Don Draper and the Anti-Preps, Plus “Do The Preppy Thing”

Hello-Hello, what a gorgeous spring day it is. We are in the middle of a major heat wave, it is supposed to be 86° here today, more-than-unusual for March in The Great Midwest.  But as you might imagine, there are no complaints from these quarters, we are reveling in every nano-second of it.

Today we take a look at something characterized as a “war of words,” a “spat,” “fight,” and too many other names to list. It involves Don Draper Jon Hamm, coming as we approach this Sunday’s launch of Mad Men Season 5. (We can’t resist showing this still from one of the upcoming episodes, that madras jacket ‘Pete’ has on is just too cool.)

Michael Yarish/AMC

We’re talking about comments actor Jon Hamm made on the cult of celebrity (note: there is an f-bomb mostly deleted in the quote) in Elle UK’s April issue.

“Whether it’s Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian or whoever, stupidity is certainly celebrated,” said Hamm. “Being a ****ing idiot is a valuable commodity in this culture because you’re rewarded significantly.”

As some readers may recall, both Ms. Hilton and Ms. Kardashian are among our original AntiPreps, longtime members of the Wall of Shame. Mr. Hamm’s comment was part of a much lengthier story, in which the actor also says “Incuriousness has become cool… It’s celebrated. It doesn’t make sense to me”.

As one might expect, Ms. Kardashian responded, using her Twitter account to make her point:

Twitter via The Daily Mail

To his credit Mr. Hamm remains steadfast in his opinion, telling E! Online:

“It’s surprising to me that it has become remotely a story,” he told E! News. “I don’t know Ms. Kardashian, I know her public persona.

“What I said was meant to be more on pervasiveness of something in our culture, not personal, but she took offense to it and that is her right.”

The subject was raised again on Monday’s Today show appearance promoting the show’s return.

The Today Show

Host Matt Lauer asked about the kerfluffle (technical phrase):

‘I don’t think [my comments] were careless. I think they were accurate.’

The Today Show via The Daily Mail

That is from the Daily Mail’s story, here is more.

He pulled no punches as he made another attack on the culture of reality television.

It’s a part of our culture that I certainly don’t identify with, and I don’t really understand the appeal of it other than in a sort of car crash sensibility,’ he said.

By the way, Pete (shown above in the snappy madras) Vincent Kartheiser concurs with Mr. Hamm, back to E! Online.

“I agree,” he said. “He said it very eloquently. I agree with everything he said. I think our society enjoys to turn on the television and see someone who’s maybe awful and they can say, ‘Maybe I’m not as terrible as that person.’ “

The most interesting thing about all this? We’ll let the Ministry of Gossip point it out:

Meanwhile, Paris Hilton is actually looking pretty smart in all this, for going happily on with her Twitter life and not saying a thing.

Perzactly.

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Also today, a glance at “Do The Preppy Thing,” a series of links to other sites with hypothetical preppish styles.

Styel.DailyBuzz.com

Most didn’t work for us, but some are fun to look at, including the link to “Under $100: Perfectly Preppy Spring Must-Haves” from Fit Fab Cities.

Fit Fab Cities

There is also a fun one from the always-delightful Pretty Worthy, a collection of things for the “Rainy Day Prepster“.

"Pretty Worthy" Blog

If interested in seeing all of the sites/stories linked to in Do The Preppy Thing, click here.

Our final tidbit is the lucky winner of our LL Bean 100th Anniversary/Preppy Princess 100th Post giveaway:

That is Stacy L., her favorite LL Bean product is her Boat Tote, she gets the fabulous 100th Anniversary Book and the world’s cutest key fob. (Stacy, I am sending you an email today.)

LL Bean

Many thanks to everyone who entered and shared their favorite LL Bean products and stories!

Bits & Bytes: Royal Ascot Gets Tough, Mad Men Premiere & That LL Bean Bootmobile

Hello-Hello, today we have loads of little bits and bytes we hope you find moderately entertaining, beginning with a change in the dress code for Royal Ascot. From The Guardian:

Nick Smith, a spokesman for Ascot, said: “It is stretching a point to say standards have collapsed but there is no doubt that our customers would like to get back to a situation where it is universally acknowledged that this is a formal occasion and not an occasion where you might dress as you would at a nightclub.

“It is probably fair to say that the dress code hasn’t necessarily been enforced quite as rigorously as we might have liked.”

It turns out that relaxing the rules in an effort to appeal to a broader section of possible attendees hasn’t gone as well as hoped, at least not when it came to how those attendees were dressed.  If confused, one need look no further than the Royal Ascot website, where the new rules are laid out:

• Dresses and skirts should be of modest length defined as falling just above the knee or longer;

Methinks most of the ladies seen in this photo from last year would not pass muster under that new hemline rule.

CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images

Back to the more stringent standards:

•  Dresses and tops should have straps of one inch or greater;
•  Jackets and pashminas may be worn but dresses and tops underneath should still comply with the Royal Enclosure dress code;
• Trouser suits are welcome. They should be of full length and of matching material and colour;

Something of a visual style guide was released along with the new rules, this next photo seems to reinforce the ‘trouser suit’ information. (FYI, ‘trouser suit’ as opposed to ‘pants suit,’ because on the far side of the pond ‘pants’ generally refers to a ladies’ unmentionables, a cultural distinction your fearless scribe only discovered last summer.) We’ll make this our Pretty in Pink for the day as well, it is a lovely look.

Royal Ascot via The Guardian

However, those are not the only new rules, back to Royal Ascot:

Ladies are kindly asked to note the following:

• Midriffs must be covered;
• Strapless, off the shoulder, halter neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than one inch (2.5cm) are not permitted;

Again, ensembles (we use the term loosely here) worn last year to Royal Ascot that do not appear up to snuff vis-à-vis the updated standards.

Getty Images

With the possible exception of the pink floral frock in the center, that seems like a good thing.

•  Fascinators are no longer permitted in the Royal Enclosure; neither are headpieces which do not have a base covering a sufficient area of the head (4 inches / 10cm).

Another ‘approved’ look via The Guardian:

Via The Guardian

For those who plan on attending with your MOTH (Man Of The House), one final photo, this one showing acceptable styles for both the Lord and Lady at your palace.

Via The Guardian

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Our other primary item of interest involves Mad Men, Season 5 premieres with a special 2-hour episode March 25.  Below, the poster promoting the new season.

Via BuzzSugar.com

Sure to be a collector’s item, this year’s poster takes mid-century minimalism to a new level. We can only hope things are looking up for Don and Betty, I fear he has pickled his liver by now.

amc-tv via Film.com

An interesting sidebar involves Newsweek, word is the magazine is doing a special issue in conjunction with the new season launch. More from Advertising Age:

Newsweek is planning an issue marking the return of “Mad Men” this March by adopting the magazine’s 1960s design throughout — all the way, it hopes, to the ads.

The “Mad Men”-themed issue, which will be dated March 19, will include a cover story on the series and a feature on the role of advertising in U.S. culture.

It seems that virtual wall keeping editorial content and advertising separated isn’t in place at Newsweek.  Below, two Newsweek covers from the Mad Men era, the cover on the far left is January 1964 and on the right, December 1965.

Newsweek via Ad Age

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We leave you with two lighthearted items, the first involving these delightful images: what happens when an illustrator creates a few fashion pooh-bahs in the manner of the Simpsons?

aleXsandro Palombo via British Vogue

Above, Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld, below Vogue’s Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington, all created by illustrator Alexsandro Palombo.

aleXsandro Palombo via Vogue UK

Mr. Palombo is known for, among other things, creating the blog Humor Chic. He also created Vanity Karl, seen below.

aleXsandro Palombo/Humor Chic

We like the illustrator’s sly eye and sense of humor.

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Our other lighthearted tidbit today involves a much loved product.

Via PSFK

Meet the new LL Bean Bootmobile.

Via LL Bean

It was created as part of Bean’s 100th Anniversary this year (more about that in a future post, as well as a special giveaway), and it must be just something to see on the road.

Here is how it looked as it headed to Times Square today.

Zerina Phillip/LL Bean Facebook Page

The Oscar Mayer Weinermobile may have been bumped to second place in our hearts and minds. You can read more about the Bootmobile travel plans (yes, it will be on the move) and other Anniversary events on Bean’s first official blog.

Until next time, keep smiling and keep warm!

About That Ivy Style, Preppy Sales & Savings

Hello-Hello, happy Monday!

We begin with a look at Vanity Fair‘s photo piece on the “Hallmarks of Preppy Style“.

Is that poly blend? Three raps over the knuckles with a braided belt! Preppy fashion is all about rules—the standard bearers sniff at synthetics, cleavage, sparkles, and a million other don’ts.

Below, a photo we may have shown previously, Deerfield students in 1961.

Via Vanity Fair

More from the preface to the photo piece:

But those dictates source originally from the “windswept and privileged” attire of 1920s college men, the supposed first to co-opt athletic gear as daywear in an unstudied, thrown-together way.

A 1920s print ad.

Via Vanity Fair

Back to the Vanity Fair writeup:

Preppy, released on October 4 from Rizzoli, lays out the evolution of Ivy style in a sleeker, glossier way than all those prep-devoted Tumblrs you’ve probably seen. Here we trace the touchstones of the look, from Jack Kennedy’s flannels to coltish Ralph Lauren models and the original Lacoste croc.

Photofest via Vanity Fair

As mentioned in the Vanity Fair piece, Preppy: Cultivating Ivy Style comes out next week. We are very excited about this one, as soon you will be able to purchase it from The Preppy Princess. And guess where you will be able to enter a giveaway for the book at some point in the not-too-distant future?

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The Vanity Fair piece mentioned above also includes a look at legendary adman David Ogilvy, inspiration for the hit television show Mad Men. That is the perfect lead-in to our next topic, the cast and crew of the show are back at work.  (It is about time.)  The Daily Mail has a variety of images of the cast getting back to work in this story we wanted to share with Preppy 101. Below we show Roger and Don John Slattery and Jon Hamm.

Splash/Splash/GSI-Barcroft Media

The show returns in January.

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One other quick item of note, Casa Sugar’s Ivy League Americana photo montage.

Casa Sugar

From the story:

It certainly screams prep, but there’s a definite elegance in the look above. Deep rosewood hues and tartan plaid make me smell the East Coast Autumn air. And despite the fact that Thomas Chippendale was a Brit, his iconic, ornate Chippendale design is also a huge influence in this style. His cabinetry was reserved for the upper echelon of society in colonial America.

Click here to see the entire piece.

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There are also a few Sales and Savings opportunities you may find to be of interest. It is that time of year between back-to-school and Christmas when retailers boost sales through other promotional efforts, there are several Friends and Family offerings.

Lands’ End is doing Friends and Family, 25% off everything, just go to the site and you will see the information.

Lands’ End

Brooks Brothers is also offering 25% off in its Friends and Family promotion.

Brooks Brothers

To receive a 25% discount at Brooks Brothers, use promo code 11FRIEND.

Speaking of Brooks Brothers, flash sale site Rue La La is doing a sale on Brooks’ Handbags starting tomorrow at 11am.

Rue La La

There is also a men’s Brooks Brothers sale at Rue La La tomorrow, along with Sebago, makers of good boat shoes and moccasins.

Rue La La

And finally, J. Crew Factory is 30% off through Wednesday night.

J. Crew Factory

This is online only, use promo code SHOPNOW to receive the discount.

That is it for today, goodbye until next time!

About Those Emmy Dress and Milly Spring 2012 is Stunning (with a touch of Sperry!)

Hello-Hello, we hope you are enjoying a stellar start to a new week.

We begin today with last night’s Emmy Awards. As a rule televisions at the Prepatorium are not tuned to red carpet shows. They take wretched excess to new levels and never fail to disappoint.  However, for some reason last night we took leave of our senses watched portions of the Emmys red carpet show live on E!

Watching an extravaganza liker this in an internet age is an interesting experience.  For example, in an effort to better understand who was wearing whom, we were able to turn to a live blog via NY Mag‘s Culture Vulture that featured the wit and wisdom of the Fug Girls. Below we share a few tidbits from the blog:

OH PADMA. The slit on her dress is so high that we nearly saw her ladybits when she stuck her leg out to show us her shoe. The bodice on her dress somehow makes her look topless and she sort of sounds as if she is stoned.

Danny Moloshok/Reuters

Here is what Masters of Snark Tom and Lorenzo thought:

Love the shape of it, but she’s a column of one color. She looks a bit like an Emmy herself.

Hmmmm.  Back to the Fug Girls commentary:

Kelly (Osbourne) tells a story that she asked Marchesa for some gowns and they said no, that they were only dressing one person this year, and that person is apparently Lea Michele.

But then this:

Elisabeth Moss in….beige. Yes. Again. More beige. She is also in Marchesa, despite the fact that Kelly Osborne told us that they told her (follow that?) they were only dressing one person. Either Elisabeth Moss BOUGHT this dress, or they lied. Scandale!

Oops. Below we show the two ladies in the two Marchesa gowns. Seems someone might have some ‘splaining to do.

Getty Images

It turns out Ms. Osbourne was in J. Mendel, she looked splendid.

Getty Images

One of the most-discussed gowns was worn by über-prep Gwyneth Paltrow.

Getty Images

More on the dress from Tom and Lorenzo:

Tom will concede that it is off the beaten path, as far as red carpet looks go, and he’ll give Gwynnie credit for that. But belly-baring is so not the kind of risk-taking he wants to support and besides, he might actually like it if it didn’t have that tulle effect going on at the edges, which causes an optical illusion that makes her look like she’s bulging out of this thing. And even Lo has to admit that sitting down must have been a not-particularly-pretty picture. But we both agree that it’s not a typical goddess gown and it’s not the same boring red dress that every other girl was wearing last night, so points for that.

At the risk of sounding more-than-dense, it didn’t look that see-through… did we miss something? Our problem was that it simply wasn’t flattering. Not heinous, not a crime against fashion, just not stellar. Your thoughts?

Then there is this from HuffPo, definitely moving the needle on the Snarkometer:

“Boardwalk Empire” actress Paz de la Huerta hit the red carpet in a soft pink gown with a thigh-high slit at tonight’s Emmy Awards.

But rather than go for an all-out girlish look with a similarly feminine hairstyle, Paz opted for an edgier disheveled ‘do.

It may have been because she was in a rush, having overslept during her last-minute session at Hollywood Tans.

Getty Images via The Huffington Post

Ouch!  Not all comments were snarky. Back to Tom and Lorenzo, now chatting about Melissa McCarthy.

She told Giuliana that she designed this dress herself in collaboration with a dress maker and it shows. We mean that in a good way, mostly. She made several smart decisions for a lady of size. She nipped in the waist, went for the V neck, and accentuated the shoulders. Our only issue is with the dolman sleeves, which add all kinds of volume that she didn’t need. Great color on her.

Via Tom and Lorenzo

Other frocks of note included Ariel Watson’s, many felt it far too mature for a 13-year-old. We tend to agree, a child with braces doesn’t need a cutout bodice on an evening gown.

Getty Images

And now we move to the real reason we are even discussing the Emmys a star from one of our favorite shows, Mad Men.

Getty Images

Mr. Hamm was in Tom Ford while longtime girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt wore vintage Helena Barbieri.  Mad Men won Best Drama for the fourth year in a row, below we see Mr. Hamm, Ms. Moss and producer Matt Weiner.

John Shearer/Getty Images for AMC

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Our other topic today, the simply fabulous runway show for Milly from last week.

Alessandro Viejo/GoRunway.com via Style

Designer Michelle Smith cited Sonia Delauney as her inspiration for the collection, that influence was evident in the bold colors and graphic elements seen throughout the show.

George Chinsee/Women's Wear Daily

The styles were simply spectacular. From Fashionista’s review:

To complement the bold patterns, Smith stuck to clean silhouettes including short sheaths, button down shirts, and cigarette pants. “It’s a much simpler cut this season,” the designer told us backstage. “You won’t see any bows and ruffles, it’s a little more clean and modern,” she added.

George Chinsee/WWD

It was classic Milly, clean lines and bold patterns, timeless styles.

Getty Images

We would be pushed to find a style we wouldn’t love to add to the walk-in.

Via "What I Wore" Tumblr

The looks conveyed a sense of timeless elegance, pieces maintained visual interest without being overly embellished, no frou-frou, and no ruffles. (Talbots, are you listening, hello?)

Via Glamazon Diaries

Some of the more intriguing items seen on the runway were the shoes, back to Fashionista:

Some of the adorable high-heeled boat shoes were done through a limited-edition Milly for Sperry Top-Sider collaboration, while the simple slingbacks were classic Manolo’s wrapped in Milly silks.

Via What I Wore Tumblr

From the Women’s Wear Daily review:

But she also added a fun, preppy vibe that came through in pairings of button-down shirts with cardigans and loafers (a collaboration with Sperry Top-Sider).

Alessandro Viejo/GoRunway.com via Style

We hope to learn more about the Milly-Sperry collaboration.

And a few of the celebrities on hand for the show included Singer Corrine Rae Bailey, Louise Roe, Peaches Geldorf and Tinsley Mortimer.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Ms. Smith was joined by her daughter on the runway when she came out for her bow after the show.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

On that lovely image we say g’bye until next time!

More Mad Men Fashion, Needlepoint Belts go Hipster?

Hello-Hello, happy Thursday to everyone.

We begin today with news for All Things Southern and Preppy sure to elate most Mad Men fans, the show’s star, Jon Hamm, has signed a new contract keeping him on the show for another three years. Below we show Mr. Hamm with co-star Christina Hendricks at Monday’s Critics Choice Awards.

Christopher Polk/Getty Image

On a related note, there is word of another Banana Republic – Mad Men collaboration for a new collection. The Times reports this is going to be a sizable group of clothing:

“There will be 65 items in the so-called capsule collection, which are to carry co-branded labels bearing the logos of “Mad Men” and Banana Republic. The merchandise is to be priced the same as similar regular items sold in Banana Republic stores and on bananarepublic.com.”

Here are a few of the dresses.

Banana Republic via Fashionista

And some of the accessories.

Banana Republic via Fashionista

The Times story shared one of the marketing images for the upcoming line.

Via The NY Times

Once again social media will be used to boost interest in the collection, more from Stuart Elliott’s article:

For instance, fans of Banana Republic on Facebook are to get early access to a presale of the collection on Aug. 10, a day before it is scheduled to be available in stores and on the Banana Republic Web site.

These are my favorite pieces. By far. The suit on the left looks simply divine.

Banana Republic via Fashionista

There are also plenty of men’s styles in the collection, click here to see all of the photos at Fashionista.

As noted in the quote above, the “Mad Men” line launches in August, when show was supposed to be back on the air; contract issues have delayed the start of Season 5 until early next year.

“Executives of Banana Republic and Janie Bryant — the Emmy Award-winning costume designer of “Mad Men,” who is working with them on the merchandise — said they did not believe the absence of the series from TV would damp interest in the collection.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” said Jack Calhoun, president of Banana Republic, because “ ‘Mad Men’ continues to be relevant whether it’s on the air or not.”

While the BR President may not think the show’s absence will impact clothing sales, we believe it may negatively affect ratings, the show’s ‘relevance’ diminishes as time passes. There were already concerns the show wasn’t “as good” last season as in previous years, creating concerns for some about Season 5 getting back on track.  Being off the air, and off the mind of fans, makes it that much easier to say goodbye if the new season doesn’t deliver what fans are looking for.

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We have news of another collaboration to share, this one between the über-hip retailer Opening Ceremony and more preppily styled Tucker Blair.

Via High Snobiety

Tucker Blair has created a series of five belts for Opening Ceremony, here is more from Fashionista:

Comprised of five hand-sewn leather belts, this unisex line is totally wearable. One belt nods to Opening Ceremony’s international focus with a row of country flags, and another reworks the in-house label’s woodsy theme from resort 2012 into Vineyard Vines-style white bunnies on a black background. There is also a reinterpreted Guatemalan print in black, red, and yellow, a classic leopard print and a fluorescent chevron pattern.

The belts are going to run $110, they will be available starting July 15.

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Finally today, the annual Polo Ralph Lauren Wimbledon party was Tuesday night at the company’s Chelsea store in London. Below we see Boris and Lily Becker, as well as Poppy Delevigne, all wearing Ralph Lauren designs.

Richard Young for WWD.com

Tonight is the ‘really big party’ as we call it here at The Prepatorium, Elton John’s annual gala and fundraiser, we always enjoy reading about the goings-on at that function.

On that note we say goodbye until next time!