How the French do Preppy & New Preppy Pet Collars, Leashes, Harnesses

Hello-hello! We are ever-so-excited here at the Prepatorium, we have hit tropical temperatures! The tv Weatherologist just said it is 55 degrees!

We start with a quick update on the Lilly Stationery Giveaway triggered by this comment from the always-wonderful McMommy, who asks:

“Lilly stationery?? Squeeeee!!! My best friend would LOVE THIS!!! If I tweet this and post to facebook, can I enter those as entries too?“

The answer? A resounding “Yes!” and “Yes!”

Become a Preppy Princess fan on our Facebook page, or tweet about it on Twitter and you will be entered again! That is one additional entry for Twitter & one more for Facebook. There is one caveat: do let us know by posting another comment or via email.  (If anyone wants to follow us on Twitter our name is PreppyPrincess, all one word.)

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Frequent readers know we love showcasing the different ways “preppy” is perceived, not just in the U.S., but around the world.  Today we share a French perspective via the CfraisRudy Blog, and a post titled “Le Look Preppy.”  The author shows this image from the French edition of Elle.

Courtesy Elle France

The post starts by explaining (this is an extremely rough translation) that “…the preppy look is very popular right now, and will be for some time to come.”  Le Look Preppy is described as “…the University look…more specifically, pre-university….”.

Both Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger are cited as primary examples of the style; most readers will recognize this classic Polo ad, used in the blog as an example of the look.

Courtesy Polo Ralph Lauren

The post closes with the author sharing their take on the style.

Courtesy CFraisRudy Blog

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Last night we took a few hours for some recreational fun, watching Westminster, an annual event here at the Palace.  Frequent readers know that TP & the Consort love their four-legged family members, Tilly, our rescue bulldog, and Scooter-the-Wonder-Cat. Below, the animals at work:

Not to be confused with Silly Tilly (above), we have Champion Bulldog Silly Lilly, being judged yesterday (below).

PHOTO: Monika Graff/UPI/Landov

Next, Dylan the Afghan, in an image not seen on television!

Courtesy AP

At the risk of being inappropriate, have you ever wondered how the dogs are… ah…., the way that the dogs take care of….umm…well, how they take care of personal issues?! Now we have the answer:

PHOTO: Julie Jacobson/AP

That would be Micah up above in the photo, a 2-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel visiting a plastic fire hydrant. This is a temporary dog park set up across the street from the Hotel Pennsylvania, temporary home to 1000+ prized pooches. (We are speculating that Micah is probably not too happy to be memorialized forever in this fashion…just guessing.)

Tonight we have the Sporting, Working and Toy Groups, along with the naming of Best In Show. We both love the Working group, home to our favorite breed, the Giant Schnauzer.  As we are already going to the share a few items from our new line of Preppy Pet Collars, Leashes & Harnesses!

PreppyPrincess.com

Your kitty and your pooch will be oh-so-fashionable in these, all of them customizable per your wishes,  in ribbon and webbing choices we think you will like.

We are pleased to carry two styles of dog harnesses in addition to the collars, with the harness rapidly becoming a favorite among dog fanciers.

We close with the Billykirk bag at Gargyle, now in for spring, and very cool!

Billykirk at Gargyle.com

We are now racing out the door to loll about in the sunshine!

PB Teen News, Ralph Lauren, Sarah Jessica Parker & Brooks Brothers Sneak Peeks

Everyone fond of Pottery Barn Teen rejoice – the company is opening its first PBTeen store in Atlanta.

Even The Princess, with no teenagers to cope with or decorate for, loves PB Teen.  The vivid, vibrant colors and designs are good for the spirit, and the quality generally very good.  Simply another reason to toddle on over to Lenox Hill and make another contribution to America’s economic recovery…yes?!

It has been an up and down year for Williams-Sonoma, owner of this line and several others. According to  the San Francisco Business Journal, West Elm, Williams-Sonoma Home and PB Teen have all performed very well this year. Unfortunately, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and Williams-Sonoma itself are not doing as well.

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And now, a sneak peek at a few upscale perfume and cologne lines, the first from Ralph Lauren.

The perfect size for a stocking stuffer, the flask is sterling silver with a vintage-inspired enamel jockey on the front, ideal for the Lauren equestrian look.

Also on the way, three scents from Sarah Jessica Parker from her new Lovely Collection, available in February 2009.  There will be three different fragrances: Dawn, Endless and Twilight.

Courtesy Photo

According to the story in WWD, the Collection will have an intensive TV and internet campaign.

Courtesy Photo

These will be available as eau de parfum at $38 and $58; there will also be a scented body lotion retailing at $28.

Courtesy Photo

And a reminder on the new Brooks Brothers scents, Brooks Brothers New York for Men and Women in cut crystal bottles that are actually quite attractive.

Courtesy Brooks Brothers

As mentioned in an earlier post, this is the first perfume introduced at B2 in fifty years. Brooks Brothers New York scents Men (scroll down to see new scent) and Brooks Brothers New York Women are to officially launch tomorrow in stores and online.  However, as is becoming a more common practice, the items are already available online.

The Moment, the Times’ fashion blog, has an interesting review of the new fragrances.

“Given that feminines are almost always superior to their masculine counterparts (see Light Blue, Rive Gauche, Carolina Herrera, et al), it is always a surprise when the masculine smells better. But perhaps when it’s Brooks Brothers, this should have been expected.”

Hhhhmmm. Apparently this will require personal investigation before we can render a personal opinion. If any of you have remarks on the new scents, you simply must share with the rest of the class.

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As we are always on the hunt for new and exciting web sites, today we suggest readers may enjoy a visit to Ivy Style, a relatively new blog.  One of the recent posts is on the “Return of the Young Fogey” and it is really quite entertaining.

Courtesy Ivy-Style.com

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We hoped to leave you with some witty thoughts on enjoying a preppy Halloween, but are not doing well on this mission.  There is online advice on How to Dress Like an 80s Prep (rather lacking IOHO), and Diva Village shares their tips for dressing like Nancy Drew, with a cute collage.

Courtesy Diva Village

So we’ll merely say Happy, Happy Halloween to everyone – we hope it is warm and wonderful wherever you may be!

Stop the Insanity and Another “Preppy Comeback”

Hello-Hello….it is a Monday.

At the risk of tempting fate, we fear it may be time to bring back the “stop the insanity” shrieking from last decade. And we aren’t talking about this:

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

We are saying resurrect the phrase only, not the person best known for yelling those words at us. At least that’s how it felt whenever that show was on the television: ‘Hi, I’m Susan Powter, with TV that’s YOUR FAULT!’  (Good heavens, no, The Princess did not have it on, but when employed in a television station one isn’t always in charge of what is on.)

But the lunacy continued throughout both the Milan and Paris Fashion Week shows. We are talking about footwear and we’ll commence the visual aids with a look from Gucci’s RTW Ready to Wear Spring 2009 show:

Photo: Stephane Feugere

Or the Emilio Pucci RTW Spring 2009…

Photo by Dave Yoder

From Women’s Wear Daily, in a story about the Prada RTW Spring 2009 show:

“As for the accessories, it was all about the shoes, and not in a good way. The mile-high platforms strapped on over what appeared to be Prada’s take on Peds might have been impressive, had half of the girls not had major trouble walking and thus looked absolutely petrified. At least one fell (the meandering stage set didn’t allow for full viewing), and one bailed on the finale. Folks, more sculptural, higher, chunkier, clunkier, strappier, bondage-ier — we get it. But maybe it’s time to cry uncle and downgrade to shoes that function as shoes, even on the runway.”

The photo below is from that same Prada show during Milan Fashion Week:

Stefano Rellandini/Reuters

Next, a close-up of a pair of Ferragamos.

Ferragamo Show, Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty

Below, a shot from this September’s Peter Som Spring/Summer 2009 runway at New York Fashion Week.

Joshua Lott/Reuters

And here, one from the Marni Spring/Summer 2009 show (BTW, they do have a fabulous online store!):

Photo: Imaxtree

And then this photo is just in from yesterday’s Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2009  show:

Pierre Verdy/AFP/Getty Images

As far as TP is concerned, enough is enough. Actually, it is too much.  What do you think? Is the silly shoes phenomenon out of control?

Next, a quick look at the Lacoste Fall campaign, “Perfectly Prepped.”

And they are showcasing polos for kids, both boys and girls.

It seems that once again “preppy is making a comeback.” This is at least the third or fourth time we’ve seen this headline since we started our little blog back in February of this year and this is our 219th post, so if one does the math, the comebacks are happening more than we care to contemplate. And wouldn’t that necessitate the lifestyle going away in order for it to ‘come back’?  Our most recent discourse on the topic was June 11th, titled “Everyone Discovers Preppy…“

Now in Adam Tschorn’s story for the Los Angeles Times entitled Preppy makes a comeback on the men’s runway, we see it dubbed the preppie renaissance:

“And nothing in American sportswear is as intrinsically optimistic as the preppy wardrobe built around madras, seersucker and oxford cloth, the de facto uniform of the scion-in-waiting circa 1980 who bides his time at a prep school until a Harvard early acceptance puts him on the path to Wall Street.”

The next two looks are from Perry Ellis:

“In this new world order, it’s a preppie renaissance with privileged panache, with Michael Bastian, Thom Browne and others.”

In referring to designer Thom Browne the articles notes we have the ‘neo-preppy’ moniker:

“Thom Browne, the official tortured soul of the neo-preppy brat pack also toyed with texture, filling his tennis tournament set piece with gauzy sweaters, a floor-length peignoir festooned with tennis rackets and jackets woven over-under from strips of grosgrain.”

Because we have shown so much Thom Browne and Thom Browne for Brooks Brothers Black Fleece, we’ll share two more looks from Perry Ellis:

We simply must fly. Back later.

Another ‘How to be Preppy Guide’

Hello and a good day to all… we hope you are able to get out and enjoy it. Or stay in and enjoy it, whatever your preference.

Today we bring you another example of the as-yet-to-be-named viral infection sweeping Manhattan. Likely an airborne virus, this mutant strain appears to take over writers’  and editors’ thought processes, frequently resulting in columns on “How to Be Preppy.”  Our latest example comes via this column at website Complex, a site TP visits every now and again for research purposes only. Honest.

Band of Outsiders

In explaining how one accomplishes Prepdom (our word), Complex awards Band of Outsiders its designation as “The Brand,” presumably “the” preppy brand.  Above we show the apparel and accessories illustrating Band of Outsiders’ designation as “The Brand”: their trenchcoat in a Blackwatch plaid, accented by the ‘trapper hat’ trimmed with raccoon. Below, our selection of this look with David Beckham in the company’s cashmere tartan sweater vest.

Band of Outsiders Cashmere Sweater Vest

The rapid spread of the virus shows no signs of abating; we hear it is frantically being tracked by the CDDC (Centers for Design Disease Control) in an effort to maintain some, any sartorial standards. Below, our selection of Penn Badgely in a Band of Outsiders’ blazer and grosgrain wrapped loafers, from GQ’s August issue.

GQ August 2008

Many readers not ‘sur intime avec’ Band of Outsiders may remember them for their collection with Sperry Topsiders that debuted this past spring, the company’s first collaboration with an outside entity.

But we digress. The Complex Guide continues with pointers on ‘The Drink‘ (a Hendrick’s Gimlet)…

… as well as The Tie and The Shop (if you recognize the photo below, please award yourself ten extra Preppy Style Points, a currency we regret to inform you that is utterly without foundation or value, other than our holding you in the highest of esteem).

Now, you know exactly where this is going: The Shoe (of course), The Restaurant (appropriately situated on the UES,) and more. We must stop at this point to provide readers with full disclosure: we actually adore much of what Complex publishes, and quite love this little treatise as well, so there, our secret is out. We hope you don’t think less of us.

Until next time….