A Monday Melange (with Preppy Overtones)

Hello-Hello, and welcome to a Monday, we are ever-so-happy to be back home at the Prepatorium.

We begin with a note of gratitude, directed to all who helped keep The Consort out of trouble occupied while we were away. Honestly, the timing of events while out-of-town was reminiscent of our years in news, when employees would brace for spot news anytime we left town. It seemed that way for our latest escape, no sooner did we hop on a plane than we heard about a Lilly Pulitzer furniture collection launching, as well as Lilly’s home being for sale. (Many thanks to those kind enough to send along the URLs for the Lilly Pulitzer house listing the Consort wrote about here.) We hope to scare up a little more information on what will be a major furniture line later this week.

Back to standard fare, it is Fashion Week again, this time in Paris, considered by some to be the only place to show.  (Ahem.) A few personalities of note, the Nuclear Wintour Anna Wintour is seen attending the Chloé show, and on the right we have Liv Tyler and Justin Timberlake at Givenchy.

We will have more styles as the shows continue, particularly Dior and Chanel.  Below, several classic, androgynous pieces from Dušan Paunovic, a line we were not familiar with until this week.

Franck Mura/WWD

Also seen in Paris, these styles from Viktor and Rolf peaking the Outrageous-o-Meter in the red zone.

Giovanni Giannoni/WWD

Of course, each and every Fashion Week always brings its own brand of tragedy, to whit, more entrants in the When Pink Goes Bad sweepstakes.

Giovanni Giannoni/WWD

These are all styles from Pierre Cardin, but there were many other candidates.

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There were a few lines line showing in Milan last week that we weren’t able to get to; Moschino‘s Spring 2011 Collection definitely had touches of nautical and preppy amid the red/white/blue palette.

Grosgrain ribbon was used to embellish shoes and repp tie silks were used on belts.

Below, bangles and other accessories backstage at Moschino.

Isabella De Maddalena/WWD

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Another Milan show we haven’t yet covered, DSquared2.

Twin brothers (and business partners) Dean & Dan Caten offered styles with a preppish slant.

More photos from WWD’s Davide Maestri.

To say we covet the gray flannel suit would be an understatement.

From Women’s Wear Daily’s review:

“The tailoring was terrific, as usual, here done in more leisurely cuts. It all had a stylish prepster vibe, which, by night, turned heavy on the men’s wear references, seen in le smokings and silk dresses with dickey inserts.”

We adore the modified dinner jacket shown above left; here is more exquisite formalwear.

Knowing that at Milan Fashion Week simply everyone wears black, let’s play a round of “Spot the Prep” in this picture from the DSquared2 show.

Name That Prep

Yeppers, it is the one and only Kiel James Patrick on the scene; hoping for some outstanding styles at the Milan shows, we dispatched our team of crack CPFCs (Certified Princess Fashion Correspondents) to Milan. Kiel was joined by the immensely talented and lovely Sarah Vickers, also clad in bright and vivid colors, no monochromatic black for this preppy pair.

Almost Exclusive to The Princess

Here Kiel is seen getting the scoop from one of the models.

On Assignment!

Kiel even took a video at the show, click here to see that slice of fashion bliss.  (We have it on good authority that a certain young designer’s merchandise was the talk of the town in Milan, our hats are off to Kiel and Sarah, the product line is looking terrific.)

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We have an interesting SOTT (Sign of the Times) today: because Louis Vuitton is concerned about running out of merchandise, the company’s stores in Paris are closing an hour earlier.

Louis Vuitton

From the Financial Times:

“Along with Vuitton’s other standalone Paris stores, the shop is trying to sell fewer products and preserve stock for Christmas.”

Hmmmm.

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And under our Sales & Savings heading, news that Neiman’s Last Call merchandise is now available online.

Last Call at Neiman Marcus

We haven’t done more than quickly skip through the online offerings, we hope to have a little more time to graze at the site later.  If you do pop in for a visit, do let us know what you think!

Today we shall leave you with a delightful Pretty in Pink pair from Tory Burch.

Tory Burch

October brings Breast Cancer Awareness month, 15% of proceeds from sales of the limited edition Rain Boots and Umbrella will go to the BCRF (Breast Cancer Research Foundation), up to a total donation of $20,000.

On that note, g’bye until next time!

ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS:

• Moschino: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
• DSquared2: Alberto Pellaschiar/AP
• DSquared2: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters
• DSquared2: Davide Maestri/WWD
• Anna Wintour: Benoit Tessier/Reuters
• Chloe show: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

Party Frocks, Mad Men, & the Perils of 8 Inch Heels

Hello-Hello and Happy Monday!

Some may be starting the week with less rest than normal, we know loads of friends stayed up last evening to watch the goings-on at the Kodak Theatre.  As always, hits and misses littered the scene once all was said and done.

We loved the Marchesa gown Best Actress Sandra Bullock wore.

The fabric was exquisite, and Ms. Bullock wore the gown, it did not wear her.  We adored her comments on choosing The Dress:

“There are so many gorgeous dresses out there I couldn’t possibly predict the trends,” she said. “My stepdaughter picked out my dress yesterday.”

Cameron Diaz was stunning in Oscar de la Renta, we called it the Fairy Tale Princess dress.

Gabourey Sidibe was radiant in blue Marchesa.

We laughed (and agreed) with the Twitter comment asking how many Muppets had to die to create Zoe Saldana’s Givenchy Couture gown.

The top portion of the dress was simply breathtaking. If only the lower half carried out through the theme.

WWD’s post-mortem had an insightful thought on the styles seen last night:

“Some, though, seemed a bit overwhelmed by their looks. Miley Cyrus in Jenny Packham looked less sexy than Helen Mirren in Badgley Mischka.”

Of course, comportment always has a significant influence on any appearance. Below we see the darling bow on the Jenny Packham dress and Ms. Mirren’s oft-discussed tattoo.

We struggled with Sarah Jessica Parker’s look, it seemed to channel the sixties but appeared a beat off, whether it was the hair or eye makeup, we’re not sure.  More from Women’s Wear Daily on her gown:

“…donned a Chanel Haute Couture gown “that Mr. Lagerfeld so nicely made for me when I asked him,” was so in love with her dress “that I don’t want to give it back. I also don’t want to sit down, because the back is so beautiful.”

Fitting in one’s seat must have been challenging for some:

Donato Sardella/WWD

Tighter shots better show the diaphanous fabric used for Amanda Seyfried’s Armani Privé creation, as well as the Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.

While some awarded Mariah Carey points for ‘most improved,’ the Valentino didn’t work for us. The diamonds were provided by Chopard.

One report speculated the entertainer may be “in a delicate condition” (our term) and also commented on the struggles this particular ensemble presented:

“Wearing extremely high eight inch heels… and a dress that prevented her from actually walking on her own, Carey was held up by her security guards.”

“I don’t think I can do this,” she whispered.”

Most were not fond of Charlize Theron’s Dior Couture dress,and one report referred to Virginia Madsen’s gown from Kevan Hall as being “Frumpytown”.

Some celebrities took advantage of an opportunity to wear more than one party frock; below we see Faith Hill with husband Tim McGraw at the Oscars in one dress and in another gown at the Vanity Fair party.

Not everyone received the “less is more” memo this year; Hilary Swank’s dress for the after parties was by Valentino.

Also seen at the Vanity Fair party, Mad Men’s Jon Hamm and girlfriend Jennifer Westveldt.

Craig Barritt/Getty

Co-star Christina Hendricks attended along with Jennifer Hudson.

Others at the annual fundraiser for the AIDS Foundation included the Jonas Brothers….

Gus Ruelas/Reuters

Heidi Klum and Rachel Zoe…

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Olympians Apolo Anton Ohno and Johnny Weir….

Refinery 29 has compiled some wonderful montages, including their “Most Divisive” list:

Refinery 29

There are scads of places to look at more fashion coverage, including the Refinery 29 post mentioned above, InStyle, FabSugar and WaPo’s story.

We were puzzled by an unusually cranky-looking George Clooney.

Perhaps he forgot the reminder posted for celebrities as they face the cameras.

Until next time!

ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS:

• John Shearer/Getty
• Jason Merritt/Getty
• Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty
• Frederick M. Brown/Getty
• Amy Sancetta/AP

A New Anti-Prep is Named, Pink Panther Collection in at Pink’s

Regular readers are familiar with an exclusive club, The Order of the Anti-Prep.  Membership in this society is reserved for those individuals or items so wretched, so horrid in their excess they simply shriek bad taste.  Conspicuous consumption. More than nouveau gauche.  You know what we mean, you don’t need us dredging up the gory backstory.

Our newest member is someone we have pondered naming previously, but we declined to do so out of concern for the ongoing challenges she seemed to face in her personal life.  We no longer harbor such concerns.

Once again Lindsay Lohan appeared on the Princess Radar, this time over the weekend. The reason was a plethora of gossip and non-news news stories about her demands for a First Class seat on a flight back to Los Angeles from Florida.  Ms. Lohan had journeyed to Florida for a Stoopid Super Bowl party, a paid appearance, we are speculating.

PHOTO: Steve Nesius/AP

According to Fox News:

“The 22-year-old caused chaos while departing on a Delta Flight from Tampa, Fla. on Saturday morning when the airline was unable to provide her with a first-class seat on the already overbooked flight.”

Besides being another episode in the “It just isn’t done” category, this is another in a series of seemingly endless incidents pushing TP  and the Consort over the line, leaving us no choice but to name Ms. Lohan an official Anti-Prep.  Honestly.

For those unfamiliar with the dubious title, previously named antipreps include Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian.  These individuals are also referred to as TAPWSNBN (The Anti Prep Who Shall Not Be Named), an acronym created by none other than the wonderful I Pick Pretty.

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Another stellar job in a trend report from the sharp minds at Women’s Wear Daily, as they take a look at a wardrobe basic, the white shirt.  Below, the shirt as Tory Burch does it:

PHOTO: Thomas Iannaccone/WWD

Another example, this one is from Tommy Hilfiger:

PHOTO: Thomas Iannaccone/WWD

This example comes from Thomas Pink, whose shirts we adore.

PHOTO: Thomas Iannaccone/WWD

While white is a must-have, isn’t this gem by Pink more fun?  We offer the Pink Fever shirt for your perusal and consideration.

Thomas Pink

It is one of many fabulous pieces in the retailer’s new Pink Panther collection:

Courtesy Thomas Pink

While the next item is crafted for the Man of the House, we do adore them. (However, there is not a chance the Spousal Unit is wearing these, no chance whatsoever.)

Thomas Pink

If any of these tickle your fancy and you plan on buying them online, haste in doing so may be wise, as the collection just went up Saturday and some items are already sold out.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: We must amend this to reflect updated information on the Consort’s socks sentiments: “What do you mean??!! I’d wear those, I think they’re pretty sweet!”  We stand corrected.

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The sales continue everywhere – we haven’t been posting most, as there are just *so* many. But we thought we would mention the Last Call at Emporio Armani:

And also remind everyone of the outstanding offers at J. Press.

J. Press

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We feel we must share a few more “When Pink Goes Bad” items that caught our eye:

Photo: Michiel Meewis

If one is thinking the neon creation above from designer Carly Garwin is merely an aberration, think again.

Montage Courtesy Refinery 29

The folks at Refinery 29’s Pipeline blog shared these in a post last week; you know we couldn’t keep them to ourselves!

All of these creations are from the recent Menswear Fall/Winter 2009 shows in Milan and Paris. Givenchy is responsible for the suit on the far left, Calvin Klein deserves credit for the middle photograph, and the more formal look on the far right comes from Dolce & Gabbana.  We thought the Givenchy was one of the “worst ever” suits until we saw this:

Courtesy Givenchy

To be fair, all three design houses showed some outstanding styles, especially Calvin Klein, frequently worn by yours truly.  But there was simply no way we weren’t posting some of the more outrageous creations.

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We close once again with a Pretty in Pink, sharing another delightful item from our new Lilly Pulitzer Stationery & Gift line. These are the Letterpressed Correspondence Cards, or note cards.

Lilly Pulitzer at PreppyPrincess.com

They are shown in the Color by Numbers motif; we are fond of its elegant look accented by a touch of whimsy.

The Olympic It Bag, Shoshanna, Ralph Lauren Rugby Update, Sale Updates: J. Crew, Saks, Barneys, Boden

Hello-hello and happy Wednesday!

Because we have dabbled in the Olympic Fashion world for a few days, we thought it best to step away from the Olympic uniforms and look at some of the additional items being marketed as tie-ins to the Beijing Summer Games. We finally came across some photographs of a bag we’ve been reading about for some time; the PUMA Olympic “It bag.”

Might we also add that hunting up the PUMA bags for this column was an eye-opening experience, albeit a tad mind-warping. As we don’t generally spend time blazing new fashion trails, we had *no* idea that the selection of bags PUMA offers is so broad! Heavens to Betsy! Below, the PUMA Olympic Ring Bag.

Below are bags that also won recognition in this year’s CSM (Central St. Martin) Design competition sponsored by PUMA, including the Medallion Bag designed by George Omerod in either Gold or Silver, as well as the CSM Elastic Ring Bag. The Princess applauds PUMA for supporting young, independent designers, but is somehow not in sync with the medallion bags. At all.

If you would like to read and see more on Olympic fashions and design, Forbes Life has an interesting story and along with one of their wonderful slide shows.

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Many readers are familiar with The Princess’s disdain for inappropriate emotional displays, yet they have been witness to her inability to contain herself upon seeing the madras plaid swim separates by Shoshanna. It was dreadful, we were absolutely gaga and completely out of control, incapable of containing ourselves. (Below, the ever-so-preppy madras swim top at Nordstrom.)

In reality, there is little from this designer that we don’t like, as her lines are simple, the cut is classic and the end result is always one that is sure to flatter every figure. In many ways it is a ‘preppy’ design aesthetic.

To the right of the swimsuit above, the Mosaic Belted Dress at Saks in a bright and brilliant shade of blue. (A quick FYI if you are still looking for swimwear, all of the Shoshanna swimwear separates are on sale at ShopBop, and there is an additional 20% off the sale prices.)

If you like Shoshanna’s designs you’ll want to pop over to Ronda Carman’s fabulous blog, “All the Best” for her profile of designer Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss (below).

Learn which handbag she carries the most, her favorite luxury in life and who her style icons are, plus you can become acquainted with the blog, a daily read for us here at the Prepatorium.

We also adore the Shoshanna Tuxedo Halter Dress at Nordstrom, with its cutaway top and pleated waist, and simply love the Stretch Jersey Cap Sleeve dress at Bluefly, despite the fuzzy-wuzzy photo.

Scoot over to Ronda’s when you have a minute to get a peek at the person behind the Shoshanna designs and meet Ronda, well worth the trip itself!

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Natick Rugby Store

An update on last week’s post mentioning the upgrades being done to the Ralph Lauren Rugby website, including the added enhancement of being able to shop online at the site. The site is now open for business and you can actually shop the Rugby styles online!

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Once again TP feels compelled to tiptoe around the issue of m****, a topic you know that we never discuss, certainly not in a public forum such as this. However, there are times when economics mandate that one does what they can to pinch a penny or two along the way to livin’ the Prepalicious! lifel And TP is here to help, forever seeking measures and means to keep your pocketbook healthy and happy. (You know what a horrid chore it can be when you are forced to call up one of the Trustees and detail your plight.)

It is in this vein we always suggest the ‘Buy Ahead’ method for supplementing one’s wardrobe, acquiring pieces now that will be simply divine in the future. You know the basic boys button-down at Hickey-Freeman that is on sale now is ideal for this fall and winter, and no one knows what season it is because it’s a classic item made with superb materials and craftsmanship. Or the vibrant (that is an understatement) plaid sportcoat Thurston will wear to this fall’s holiday ‘do,’ similar to this Holiday Plaid Style on sale at Hickey Freeman.

Hickey Freeman Men's Holiday Plaid Sportcoat

And don’t forget the edgier Hickey store, with goods aimed toward a younger and hipper clientele than those at parent store Hickey Freeman. They too have some fabulous men’s merchandise at outstanding price points, especially since they added ‘Take an Additional 20% off” to the deal. We are particularly fond of this Linen/Cotton Blend Chambray Shirt, a basic that will last forever. We are, of course, completely and totally ignoring those shameful buttons (gasp!) and the little leaf logo.

Hickey Linen/Cotton Blend Chambray Shirt

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Naturally there are loads of treasures at the J. Crew Final Sale that are simply perfect for everyone, but do be sure to check the markdowns on everything.

For example, the Cambridge cable crewneck sweater, a ‘must have’ basic available in loads of colors normally runs $74. It is now $69.50, not much of a markdown.

We are pretty excited about the Men’s Broken-in Madras Sneakers, now only $19.99, still available in a good range of sizes in both the Tidal Blue or the Montauk Patchwork.

Even getting the little ones properly clad for school can be accomplished in some cases at this sale! Probably not in the school days category, but still fabulous: these Callie Flats for the little princess in the family.

There is always the GIrls’ Polished Cotton Polo at $6.99, with lots of colors to choose from, or maybe the Girls’ Cashmere Argyle Cardigan, doesn’t that look elegant, yet über-snuggly for the Little Miss?

For the young master, how can you go wrong with a silk Lighthouse Tie that was $29.50, now $7.99, or the East Hampton polo shirt?

BTW, we’re just tickled that *finally* the New J. Crew store opened at the Galleria in Dallas. Only one store in a town that size was just silly.

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One wouldn’t want to pass up the Summer Sale at their local Saks, or the online store with all manner of things marked down, including this Stephen Dweck Bronze Ring. There are other treasures like the classic St. John Sport Boatneck Stripe Sweater in a timeless wool and rayon knit you will wear for years (not shown). The Princess is also partial to the Ann Demeulemeester Suede Sneakers in black.

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At Boden things are not discounted anywhere near the amounts shown above, but the there are savings to be had just the same, if you enjoy the company’s casual classics.

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Now don’t forget to stop by Barney’s Sale online, unless you’re in the city in which case it would be criminal to not get yourself to the physical warehouse sale. Already underway in LA, the online sale features deep markdowns and runs through the 26th, while the warehouse sale has even better markdowns, and you get the experience of someone ripping that top you were just looking at right out of your hands! The physical warehouse sale goes through the 1st of September.

And on that crazy note, the Princess will toddle off for a nightcap and some Olympics viewing!