The Princess Gets Back to Basics

Happy-Happy almost-weekend everybody! Here at the Prepatorium we finally have something resembling normal temperatures: we might hit 75 degrees today. Calm yourselves, it has not yet happened, it is merely a prediction made by the Weatherologists on teewee, so there’s just an itty-bitty chance they could be wrong.

Regular readers are aware we feel strongly about the virtues of basics upon which one can construct a meaningful existence: basic decency towards others, basic recipes, basic apparel and accessories.

One such elementary item is a simple watch on a classic ribbon band.  Today we bring you a new entrant to this sector of the market:

Bobby Jones

The new watch from Bobby Jones is just out. It has a stainless steel case and comes in two additional striped ribbon patterns, as well as a solid black ribbon for those preferring a more understated look. (TP’s father wore a plain Timex with a plain black ribbon strap as far back as she can remember.)

The movement is by Seiko, so this one isn’t just a pretty face. It is available now at the Bobby Jones Shop.

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We have several other opportunities for you to make contributions to the economy, all of them fiscally-friendly, of course.  Bergdorf Goodman is having their Designer Sale with “Prices as much as 40% Off” on items like the D & G Pumps(L) and the Tory Burch Megan flat (R).

Another emporium offering substantial savings: J. Press. Their Blue Silk Herringbone jacket is an excellent investment for the MOTH (Man of the House) in your life.

J. Press

Classic stalwart Banana Republic also has scads of goods with revised price points. Below, the Cotton V-Neck Sweater, now $39.99 for most colors, but only $24.99 in white.

Banana Republic

Not to be left out, Brooks Brothers is promoting some solid discounts on Men’s merchandise for Father’s Day.

Brooks Brothers

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Our next company covered is assuredly not known for helping one save their pocket change; we quite respect that policy. We’re talking about Hermès.

Hermes

The luxury firm has opened a seasonal store in East Hampton. The shop is located right on Main, will be open until Sept. 20, and will carry some limited edition goods.

PHOTO: Skot Yobbagy/WSJ Magazine

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In another SOTT (Sign of The Times), word from P&G that Max Factor cosmetics will no longer be sold in the US.

PHOTO: WWD Staff

Today’s story in WWD about the planned phase-out quotes an unnamed P&G executive:

“It’s a shadow of what it once was. Domestically it’s just so competitive. They have lost considerable real estate over the years and certainly over the last two years. It’s actually long overdue.”

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Because we adore The Queen (we more-than-adore our own TQM but today we speak of the one on the far side of the pond,), we thought we would close out the post with this photo, perfectly suited to be today’s Pretty in Pink.

PHOTO: Phil Noble/AFP/Getty

The picture of HRH and Prince Philip dates to late May, and we think she looks faboo.

Enjoy the weekend, dollfaces, we’ll chat again soon!

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.

Black Friday Starts…TOMORROW. Seriously. And Preppy Bargains Abound.

Hello-Hello from a sublime and sunny day in the Great Midwest, so nice we can hardly believe it is November!

But we may want to fasten our seat belts, as it could be a bumpy ride this Fall, at least for retailers. However, storekeeper stress also means outstanding savings opportunities, so today we are simply discarding our usual neuroses about usage of the ‘M’ word, and offering what insight we have on hand.

For openers, K-Mart is starting their Black Friday offerings tomorrow.  As in Sunday, November 2, 2008.

For anyone unfamiliar with Black Friday, a previous post has a tad more insight on the phenomenon, including a mention of this Ralph Lauren Factory Stores ad, offering something called Midnight Madness.  The ad says, “Join us after your Thanksgiving Dinner. Most stores open at the stroke of midnight.”  Indeed.

Courtesy bfads.net

Back to today’s post: the Kmart ad does not refer, or apply, to all parts of the store. In fact, it really only offer savings in one area of the store, as explained in Friday’s Advertising Age story:

“The retailer …  said it will offer the deals exclusively in the home-electronics category to help customers kick-start their holiday shopping. The category has become an area of particular concern for retailers, as consumers pull back on discretionary items.”

Should shoppers be looking for the special deals in their Sunday newspaper? Evidently not, at least as best The Princess can discern from yesterday’s story.

“Early Black Friday” sales on about 15 items will roll out in Sunday circulars between Nov. 2 and Nov. 23, as well as on Kmart.com. The deals are being worked into existing circular plans… “

And surprisingly, the discounts will be available for more than one day, different from ‘standard’ Black Friday sales:

“Kmart’s deals are also meant to make holiday shopping more convenient, Mr. Aiello said. Unlike typical Black Friday sales, which require an early wake-up call and heavily promoted limited quantities, the specials will be available for an entire week, with ample supplies in stock.”

Because we do heart your pocketbook (we have been told this is the proper way to use this verb) we went decided to be adventurous and go to the K-Mart website. These are the only two sale circulars we see that are applicable commencing tomorrow; the first seems to be primarily Disney and Hannah Montana related.

Kmart Ad 11.02.08

And the second is a Dollar Days theme:

Kmart Ad 11.02.08

Enough of Black Friday, let us move on to Bergdorf’s, shall we? Their Fall Savings event includes the Tory Burch North-South tote in this color is too fun.

Barney’s thinks their sale is groovy; we are not yet convinced, but are willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

The Prada Ruched Pump is not destined for our shoe rack,

But the Mawi Enameled Bangle is fun and comes in several colors, including our favorite.  And the pinstripe cashmere throw, as well as the eggshell with multi-color stripes both rank extremely well on the Snuggle Factor.

It seems that Brooks Brothers continues its aggressive marketing stance with their Preferred Customer Event.

This translates to a 25% discount if one uses their Brooks Brothers Platinum MasterCard Platinum, a mere 15% savings for those paying through other means.

J. Crew is pushing their ‘Fall Sale.’

And TP is simply ga-ga over the Clea Flats:

And speaking of J. Crew, a reminder on the next Men’s Shop:

Courtesy J. Crew

It shall be interesting to watch the way Crew plays the Men’s Collection in this locale, as it is quite different from the ambience of the Liquor Store site.

Saks is also eager to assist one’s wardrobe enhancement efforts, offering multiple sales, like the Stuart Weitzman Patent Slide.  And ladies, TP can personally vouch for these; they are divine. Dowdy? Maybe. Frumpish? Perhaps. But they are us, and we don’t have the only toes clad in these at JL meetings.

Then there is the Lord & Taylor ‘Just in Time’ sale which has so many different elements we can barely keep them straight.

But because we want to do our best to help locate fiscally friendly merchandise for all of our Princess readers, we’ll give it a go. L&T is offering:

• Additional 15% off Cashmere
• 33% off Gloves
• 25% off Handbags
• Free shipping on all orders more than $99

J. Press is always an excellent choice, and this fall it is no different, with multiple markdowns throughout the store. These snappy madras trousers for The Spousal Unit at a superb price; they will be ideal during this winter’s annual getaway.

Their Short-sleeve New York Polo is also fun.

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And so we might close with an ‘appropriate’ Pretty in Pink, here is the Lilly Pulitzer Infant’s Cover-up; Saks is offering this at an attractive markdown.

Happy Hunting!