Lilly Pulitzer Bridal Gowns & Jon Hamm Does Daycare

Hello-Hello, and happy Wednesday!

We are really in the midst of a major rush of new products, much of it involving Lilly love! Today we have a sneak peek at the Lilly Pulitzer Bridal collection and in just a few days we will be showing the Fall 2010 goodies from our Lilly Stationery and Gifts line! But here we go with some of the soon-to-be-released dresses.

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer via A Splash of Elegance

Many readers may be familiar with Lilly’s Wedding Wear focus, and the existing dresses that are suitable for wear in that capacity.

The new dresses are by Designer Bride, a collection of gowns from four noted designers; in addition to Lilly the others are David Meister, Angel Sanchez and Carmen Marc Valvo. According to Women’s Wear Daily (subscription req’d.) there are twelve Lilly gowns in total.

“The collection featured signature Lilly prints done in “white on white” and the “Lilly lace” applied on a gown. Standouts were the short versions, such as a lace cocktail dress with cap sleeves and a grosgrain ribbon belt.”

The Designer Bride line debuted to buyers last week. More from the WWD story:

“The first collection down the runway was Lilly Pulitzer, which showed 12 dresses inspired by destination weddings in resort towns such as Palm Beach, Fla.; Palm Springs, Calif., and Nantucket, Mass.”

Bridal is a wise move, J. Crew is doing very well with its wedding collection and new standalone bridal store.

The gowns will not be sold at Lilly Pulitzer stores or online, they will be available at 61 bridal boutiques late this year or in early 2011. Our next look requires a full shot to better show its lace overlay atop the layer of soft pink.

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer via A Splash of Elegance

This is probably our favorite dress in the shorter profile, you know how we are when it comes to bows!

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer via A Splash of Elegance

On the left, beading and/or other embellishment enhances the clean, classic lines. The style shown on the right, while not our favorite look, includes a tunic that alone would be stunning. And scandalously short in some circles.

The sharp wedding planners over at A Splash of Elegance posted these and we couldn’t resist sharing them, and they are also now available for online drooling viewing! Below, one final dress from the new collection.

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer via A Splash of Elegance

To give you an idea of some of the pieces currently on the Wedding Wear portion of the Lilly site, here are the Betsey dress (L) and the Layton dress (R).

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Today’s other item of note deals with our tedious obsession fondness for Mad Men.

Mizzou Magazine

Mizzou Magazine’s summer issue features a story on the show’s star, actor Jon Hamm.

Mizzou Magazine

We must thank MLD, her kindness in sharing the story is more than appreciated. Although we went to school in Columbia (Missouri), we did not attend the University of Missouri, matriculating instead at the women’s college located in that community, so we would not have been aware of the story.

One of the more interesting tidbits in the story? Learning that Mr. Hamm taught Daycare at an establishment in Columbia called Kids Depot, getting the job by suggesting the facility have more men on staff. The story also takes note of the actor’s popularity:

“Hamm’s name and image are ubiquitous: Hamm on People magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive list. Hamm hosting Saturday Night Live. Hamm modeling menswear of the 1960s, in photos by Annie Leibovitz. Hamm featured in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Rolling Stone, GQ, In Style, Entertainment Weekly, Elle and most of the popular press.”

Happy reading.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A quick Sales and Savings opportunity for fans of Vineyard Vines: ‘members only/by invitation only’ discount site Gilt is offering pieces from the popular retailer. For example, the Puzzle Whale classic tote shown on the left is on sale for $25, the Mini Murray beach tote is $22. A word of caution: these sales historically sell out of goods fairly quickly.

 

If interested in this, or future sales at Gilt, and in need of an invitation, simply click here.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We leave you with a look at what Best Week Ever calls “The World’s Most Photoshopped Dog“. The pooch in question is found in Polo Ralph Lauren’s Camp Polo graphics.

Courtesy Polo Ralph Lauren

Writer Dan Hopper points out it is “…the most poorly Photoshopped dog-in-a-shirt I’ve ever seen.” The site also offers this graphic:

Via Best Week Ever

Until next time, there you have it.

 

About That Royal Wedding & a New Fashion Icon

Hello-Hello!

What a lot of things are going on today, many of them wedding-related. As GAM (Great Aunt Molly) would say, “Goodness Gracious Sake’s Alive!”

We begin with the continued speculation about an engagement for Britain’s Prince William and longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton.

PHOTO: PA via The Telegraph

It all started when author Tina Brown wrote a blog post speculating on the possibility, primarily because two dates in the Royal calendar were “mysteriously blocked out”.  The Prince and Ms. Middleton have been seeing each for more than 8 years in a mostly-on-but-sometimes-off-relationship. Below we see the couple on January 15th at the Prince’s helicopter training graduation ceremony.

Marc Giddings/AP

No doubt you have also heard discussion of the topic as most media jumped into the story with both feet.  Now there is word via a “well-placed source” that announcement of a betrothal is “wide of the mark” according to this People magazine story.

Here at the Prepatorium we generally look to the Queen Bee for updates on the topic, she seems to have an inside edge.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Next, news that Ann Taylor will add wedding gowns to their merchandise mix. Below we see a dress from the collection.

Bryan Derballa for The Wall Street Journal

The story in today’s Journal is from one of our favorite writers, Elizabeth Holmes, and it looks at the growing number of retailers now offering wedding dresses.  Ms. Holmes also has a blog post that sheds light on her insight into the topic of wedding gowns:

“Figuring out how much to spend on my upcoming wedding is something I’ll be puzzling through for the next few months.”

Below we have an image of a gown on Ann Taylor’s site, we think it might be the one shown up above in the photo accompanying the Journal’s story.

Ann Taylor

Selling at $495, here is a portion of the retailer’s description:

“An arresting strapless gown in tiered silk chiffon. Shelf bra with boning at chest. Hidden side zip with hook-and-eye closure. Fully lined. Please note, due to the delicate nature of the fabric, some mild fraying may occur when the gown is dry cleaned.”

Other stores mentioned in the story that are adding bridal gowns include White House Black Market; below we show their Limited Edition Gown, retailing online at $498, available in July.

The Journal story explains something many readers already know:

“Executives at these companies say women have been buying wedding dresses at their stores for years, even though their dresses haven’t been marketed as such.”

Anthropologie announced in March they are getting into the wedding gown business.

Courtesy Anthropologie via InStyle

Wedding gowns will run from $750 to $5000.

J. Crew was an early entrant into the wedding and special occasion venue, the company has done extremely well in this area; the Crew wedding boutique opens May 27th on Madison Avenue.

J. Crew

Ms. Holmes closes her blog post with a question:

“… brides-to-be, would you consider wearing a wedding dress from a mall store on your big day? And for those who have made the trip down the aisle, are you happy with the amount you spent on your big day?”

One contemporary wedding phenomenon we’re not in step with? The “bridal sneaker”.

The Lovely Bride

Above and below, shoes from The Lovely Bride, specializing in such footwear.  (With apologies to our Facebook Fans for the repetition.)

Indeed.

Back to dresses, we wonder if gowns with sleeves will ever return….?

Above we see Ivanka Trump in her custom Vera Wang gown, shortly after the wedding fashion writer Cathy Horyn wrote about the topic in a blog post:

“Did she think Ms. Trump might start a trend with her sleeves? “She might very,” Ms. Wang said. “Nothing would make me happier. I’ve been doing strapless dresses for 15 years. It’s tiring.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In News You May Have Missed, we have one more fashion tidbit: North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is evidently a fashion leader as well.

From the country’s propaganda/press office:

“The reason is that the august image of the Great General, who is always wearing the modest suit while working, leaves a deep impression on people’s mind in the world,” it said.

“To sum it up, that is because his image as a great man is so outstanding.”

Not only can you read the original story in Canada’s Nation Post, they also have a follow-up story detailing ways men everywhere can get the look, including the dictator’s special shoes for those needing a bit of a boost.

The National Post

There you have it.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We close with today’s Pretty in Pink, the Fendi laptop sleeve.

Courtesy Fendi via Sybarites.org

J. Crew Execs Everywhere, Are Crossword Puzzles an Ivy Thing?

Hello-Hello and Happy Monday!  We hope everyone enjoyed a splendid weekend!

It seems this past weekend had a bit of a J. Crew management theme in some of the national media. As previously mentioned, J. Crew Grand Pooh-Bah Mickey Drexler was profiled yesterday on CBS’ “Sunday Morning” program.  The feature looks quite interesting, click here to see the full story.

Also this Sunday, the LA Times carried an interesting story on Jenna Lyons, J. Crew’s Design Director.

PHOTO: Melanie Acevedo

If curious about what duties and responsibilities her job actually involves, the story explains:

“That title means she’s in charge of every design element of the company, website and catalog, and it’s her attention to detail — delicate beading, raw edges, crepe de Chine ruffles — that sets J.Crew apart from other mall stores. The company’s ability to be both aspirational and attainable has made it popular with Indianapolis career women and Birkin-toting Malibu trophy wives alike.”

Fashion Critic Booth Moore’s article looks at the ‘cult of Jenna’:

“Bloggers evaluate her personal as well as professional style, contributing to the budding cult of Jenna. They wax eloquently about her love of neutral colors, Sharpie pens and Maybelline Cool Watermelon lipstick.

When it comes to the monetization of this phenomenon or other tangible values attached to such popularity, stock analysts aren’t necessarily seeing it:

“But praise in the blogosphere can’t guarantee a surge in sales of all those pencil skirts and cardigans. “Nobody needs another one-pocket tee or twin set or pleat-front skirt,” says Richard Jaffe, a retail analyst with Stifel, Nicolaus and Co. “Your closet is full of them.”

This feature on Ms. Lyons, when read in tandem with the CBS profile on CEO Mickey Drexler, provides insight into the business of fashion. More from the LA Times piece:

“The chief executive and the designer behave a little like a father-daughter team. Over lunch at Cecconi’s in West Hollywood, she tells him that “being back here even for one day, all my insecurities come back. Women here are in such great shape. Everyone is blond and beautiful. Girls are trying on bathing suits and coming out of the dressing rooms and I’m like, ‘Just stay in there!’ “

The story also  offers a look at select items from the Fall 2009 J. Crew Weddings & Parties line.

Lucinda Gown at JCrew.com

The dress is a poly/cotton/silk blend retailing for $2500.  Also shown, the cotton Erica dress in Cypress, a color available this fall.  (Note: our link connects to the current Erica dress, with most colors on sale for $99.)

Erica Dress at JCrew.com

And finally in our “J. Crews News section” this morning, word the company’s spinoff brand Madewell 1937 is launching a jeans collection deemed “… a bit more price friendly.”

Courtesy Photo via WWD

This morning’s WWD (Women’s Wear Daily, subscription req’d.) reports on the new line, Madewell ’37s, focusing on a single “skinny skinny” jean available in five colors. Perhaps most importantly,the new jean will retail at $58.50; other Madewell denim starts at $78.

Courtesy Photo

As far as differentiating the new jeans from other ?

“The tag line for marketing the ’37s is “Cool jeans. Great price. We’ve got your back.”’

This article also quotes J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler:

“There’s a new world today. The denim customer is no longer trading up to higher price points. With customers giving us feedback and the marketplace changing, it was pretty clear there was a need to come out with a collection of jeans a bit more price friendly. Jeans at $92 to $110 represented the heart of the business.”

While we are not exactly the Madewell demo (cough-cough), it is good to see retailers being smart in pricing.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Our final item today has *nothing* to do with either J. Crew Group or Mr. Drexler, not that we are Drexler-averse, to the contrary, we think very highly of his skills. We just need to chat about something else, don’t you think?

No, our next item involves a statement contained within this story in yesterday’s Times, a feature looking at the continued demise of the crossword puzzle, along with other puzzles, in many publications.

“The Atlantic’s Puzzler, which will take its final bow in September, and The New York Sun’s crossword are among the most notable recent casualties, in part because of their Ivy League street cred. (Let’s face it: the crosswords in TV Guide and People magazine seldom generate heat at Hamptons dinner parties.)”

“Ivy League street cred?” Now, TP adores her crossword puzzles. Nothing is quite as comforting as settling in with pen (it must be a very specific pen you understand) and newspaper, generally the Times, but we have been known to utilize others in a pinch. But we have never heard them associated with an Ivy, that is a new one for us.

Have you heard of such an affiliation in anyone’s mind previously? More importanly, do you use pen or pencil when you do the puzzle? When pondering how to best answer these deep questions, do keep in mind the world’s fate hangs in the balance. (Heh-heh.)

With this wackiness we say G’bye until next time!