

Courtesy Rebecca Taylor

Why is it we enjoy the sketches over ‘the real thing’ so much?

Our next rendering is from Tibi, an extremely popular line in many quarters.

Courtesy Photo via Vogue UK

One quick Sales & Savings note, pieces from most/all lines seen above are available now at fiscally-friendly prices at major department stores like Saks, Neimans, Lord & Taylor, etc..

In WWD’s story on new designers showing at Fashion Week, one group of sketches caught our eye.

The line is called Callula Lillibelle; we are intrigued to see actual pieces from the show.

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A quick update on a few Gossip Girl stars: Leighton Meester and Kelly Rutherford made it to last Thursday’s party celebrating the Sonia Rykiel Pour  H&M collection.

The actresses are seen in the photo above with Nathalie Rykiel. Two tops from the group.

Sonia Rykiel Pour H&M

And two looks in our favorite color.

Sonia Rykiel Pour H&M

The line will be available in stores February 20.

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Many readers are familiar with our irrational fondness for Mad Men. WWD (Women’s Wear Daily, subscription req’d) has a feature on Elisabeth Moss, who plays Peggy Olson on the show.  First, Ms. Moss in character.

AMC-TV

Followed by two photos shot by Diego Uchitel for WWD.

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We close with this Pretty in Pink via the Pink and Green Scene.

Nautica Edgemont

The Nautica Edgemont quilt and accessories look nice and springy to us!

Two New Designers for Target, More Sales & Savings

Hello-Hello, and Happy Tuesday!

It is more than a little frenzied here in the Corner Condo at Princess InterGalactic HQ, so we jump right in today, there is big news about Le Boutique Targèt.  Our favorite reasonably-priced store (discount store just sounds so…so dreary, don’t you think?) has announced two new designer collaborations: the next limited-edition designer for a GO International® capsule collection will be Zac Posen, and a longer-term, larger partnership with Liberty of London.

The Zac Posen for Target collection will be available in stores and online April 25th of next year through May 30th.  Mr. Posen’s line for Target is in addition to his new lower-priced line, Z Spoke, this collection will be sold exclusively at Saks. Below, a few looks from that group, part of this Women’s Wear Daily story:

The story by Jessica Iredale continues:

“Z Spoke comes at a time when the market has shifted and many of Posen’s fellow young designers — Doo-Ri Chung, Thakoon Panichgul and Richard Chai among them — have recently launched lower-priced collections. … Posen’s new line will sit on Saks’ fourth floor… alongside Tory Burch, Elie Tahari, M Missoni and Ralph Lauren Blue Label.”

Two more Z Spoke looks for Saks:

Price points for the Z Spoke pieces will start at $78 for a cotton tee. BTW, all Z Spoke photos are by Kyle Ericksen at WWD.

Prices for Mr. Posen’s Target collection haven’t yet been announced, but prices for other GO International lines have been roughly between $14.99 – $149.99.  While not crazy about most of the Zac Posen Z Spoke pieces seen above, we are excited about his Target line.

And then there is the even bigger news about the Boutique and Liberty of London partnering up, bigger in part because it will include not only Women’s, Men’s, & Children’s apparel and a Home Collection, but also because of the Liberty heritage.

The luxury retailer is best known for colorful prints but also creates many other products, including their own lines of leather goods, home goods like towels and bath items, and more.

Today’s WWD story has more on the partnership.

“Target did not discuss specifics of the home collection. However, products could be similar to the pillows, cosmetics bags, lamp shades and notebooks in iconic prints found on the Liberty site. Timed to coincide with the spring season, Liberty of London for Target also will feature storage and organization and garden products.”

Below, a few of Liberty’s cosmetic bags.

Liberty has a history of successful partnerships across a broad and diverse spectrum, one of their current collections is with Ronnie Wood.

Courtesy Liberty of London

The company’s CEO understands that not everyone is familiar with Target, especially on the far side of the pond; here is more from the story:

“Despite the exposure, collaborating with Target wasn’t an easy decision for Liberty to make. “People outside the U.S. don’t really know how big Target is and what it means,” de la Bourdonnaye said. …and I had to explain to our shareholders just how important this collaboration could be.”

Perhaps they will create some cute melamine pieces like these currently on the retailer’s website.

But we’ll also settle for a scarf or two in the collection!

Here is one of the cotton scarves from the Hermès group:

A bit busy for us, but definitely today’s Pretty in Pink (and Green)!

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Very quickly, here are some links to the latest in Sales and Savings at some of our favorite emporiums; each image is clickable.

The Saks Designer sale is currently online only.

Saks Fifth Avenue

At Neiman Marcus the sale is both online and in stores.

Neiman Marcus

It is both online and in stores at Bergdorfs.

Bergdorf Goodman

The Lord and Taylor markdowns are available both online and in stores, and there is an additional 20% off regular and sale prices. To receive the extra discount, use promo code GREAT at checkout.

With that we say ‘happy hunting’ and ‘good day’ until next time!

Michelle Obama Inauguration Dress, More Election Night Fashion, More Preppy Sales

Happy Thursday to everyone!  We are more than pleased to see the weekend approaching. For some reason The Princess finds herself more than a little weary this week and the thought of relaxation is appealing.  Is it just us, or are you also feeling a bit sluggish?

We will update our recent posts on election night fashions momentarily, but first, an online site is reporting they know who is doing Michelle Obama’s inaugural gown!

According to theYBF (Young, Black and Fabulous) blog, an Atlanta designer has already been asked to create the dress.

“We’ve also learned from Atlanta Gossip that Mrs. O got a jump start on her Inauguration dress plans last week. She already tapped famed African American NY designer Cassandra Bromfield to custom make her Inauguration dress.”

We visited the Bromfeld site, and share one of the gowns featured online:

Courtesy Cassandra Bromfield

From the designer’s bio:

“Bromfield’s wedding dress and bridal designs range from African American wedding dress designs… like patchwork detail couture, an elegant silk taffeta halter dress topped with a satin faced organza duster with delicate French cuffs, to a sophisticated matte-jersey creation that gracefully drapes the body.”

Ms. Bromfield also writes a popular wedding blog.  We will await confirmation of the news on the gown’s designer and share it with you as soon as we know the information.

Now back to fashions already worn; we have a little more information on the Narciso Rodriguez dress seen below (for more photos click here) as worn by Michelle Obama election night.

PHOTO: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty

The dress has been widely criticized, near and far. Here is a snippet from one of the Obamas’ hometown newspapers, the Trib:

“Unfortunately, two key tweaks to the runway version of the dress, presumably made to take it from cocktail-sexy to first-ladylike, disrupted its intentions and architecture.

First, the lengthened bodice. Second, the cardigan that Obama layered on top.”

And that is some of the milder criticism. Ouch!

PHOTO: George Chinsee

Next, the navy suit worn by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin Tuesday evening.

PHOTO: Rick Wilking/Reuters

Amid much speculation about the suit’s designer, several blogs discovered it is an Elie Tahari creation. However, it is not available at every location carrying the Tahari line, as the navy colorway shown above is exclusive to Neiman Marcus. Below, a composite from New York magazine showing the suit in the Neiman’s catalog and Ms. Palin on Tuesday night in Phoenix.

Photos: Neiman Marcus, Getty

An individual appearing to be in the know left comments on fashion blog Trendbites in response to posts about the attire worn by Ms. Palin at the vice presidential debate:

“On behalf of my company…Tahari Arthur S. Levine (a division of Elie Tahari)… Dawn is CORRECT… the black skirt suit that Sarah Palin was wearing at the RNC VP Debate was in fact a Tahari Suit. In addition, she has also been seen wearing the same suit (which was made for Neiman Marcus as a special cut in blue) where she wore the blue jacket over the black skirt, getting more mileage for her money. Lastly, she has also worn numerous suits from our many divisions: Tahari Arthur S. Levine suits which are priced on average at 179.99 – 199.99 and which have been bought at either Macys, Lord and Taylor department stores…”

Below, a photo of Ms. Palin at the vice-presidential debate.

PHOTO: Rick Wilking/Reuters

But here is the really big mystery: who did the dresses worn by Malia and Sasha Obama?  We have received multiple inquiries here at Princess InterGalactic HQ about those darling dresses.  Below, Malia in a red bubble-hem dress with center bow at waist and a cropped cardigan, both in red.

PHOTO: Jae C. Hong/AP

Many think Malia Obama is wearing this Biscotti dress, although with a different belt than the one sold with the dress.  We show it at Nordstrom; it is available at $110. There is a matching/coordinating cropped cardigan Biscotti offers as well, but that does not look to us like the one Malia was wearing.

Here is a better shot of both girls with their father, the President-elect.

PHOTO: Jason Reed/Reuters

Now to avoid any controversy, we do want to share that we have also confirmed who the President-elect was wearing Tuesday night:

He was wearing a Hart Schaffner Marx custom suit very much like the one worn at the Democratic Convention. There are more detail and photos of that suit here, our post with “The Inside Story on the Candidate’s Suit.”  Selecting this suit was another wise choice: it looked great and the Hart Schaffner Marx manufacturing facility is in the Obamas’ home state of Illinois.  Click here to see an almost identical HSM suit.

An update on markdowns being taken by retailers everywhere, beginning with J .Crew, now offering an additional 30% off their sale merchandise.

This will also act as our Argyle Update for the day, as we show the Boys’ cotton-cashmere duke-argyle vest, now more than 50% off its original selling price, before the extra discount is added to the mix. (“Subtracted” from the mix?)

Crew is also offering their wonderful Madras cabana bag; it is also discounted by more than 50%, and this is before the additional 30% discount.

Of course regular readers know we are fiends for madras, as evidenced by our goodies at the Preppy Princess Emporium, like our lush and lovely Set Point Towels.  (Psst…hunting for a gift? The monogramming on these is included at no extra charge!)

PreppyPrincess.com Set Point Towels

PreppyPrincess.com

Neiman Marcus continues their online clearance:

Nordstrom is offering their Half Yearly Sale for Women and Kids.

And the online clearance is still ongoing at Talbots as well as their Collection Sale with merchandise like this Collection Jacket in Ivory.

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And finally, for today’s Pretty in Pink, we share one of our major obsessions here at the Prepatorium: the Globetrotter Vanity Case at Vivre, from Globetrotter’s Candy Collection.

The lining is done in an exquisite Liberty of London print. (The store on Regent Street is on TP’s list of Top 5 shopping meccas in Europe.)

If one requires a tad more room for their belongings, there is always the Trunk, also from the Candy Collection, and also exclusively at Vivre.

If anyone has info on the dresses worn by the Obama girls, please share!

Politics & Fashion Part 12 and J. Crew Seizes the Moment!

Finally. We have managed to gather what’s left of what passes for an adult mind as we effort this update to the ongoing ‘Politics and Fashion’ saga.

We start with a fun story, Michelle Obama once again sporting classics from J. Crew.  In this instance Ms. Obama wore the clothier’s duds Monday night while appearing as a guest on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

PHOTO: Kevork Djansezian/AP

The top is the Italian Deco Shell, a silk twill tank that is now on sale at J. Crew for $99.99 in certain colors.

Courtesy J. Crew

The skirt is Crew’s Pembridge-dot pencil skirt in a silk and nylon blend, fabric that is described as a “shimmery jacquard.”  The skirt is nothing short of stunning when seen in person. It retails at $148.

Courtesy J. Crew

Completing the elegant ensemble was the Crystal-button colorblock cardigan in a wool/nylon/cashmere knit.  TP suspects the brooch at the neck was another Erickson-Beamon creation.

Courtesy J. Crew

Crew also has this piece on sale, now reduced to $89.99.  If it holds any appeal for your walk-in, we recommend running, not walking, to the online shop, or dialing up your personal shopper at the local level.  Somehow we don’t think many, if any of these items will be around after a few hours.

CEO Mickey Drexler and and the rest of the marketing minds at J. Crew had to be ecstatic upon learning what Mrs. Obama was wearing for the high profile appearance. And the company was wise, investing in a paid advertisement in Google search results. Below, copy from the ad, clearly linking the company and the candidate’s wife:

1. 1. Michelle Obama in J.Crew®

      Get the Look Michelle Obama Wore on
      The Tonight Show Only from J.Crew.
      http://www.JCrew.com

Inevitably the conversation turned to the controversy surrounding the wardrobe of Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin. In the course of the conversation host Jay Leno asks “What is it, about $60-grand? $60, $70,000 that outfit?” and Ms. Obama answered, “Actually, this is a J.Crew ensemble. You can get some good stuff online.”

PHOTO: Kevork Djansezian/AP

Mrs. Obama was gracious in her comments about the Palin wardobe issue:

“A V.P. pick, it’s like being shot out of a cannon. All of a sudden you’re at the center of attention, and you want to look good,” said Michelle Obama, adding she has never met Palin. “You’re living in your home, minding your business, and all of a sudden you’re on the national stage and everyone’s watching.”

We refer of course, to the news last week that the Republican National Committee spent $150,000 on clothing and accessories for Ms. Palin and her family.  Those expenses include $49,425 at Saks Fifth Avenue stores in St. Louis and New York, as well as $75,062 at the Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis. Other purchases were made at the Gap in Minneapolis and Lord & Taylor.  A story in WWD has more:

“While the FEC records do not identify whether the purchases were made by McCain or Palin, the McCain campaign has not disputed the news reports that the vice presidential nominee and her family made the purchases along the campaign trail, stretching from Minneapolis to St. Louis to New York.”

PHOTO: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty

Above, Governor Palin in Minneapolis at the Republican National Convention.  In previous coverage WWD has said Ms. Palin favors Escada, and has purchased items secondhand in Anchorage.  Many have suggested the black suit worn by the candidate for the vice presidential debate was by Elie Tahari.

In a follow-up to their original story, Politico.com interviewed a number of stylists and image consultants:

“She is dressing appropriately for the job she is going after,” said Lauren Rothman, a Washington stylist and the principal in the fashion consulting firm Styleauteur.”

The Politico story also includes this quote from Washington Post fashion writer Robin Givhan columnist:

“In the narrow confines of political style,” Givhan wrote last month, “the accepted rule is to dress in a manner that implies empathy for one’s constituency — so don’t wear anything too expensive — but also conveys authority. Palin has embraced the former and utterly ignored the latter.”

Senator McCain responded to the outrage on NBC’s “Meet the Press“:

“She lives a frugal life. She and her family are not wealthy. She and her family were thrust into this and there was some — and some third of that money is given back. The rest will be donated to charity…”

PHOTO: Steve Pope/Getty

Arguably one of the comments that meant the most to us the past several months came from the wonderful Miss Kate, aka Nautical by Nature. In response to our post “Politics and Fashion Part 5, Real Yale Students Talk Gossip Girl” earlier this month she wrote:

“I love how you always show products from both parties Very honorable”

Perhaps it is all the years we spent in broadcast journalism, perhaps it is because we were raised in a culture where one’s honor essentially trumps all else, perhaps it is because we simply believe in being fair in what we write here.  But whatever it is, we didn’t post earlier on the Palin wardrobe issue because we couldn’t find ‘the other side’ to include in the post.

We believe Ms. Palin and family suddenly found themselves in a situation where it was painfully evident everyone needed new apparel. All one needs to reach this conclusion is look at photographs and video of the family the day of the announcement, let alone the days before that announcement.  What worked well in Anchorage would not play positively on a national stage. So we take no issue with the acquisition of new wardrobes for the family.

And we understand the immense difficulties inherent in attempting to procure this type of merchandise for high-profile individuals. One simply cannot walk into the nearest Macy’s with their Secret Service detail and start trying on suits, if for no other reason than the Service won’t allow it. Period. Our struggle is with the folks at the RNC who know better, who know how poorly this sort of thing plays on Main Street. One need not have completed their courses at American University’s Campaign Management Institute to know the impact this sort of thing has on the electorate. Honestly.

In conclusion, we have finally come to the reality that there really isn’t “another side” to the issue in a textbook sense. So we will attempt to lift the mood by sharing links to two stories related to our post this afternoon. The first is at a site called Jezebel (a tad raw for our taste, but there you have it), a delightful piece with some fun fashion selections, all from J. Crew:

“What if we headed to J Crew.com and picked clothing for Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain, Sarah Palin and the kids? We went on a shopping spree and chose election night outfits and inauguration day ensembles for the ladies…”

Courtesy J. Crew & Jezebel.com

Above, a collage from Jezebel showing their picks for Sasha & Malia Obama; for more selections read the rest of the post.

The other is a story by the good folks at The Cut blog from NY Magazine in which they show “How to Spend $150,000 at Saks and Neiman Marcus.”

Collage: NY Magazine, PHOTOS: Getty

We will leave things here and trust readers to understand our efforts on this one.