Shagadelic at St. Andrews & “Twisted Preppy” at Hilfiger?

Hello-Hello, it is a bright and beautiful day here at the Prepatorium, we hope it is equally gorgeous at your palace.

Today we have a bit of Friday fun, we find ourselves quite incapable of resisting the urge to post this image.

AP

It shrieks “caption contest” doesn’t it? The picture features several attendee at this week’s Champions Dinner preceding the British Open.  John Daly’s choice of attire for the function has generated some conversation. (Mr. Daly is the individual in the center of the back row between last year’s winner, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and Tiger Woods.) The look on Mr. Woods’ face is priceless.

Mr. Daly is wearing a brand that we have chatted about previously here at the Princess, Loudmouth Golf. (Our most in-depth treatment of the topic is probably contained in the When Argyle Goes Wrong post.) Below we see the golfer at St. Andrews in today’s print, a pink and green paisley; yesterday he sported a purple, lavender and chartreuse combination.

A better look at today’s print. Quintessential Daly, taking the Go to Hell pant to an entirely new level.

While grazing on the Loudmouth site we located the jacket Mr. Daly wore to the Champions dinner; behold the Shagadelic, described as one of the company’s new “Apres Golf Drinking Jackets”. If that seems a trifle overbearing, how about the Hamptons sport coat?

Not distinctive enough for  your MOTH (Man of the House)? You were thinking of something more in the argyle or plaid family?

Ladies, if seeking your own Loudmouth look, fear not. Here are some of the choices available, including such style staples as houndstooth and argyle. (Ahem.)

Here is the Shagadelic for women in both a black pant and a white Skort.

We rather fancy a few of the Loudmouth skort styles, they are not all that removed from many currently seen on the course. Many others however, require the Nancy Reagan response: Just Say No.

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Our other item of note today, the unveiling of the Hilfiger family.

Courtesy Tommy HIlfiger via StyleList

Above we show one of several print ads from this fall’s Tommy Hilfiger ad campaign; the fictional Hilfiger family is the focus of a new creative direction.  As described in this WWD story:

“There’s a father and mother (often with a Bloody Mary in hand); several children, including a son who was kicked out of boarding school, a daughter who doesn’t speak and a Portuguese foreign exchange student who never left; two basset hounds, and a station wagon.”

The campaign is supposed to be highly interactive.

Courtesy Image via WWD

Several ‘family members’ will have Facebook and Twitter pages, and one can ‘meet the family’ online at tommy.com. Hopefully this Tommy Hilfiger Facebook post is not indicative of the firm’s skillset on that site.

The post links to the same WWD story we reference above, unfortunately it is only viewable to those who subscribe to Women’s Wear Daily; perhaps a previous arrangement allowing the story to be shared with fans in some other form might have been prudent.

At any rate, in many ways the creative direction makes sense, imbuing a touch of whimsy that has previously been lacking for the company. We have long felt that Mr. Hilfiger took the brand too seriously; this dose of lightheartedness may be a wise strategy.  Here is a quote from Mr. Hilfiger about the upcoming ads:

““This is the first campaign to truly capture the brand’s 25-year heritage of twisted, preppy American sportswear.””

As for that direction and tone, here is part of Styleite’s story on the campaign:

“Words we would used to describe Hilfiger , as a brand: All-American. Classic. Sporty. Preppy. Words we wouldn’t: Twisted.

“We’re not sure how interestingly dysfunctional the family is, so much as it suffers from a particular brand of rich quirkiness that can get tiresome if not handled lightly enough. Think NYC Prep versus Gossip Girl.”

Two more images from the upcoming campaign.

There will also be special “Ultimate Preppy Tailgating” Pandora (online radio) stations and other supporting elements. We do like the way the family’s matriarch, Lea Hilfiger, is described:

““Met [husband] Bernard on a trip to France after Wellesley. Always well-hydrated, yet somehow usually exhausted. Quarterly Canyon Ranch jaunts are a must.”

Courtesy Image via WWD

You won’t be able to miss the ads in the fall fashion magazines, there are 10-page inserts for Vogue, GQ and many others.

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Finally, a quick look at today’s VSL(Very Short List), indispensable for anyone needing to sending a ransom note.

Click here to visit RansomSytes.org and create your own note.

ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS:

• Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
• Jon Super/AP

When Argyle Goes Bad

Hello-Hello, and Happy-Day-Before-Friday!

Because it remains crazy-busy here in the corner condo at Princess InterGalactic HQ, once again we shall stoop to a post more filled with photos than fabulosity.

We begin with the thought that many readers will remember back in the olden daze days, when one of the primary purposes of golf at the club was doing a little business whilst making one’s way over to the nineteenth eighteenth hole. TP’s father certainly solidifed more than one commerce-related friendship in this manner, although TQM ultimately opted out of her role as the executive’s spouse; something to do with the 12-hour time commitment required for proper entertaining: attention to the round and wife/wives at hand, cocktails following the sporting event, dinner after the libations, you know the drill. It was a far more ‘liquid-intense’ affair back in the day than it is now. (No, bottled water is not what we reference with the word liquid.)

Naturally one required appropriate apparel for these activities, and we remember both parents clad in colorful prints.  Yet somehow they avoided  looking like this:

PHOTO: Eddie Keogh/Reuters

This strikes us as something that really transcends the average Adventures in Argyle, don’t you think?

Believe it or not, the appendages cloaked in the garments seen above and below all belong to one individual.

PHOTO Montage: Matthew Childs/Action Images

Come now, you must know upon whose legs you gaze … of course you do.

PHOTO: Matt Dunham/AP

It is that bad boy of golf, John Daly.  And before one thinks about looking in horror upon his wardrobe selections over at Turnberry (or elsewhere) let us all remember he is only doing his job, promoting his eponymous line of golf clothing.

The name of his line? Loudmouth.

As always, writers on the far side of the Pond describe the scene far better than we can; here is a morsel from the Times talking about Mr. Daly’s look at the Scottish Open last Friday:

His “pants” as they call them in the United States – in Scotland we prefer “breeks” – were just about indescribable: a bonfire of colour, at least six different shades of polka-dot, from his rear to his ankles. You could be forgiven for thinking Daly had forgotten to change out of his pyjamas when he rose in the morning. “Christ, I was aghast when I saw him!” rasped a Scottish marshall on the 9th tee…”

Loudmouth offers amazing styles and the Ladies should not feel as if there is nothing equally striking for their walk-in, below we share a slightly more tame look in our favorite color combination:

Courtesy Loudmouth Golf

And while the pink and green is really quite acceptable, when it comes to Mr. Daly’s attire we envision TQM now floating somewhere between “Gasp! The horror” and “Did you make this up?”

Indeed.

Others sported argyle this week at the British Open, including Tom Watson in a more classic style.

PHOTO: Marc Aspland/The Times

Mr. Watson’s sweater is from one of his sponsors, Polo Ralph Lauren.

Frequent readers know this isn’t the first time we’ve commented on proper clothing for athletic endeavors. Hardly.  For a far more entertaining look at  just how big the pro-apparel sponsorship business is, here is a story running earlier this week in the Times.  For example, we had no idea that Nike selected what Tiger Woods would wear this week more than a year ago.  (And we’re OCD?)

There is no shortage of bright colors and bold patterns on the golf course. We enjoy most of them, but do feel if one is going to have a strong horizontal pattern it simply must be matched at the side seams. If this means the item becomes too costly to manufacture, then it simply should not be made, it is too offensive to the human eye.

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Something that is more-than-easy on the eyes? The reminder today via Peak of Chic about the new Lulu DK for Matouk linens collection; we just adore it.

Courtesy Lulu DK Matouk

You won’t be disappointed.

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And those fond of the excellent selection of goods at the MOMA store may appreciate a reminder:

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We close with happy news here at the Prepatorium, we are starting to receive our calendars for next year in stock! Below, the Donovan Designs 2010 desktop offering.

PreppyPrincess.com

We like their cute colors and grosgrain bow, along with the acrylic easel holding the darling artwork. (And their price point of only $18!)

On that cheery note, G’bye until next time!