Michelle Obama Inauguration Dress, More Election Night Fashion, More Preppy Sales

Happy Thursday to everyone!  We are more than pleased to see the weekend approaching. For some reason The Princess finds herself more than a little weary this week and the thought of relaxation is appealing.  Is it just us, or are you also feeling a bit sluggish?

We will update our recent posts on election night fashions momentarily, but first, an online site is reporting they know who is doing Michelle Obama’s inaugural gown!

According to theYBF (Young, Black and Fabulous) blog, an Atlanta designer has already been asked to create the dress.

“We’ve also learned from Atlanta Gossip that Mrs. O got a jump start on her Inauguration dress plans last week. She already tapped famed African American NY designer Cassandra Bromfield to custom make her Inauguration dress.”

We visited the Bromfeld site, and share one of the gowns featured online:

Courtesy Cassandra Bromfield

From the designer’s bio:

“Bromfield’s wedding dress and bridal designs range from African American wedding dress designs… like patchwork detail couture, an elegant silk taffeta halter dress topped with a satin faced organza duster with delicate French cuffs, to a sophisticated matte-jersey creation that gracefully drapes the body.”

Ms. Bromfield also writes a popular wedding blog.  We will await confirmation of the news on the gown’s designer and share it with you as soon as we know the information.

Now back to fashions already worn; we have a little more information on the Narciso Rodriguez dress seen below (for more photos click here) as worn by Michelle Obama election night.

PHOTO: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty

The dress has been widely criticized, near and far. Here is a snippet from one of the Obamas’ hometown newspapers, the Trib:

“Unfortunately, two key tweaks to the runway version of the dress, presumably made to take it from cocktail-sexy to first-ladylike, disrupted its intentions and architecture.

First, the lengthened bodice. Second, the cardigan that Obama layered on top.”

And that is some of the milder criticism. Ouch!

PHOTO: George Chinsee

Next, the navy suit worn by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin Tuesday evening.

PHOTO: Rick Wilking/Reuters

Amid much speculation about the suit’s designer, several blogs discovered it is an Elie Tahari creation. However, it is not available at every location carrying the Tahari line, as the navy colorway shown above is exclusive to Neiman Marcus. Below, a composite from New York magazine showing the suit in the Neiman’s catalog and Ms. Palin on Tuesday night in Phoenix.

Photos: Neiman Marcus, Getty

An individual appearing to be in the know left comments on fashion blog Trendbites in response to posts about the attire worn by Ms. Palin at the vice presidential debate:

“On behalf of my company…Tahari Arthur S. Levine (a division of Elie Tahari)… Dawn is CORRECT… the black skirt suit that Sarah Palin was wearing at the RNC VP Debate was in fact a Tahari Suit. In addition, she has also been seen wearing the same suit (which was made for Neiman Marcus as a special cut in blue) where she wore the blue jacket over the black skirt, getting more mileage for her money. Lastly, she has also worn numerous suits from our many divisions: Tahari Arthur S. Levine suits which are priced on average at 179.99 – 199.99 and which have been bought at either Macys, Lord and Taylor department stores…”

Below, a photo of Ms. Palin at the vice-presidential debate.

PHOTO: Rick Wilking/Reuters

But here is the really big mystery: who did the dresses worn by Malia and Sasha Obama?  We have received multiple inquiries here at Princess InterGalactic HQ about those darling dresses.  Below, Malia in a red bubble-hem dress with center bow at waist and a cropped cardigan, both in red.

PHOTO: Jae C. Hong/AP

Many think Malia Obama is wearing this Biscotti dress, although with a different belt than the one sold with the dress.  We show it at Nordstrom; it is available at $110. There is a matching/coordinating cropped cardigan Biscotti offers as well, but that does not look to us like the one Malia was wearing.

Here is a better shot of both girls with their father, the President-elect.

PHOTO: Jason Reed/Reuters

Now to avoid any controversy, we do want to share that we have also confirmed who the President-elect was wearing Tuesday night:

He was wearing a Hart Schaffner Marx custom suit very much like the one worn at the Democratic Convention. There are more detail and photos of that suit here, our post with “The Inside Story on the Candidate’s Suit.”  Selecting this suit was another wise choice: it looked great and the Hart Schaffner Marx manufacturing facility is in the Obamas’ home state of Illinois.  Click here to see an almost identical HSM suit.

An update on markdowns being taken by retailers everywhere, beginning with J .Crew, now offering an additional 30% off their sale merchandise.

This will also act as our Argyle Update for the day, as we show the Boys’ cotton-cashmere duke-argyle vest, now more than 50% off its original selling price, before the extra discount is added to the mix. (“Subtracted” from the mix?)

Crew is also offering their wonderful Madras cabana bag; it is also discounted by more than 50%, and this is before the additional 30% discount.

Of course regular readers know we are fiends for madras, as evidenced by our goodies at the Preppy Princess Emporium, like our lush and lovely Set Point Towels.  (Psst…hunting for a gift? The monogramming on these is included at no extra charge!)

PreppyPrincess.com Set Point Towels

PreppyPrincess.com

Neiman Marcus continues their online clearance:

Nordstrom is offering their Half Yearly Sale for Women and Kids.

And the online clearance is still ongoing at Talbots as well as their Collection Sale with merchandise like this Collection Jacket in Ivory.

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And finally, for today’s Pretty in Pink, we share one of our major obsessions here at the Prepatorium: the Globetrotter Vanity Case at Vivre, from Globetrotter’s Candy Collection.

The lining is done in an exquisite Liberty of London print. (The store on Regent Street is on TP’s list of Top 5 shopping meccas in Europe.)

If one requires a tad more room for their belongings, there is always the Trunk, also from the Candy Collection, and also exclusively at Vivre.

If anyone has info on the dresses worn by the Obama girls, please share!

Brooks Brothers Black Fleece, Kate Spade & J.Crew Sales, Black Friday Ads Already!

What a bright and sunny day we are enjoying here at the prepatorium. It is just bliss.

Regular readers know of the continuing coverage (that’s an understatement) this column has dedicated to the Brooks Brothers Black Fleece Collection, and its designer, Thom Browne. There has been much speculation about the company opening a store dedicated to this part of the brand exclusively, and now the good folks over at The Life Vicarious shed a little light on the matter in a recent post:

Courtesy The Life Vicarious

Barely visible in the photo is the sign that says “Opening Fall 2008.” The blog also shares:

“… it only makes sense we check-in and follow-up on Black Fleece Bleecker Street. We’re pretty proud of our track record of not being wrong yet on breaking food and shopping news, but how long it takes for validation sometimes! We don’t know what’s going on inside here, but the first signs of life are finally showing and as we promised, they’re still predicting a fall opening.”

Since we are talking about Brooks Brothers, a reminder:

And since we are doing reminders, Lord and Taylor is doing their part to help shoppers out with their Friends and Family sale, underway today through Sunday.

And really, who can resist a Radley ‘Tear Away Mer‘ portrait handbag at L&T when it is on sale?

Not to be forgotten, Garnet Hill is also sharing some love, with their oh-so-snuggly Paintbrush Flannel sheets on sale….

As well as merchandise throughout the store with their October Sale.

The Kate Spade ‘Friends and Family’ sale gets underway today with 25% off everything in the store with the exception of merchandise already on sale. TP is beginning to feel like she suddenly has quite a lot of friends and family members.

The J. Crew Fall Sale continues…

Not be left out, Polo Ralph Lauren has added more items to their sale.

TP is always happy to see Saks in on the activity with their sale.

Also today, we continue helping to protect your pocketbook this holiday season; we thought it wise to share the news that the Black Friday website is up and active. The site acquires copies for ads that will run starting the day after Thanksgiving. In an online story about the site from Sign On San Diego, there is already information on the Ralph Lauren sale:

“A link on the BFAds site connects to Ralph Lauren’s site, where shoppers are invited to “join us after your Thanksgiving dinner” to get 20 percent off purchases of $150 or more at its outlet stores, most of which will open at the stroke of midnight.”

The story also notes:

“But the deals could come sooner than Black Friday.”

“According to BFAds, several retailers “have mentioned that they will be having competitively priced sales in the weeks before Black Friday. It looks like, once again, some of the best deals this year may be had before the doors even open on November 28th.”

In the Sydney Morning Herald this week a story a story in the Executive Style column posits that “Menswear is having an aristocratic moment,” according to reporter Rachel Wells.

“…classic menswear looks inspired by the English upper classes have flitted in and out of fashion. Of course, there are some sub-cultures – think of England’s Sloane Rangers and America’s preppy set – who have always looked to the aristocracy for fashion cues. And designers such as Ralph Lauren, Burberry and Paul Smith have built multibillion-dollar businesses on these classic looks.”

The article continues:

“After several seasons of skinny silhouettes, the return to aristocratic looks – complete with structured blazers, chunky knits, textured tweeds and wide-legged trousers that add bulk to the frame – comes as a somewhat seismic, not to mention, surprising, shift. Aristocratic style for the threadbare?”

An intriguing theory.

Next, everyone knows The Princess is more than obsessed interested in needlepoint. Doing it.  Looking at it.  Sitting on it and holding it. Therefore, we share news about an exquisite exhibition, Brigid Berlin, Needlepoint, now open at the John McWhinnie Gallery.  Many of the pillows in the show are from Ms. Berlin’s ‘Breaking News’ series.

Courtesy Photo

Ms. Berlin was actually raised as quite the Prep.  As the brochure for the exhibit describes her background:

“Though raised in elite social circles, Berlin became a self-described “troublemaker” and spent most of her life reacting against, and sending up, the social conventions of her youth.  She met Andy Warhol in 1964 and was soon drawn into the downtown social set centered at the Factory. Berlin became a member of Warhol’s inner circle and a personal confidante.”

Courtesy Photo

The show runs through November 22nd.

Back later!