Help With Hidden Lilly & Ladurée’s Feline Friend, Don & Roger

Hello-Hello, welcome to an almost-weekend.

We’re all about some Friday Fun today, beginning with word of a Ladurée – Hello Kitty collaboration.  We first heard about the new collection on Luxuo’s Twitter feed.

Ladurée Facebook Page

Here is more from the company’s Facebook page:

“…this joyful cooperation will yield a variety of creations: a new chocolate, a collection of gift-boxes, and a collection of little accessories.”

Below we have a better look at the artwork via fab French department store Colette (left) and a charm bracelet from the collection featuring macarons and the famous Kitty.

Colette (L)/Ana Pettus Diaries (R)

As some readers know, yours truly finds the cute Kitty inexplicably appealing; combining her with Ladurée only serves to increase our interest level. There are some darling stickers in the line as well.

Via Just Lia

The potential for cute food and related goodies is very high, you can see all of the items in Ladurée’s most recent newsletter (scroll down to see the products and pricing, the monetary unit used is the Euro).

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Our other topic today involves that beautiful Lilly Pulitzer textile line from Lee Jofa.

Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

The company carried a fun blog post this week about the hidden signatures in Lilly fabrics.

The Lilly look is easily recognizable, but did you know there is a simple way to test the authenticity of a true Lilly Pulitzer fabric? The name “Lilly” is built into the design of each pattern. This is true both for the clothing patterns and the fabric available to interior designers exclusively through Lee Jofa.

We’ve made it easy to spot the Lilly in each print, take a look!

Up top we show a swatch of the Bimini print, below, Heritage Floral.

"Heritage Floral" by Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

You can see the signatures much better with their help, below Color Me Coral.

"Color Me Coral" by Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

Here’s one I *never* would have been able to find, In a Twist.

"In a Twist" by Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

Our last example, Racey Lacey, a print I really like.

"Racey Lacey" by Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

We’ll make that our Pretty in Pink for the day.

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Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

Finally, a reminder (as if it’s needed) about the return of Mad Men Sunday night.  Because I have been stalking occasionally taken a glance at the Mad Men website, we can share that there are new photos from the new season. Betty is too stern for today’s Pretty in Pink.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

Roger is looking rather intense.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

Peggy’s green frock is TDF.

Frank

I think every hour is the cocktail hour at Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

Much as I hate cluttering up posts with meaningless photos (cough cough), here’s one last image to hold you until Sunday.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

(I’m a little concerned about Don’s cufflinks. They look, well… loud.)

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!

The Times Reviews True Prep, Mad About Emmy Party Frocks

Hello-hello, we are clearly embarking upon another wild and wacky week here at the Prepatorium, how are things shaping up in your corner of the globe?

We begin with a look at one of the first big reviews for True Prep, this one from Janet Maslin in the Times.  Ms. Maslin begins with a look back at the volume preceding True Prep, TOPH, along with another classic.

“But much of “The Official Preppy Handbook” just codified widely known information about high-WASP habits and affectations. (It also borrowed from “Take Ivy,” a 1965 style guide published in Japan.) Its original readers, whether they were knowing or curious, were apt to be of boarding-school age or a little older. Now they’re pushing 50.”

PreppyPrincess.com

Above, that iconic cover of Take Ivy.

The review mentions some of the societal changes since TOPH was first published.

“Among the post-1980 phenomena with which “The Official Preppy Handbook” could not conjure are the Internet, the McMansion, the cellphone, synthetic fleece and the emergence of famous rehab facilities as today’s new boarding schools.”

Below, one of many illustrations in the book.

Random House/Knopf

As mentioned in previous posts (here and here), the book includes many contemporary brands and companies.  A few seen in the Casual Friday image shown above, LL Bean, Cole-Haan, and J. Crew (too much Crew); product mentions caught Ms. Maslin’s attention:

“Ms. Birnbach is best suited to the shopping guide and flagrant product plugs that are a large part of this book’s raison d’être.”

Overall Ms. Maslin’s review is positive, with appreciation for the book’s humorous style and efforts to update common topics. Click here to read the review in its entirety.

Also of note, this month’s Allure features a True Prep tie-in piece, our thanks to the Bellini Bunny for showcasing it on her blog. The story contrasts popular styles of today with styles back in 1980 when TOPH was published.

Allure magazine via the Bellini Bunny

For example, “Beauty Icons then” include Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, “Now” it is Gwyneth Paltrow. (Ahem.)

Also meriting a visit, Apartment Therapy’s “Waspy Whimsey“.

Apartment Therapy

Guerrin Gardner and Mat Sanders put together a wonderful styleboard inspired by the book.

For anyone interested in the schedule with dates and times for True Prep Book Tour events, click here; the link takes you to a page with all that info and more, The Consort the IT department put it together for the site.

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We quickly revisit some of last night’s fashionable (or not) moments at the Emmys. Below, three stars of Mad Men,  January Jones in Atelier Versace, Elizabeth Moss in Donna Karan, and Christina Hendricks in Zac Posen.

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

Below, Sally Draper actress Kiernan Shipka at the event.

Here are a few of the Mad Men, along with the show’s producer, Matt Weiner.

Chris Pizzello/AP

Actor Jon Hamm and longtime partner Jennifer Westveldt both wore Armani for the big do, while Tina Fey opted for a stunning Oscar de la Renta gown.

Perhaps the most unusual dress was worn by Rita Wilson, seen here with husband Tom Hanks.

Michael Buckner/Getty

The dress and shoes were both from the Prada runway show, we don’t know who did the handbag.

We generally adore Ms. Wilson’s style selections, but this one just didn’t work; it was a classic case of the dress wearing her, not the other way around.

Actress Claire Danes was a knockout in Armani.

We leave you with two more images from last night’s festivities.

Until next time!

ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS:

• AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
• Frazer Harrison/Getty
• Jason Merritt/Getty

New Collection for Kiel James Patrick Giveaway & Now You Can Have Don Draper

Hello-Hello, welcome to a crazy Tuesday here at the Prepatorium.

We have just a few brief items before moving to our primary topic, Kiel’s fabulous new line of belts. But first, a quick glance at the Mad Men premiere party in New York Sunday night. Below, Betty & Peggy January Jones and Elizabeth Moss at the party.

Evan Angostini/Chase Sapphire/AP

There was quite a crowd on hand in Times Square for the festivities.

Evan Angostini/Chase Sapphire/AP

In related news…

Courtesy BarbieCollector.com

Yes indeedy, the official Barbie Mad Men dolls are now available. We are a tad confused about the target audience for these, as most girls enjoying their Barbies are not old enough to be watching the show, so how would they know who Betty and Don are …? Are adults expected to buy them?

As well as Roger and Joan.

Unlikely to be seen here at Princess InterGalactic HQ.

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We are ever-so-excited to share a new product launch with our friend Kiel James Patrick.  Behold the designer’s new Croffix Sailing Belts!

Kiel James Patrick

Kiel launched these in the wee hours of Monday morning after months of hard work, and we are delighted to share them with you.  Princess readers won’t be surprised to see that one of our faves is the Arabella Brayton Fellix (L), we also like the Gigi Tripler in a classic combination, pink and navy.

To see them in person is to marvel at the craftsmanship and attention to detail.  As with all KJP products, the belts are created from hand-knotted rope, finished with the finest Italian pebbled leather and lined with the firm’s trademark madras fabric.

Of course they coordinate perfectly with the bracelets we carry at the Princess.

Including our exclusive pink and green KJP Princess Bracelet seen sandwiched below between Kiel’s solid green and white belts.

Below, more styles from the new collection.

Kiel James Patrick

How excited are all of us about the belts? Enough that Kiel has asked us to help kick-off the Croffix Belt launch with a giveaway! The winner receives one of the new Sailing Belts in the pattern  and size of their choosing.  How fun is that? Here’s how to enter:

• For one entry leave a comment telling us your favorite KJP belt
• For a 2nd entry leave a comment telling us your favorite KJP product at The Princess
• For a 3rd entry fan The Princess on Facebook & leave a comment telling us you did (If already a fan just let us know)
• For a 4th entry blog about this giveaway (please leave a link to your post in your comment)
• For a 5th entry Tweet about the Giveaway and let us know you did
• Receive 3 additional entries for sending friends/readers to the contest, just have them tell us you sent them here in their comment

Entries will be taken until Noon next Monday, August 2 and we will announce the winner in Tuesday’s post.

Until next, thank you for popping in to visit!

Deeper & Differing Looks at Preppy Style & Mad Men Cookies

Hello-Hello, we hope everyone is enjoying a splendid start to the week.

Many readers may have already seen the story we reference below, but with apologies to our Facebook fans, today we look at yesterday’s Fashion Diary column in the Times “Prep, Forward and Back“.  In his story, Guy Trebay looks at the return to heritage brands and styles:

“Ray-Bans were suddenly on a list of Old School must-haves and so were wool vests from the Filson, and Red Wing boots and Alden loafers and Gitman oxford cloth shirts and Sperry Top-Siders and Quoddy moccasins. Designers as varied as Thom Browne, Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders, Billy Reid and Frank Muytjens of J. Crew all made hay with the conservative classics. The style became so ubiquitous that, the designer Michael Bastian said, “The whole preppy machine requires a recalibration.”

If Mr. Trebay’s name sounds familiar, it is because we just featured the writer and his column on the needlepoint belt phenomenon, actually declaring him our hero for his comment about “…the sartorial horrors visited on us lately under the guise of a preppy revival,”. (Click here for that post.)

Back to the story in Sunday’s Times, “Studying the Preppy Look and its Reference Points“. Much of the piece looks at Take Ivy, the literary cult favorite we most recently chatted about here.

powerHouse Books

From Mr. Trebay’s story:

“Time, it develops, has done little to dim the allure of “Take Ivy,” with its guileless snapshots of handsome, fit and presumably bright young lugs disporting themselves in dining halls, on the College Green at Dartmouth, along Nassau Street in Princeton and in Harvard Yard.”

Teruyoshi Hayashida/powerHouse Books

The piece references another soon-to-be-released volume, True Prep.

““The reality is the people in that book at that time went to schools and belonged to clubs that most ordinary people couldn’t get into,” said Lisa Birnbach, an author of “The Official Preppy Handbook” and “True Prep.” ‘“Take Ivy,” Ms. Birnbach said, is a ruling class “look book,” a template for any budding Jay Gatsby.”

A slideshow accompanies the story, both are excellent reads.

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In a similar vein, The Gloss carried a post last week, Fashion 101: The New Preppy; the author approaches the topic from an entirely different perspective.

“I have never been preppy. When I was growing up, being labeled a ‘prep’ was almost as bad as being referred to as a ‘poser’, i.e. the uncoolest thing that could happen to you.  I avoided being preppy at all costs.”

“However, as we grow up and enter the business world, perhaps we have something to gain from tapping into the inner preppy.”

In her piece, Brooke Moreland visits the Puritan store on the Cape, long a staple in Chatham (and several other communities).

Brooke Moreland/The Gloss

The store’s manager, Michelle Wilson Blaze shared her perceptions on customers:

“Blaze explained to me that the men wear Polo. The old men wear the small horses and the youngs wear the big horses. They all wear khakis and if they are over 50, well, then it’s time to bust out the Tommy Bahama.

As well as impressions of those visiting the Cape: .

“Brands like Tory Burch and Burberry pop up in the store, adding a contemporary preppy twist on the classics. Ginghams, tunics and embroidered tops peer out from among the plaid and Bermuda shorts.”

And while most preps don’t pay attention to what is “in” or “out” at any given time, here is one last tidbit from Ms. Moreland’s story:

“The ‘it’ preppy shoe happens to coincide with the ‘it’ shoe of the rest of the world at the moment: the Sperry Top-Sider.”

To see Ms. Moreland’s entire story and learn her ultimate verdict on the merits of the style, click here.

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Our final item of note today deals with last night’s Mad Men season 4 premiere.

Michael Yarish/AMC-TV

It was divine.

Don’s still smoking, Pete remains sycophantic and clients don’t always concur with Don’s vision.

Michael Yarish/AMC-TV

There is continued recognition of the way women were treated in the early 1960’s.

AMC-TV

Betty seemed particularly petulant last night, and we remain concerned about little Sally Draper.  We love this shot of Betty, it seems to perfectly capture her simmering rage while also betraying her vulnerable and forlorn side.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC-TV

A quick rundown of stories fans might enjoy:

• An excellent review with a change of heart for one critic in the Baltimore Sun
• Alessandra Stanley’s look at the show in the Times
• The reaction to the episode in the Journal’s Speakeasy Blog
• “Why I Love Pete Campbell” (The Gloss)
• The LA Times’ review

How popular is the show? Enough that star Jon Hamm will be in an upcoming episode of the Simpsons, portraying an FBI agent.  The Toronto Sun has details.

We leave you with pictures of these amazing cookies created by our friend Pink Martini & Pearls, part of her Mad Men Quiz Giveaway post!

Courtesy Pink Martini & Pearls

Look at Joan and Betty’s dress cookies!

One of our favorites? The snappy argyle socks, surely not anything Don would wear, perhaps Harry?

Courtesy Pink Martini & Pearls

Until tomorrow!