Sperry + J. Crew = Topsiders (Top-Siders)

Hello and Happy New Week!

We have spent most of the day driving halfway across the state and back, so we shall do some quick headlines, starting with an update on one of the Royals we enjoy watching, England’s Princess Eugenie. It seems she has been a little rambunctious.

In fact, one recent headline reads:

Watch out Harry! Princess Eugenie’s about to steal your hellraising crown

PHOTO: Focus Pictures

It seems the Princess (one of Sarah Ferguson’s daughters) paid a visit to what we shall call a ‘Gentlemen’s Club’ recently; the Daily Mail is just one of many papers reporting the antics in this story:

“…rocking down to the (misleadingly named) SophistiCats Gentlemen’s Club, a strip-dancing joint where men pay £20 for a girl to twist suggestively in front of them, as Eugenie did last week….

“It was 4am — an hour before the bar closes — when Eugenie and her friends turned up…. when Eugenie and her friends turned up and started tucking into a £165 bottle of Bollinger.”

“She then bustled over to the podium where girls in G-strings were working the poles and asked if she could have a go.”

Not surprisingly, there was no comment forthcoming from either Scotland Yard or the Duchess of York.  In the ‘Good News for the Princess’ category, the young lady did pass her driving test last week. Back to the ‘Bad News’ side of things: we are declaring a “When Pink Goes Bad” alert on the pink eyelashes the Princess is sporting in the photo above.  (We’re betting that Europa Fox has the inside scoop on this story.)

BTW, the always fun Shoe Blog shared the new Eugenie heels from Christian Louboutin.

Eugenie by Christian Louboutin

As we are speaking of footwear, Brooks Brothers is doing their Women’s Shoe Clearance, with styles now 75%  off the original selling price.

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Our next headline needs little explanation; it also typifies the “picture telling a thousand stories” axiom:

PHOTO: News of the World (UK)

Why do we have a sinking feeling this photo (which Mr. Phelps has verified as authentic) is already plastered on a batch of tee-shirts somewhere?

The superstar athlete has also issued an apology:

“I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.”

The IOC and two of the swimmer’s sponsors have expressed their support for Mr. Phelps, including Omega, who said they consider the issue a private matter and a “non-issue.”  What do you think? Does Michael Phelps have to adhere to a stricter code than other twenty-somethings, or is this a private event that the media is blowing out of proportion?

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We jump back to the topic of shoes with our next tidbit.  For one fond of both Sperry and J. Crew, this should be a godsend: those two companies getting together to collaborate on the ultimate pair of Topsiders. There are two different styles: the Men’s Broken-in Original Suede Sperry Top-Siders® in Dark Wood…

and the Men’s Broken-In Khaki; both retail at $98.

All styles are lined in J. Crew’s cotton Chambray, and all have been given a broken-in look. There is also this Original nubuck chukka Sperry Top-Siders® in Espresso; this style is $125.

As described on Crew’s website:

“The original boat shoe is back and better than ever. We custom-colored each pair (in collaboration with Sperry, of course) and lined them in our famous cotton chambray—details you won’t find anywhere else.”

If you can just give us a moment here we shall dig out our photos of the Women’s version of the Top-siders.  Give us just a sec…ummm… hold on, we’re still looking…. uhhhh, well, we can’t find them. Why can’t we find them? Because they are not available in Women’s.  Oops. That’s why we said above the collaboration “should be a godsend.” Our thanks to Hypebeast for the original information on this one.

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Someone leaked a memo from the Bank of England to WWD and it’s fascinating, as it contains directives as to how female employees should dress for work.  From this story in WWD:

“Look professional, not fashionable; be careful with perfume; always wear a heel of some sort — maximum 2 inches; always wear some sort of makeup — even if it’s just lipstick.” Shoes and skirt must be the same color. No-no’s include ankle chains — “professional, but not the one you want to be associated with;” white high heels; overstuffed handbags; an overload of rings, and double-pierced ears.”

And we thought our wardrobe tilted a bit toward the stodgy!

Until next time!

The Shocking Pink Chair, Michael’s Million Dollar Donation, Thom Browne & the NY Times

This is one we simply couldn’t resist when we saw it online at the Boutique’s website. The Princess wasn’t looking for a chair, let alone a flaming fuchsia chair, but we somehow stumbled onto it whilst searching for a new Isaac Mizrahi Collection at Target.

The Pod chair in Hot Pink is available online; TP doesn’t know if one can purchase it in stores or not. Target is suggesting this zany lamp as a coordinating piece, but we don’t believe it works well in the Palace, so we shall have to pass on its unique design.

Have a tiny prep in the household who might enjoy this delightful little pink chair? This pint-sized piece of pink puffery is only $19.99 as of this writing, and it looks ever-so-cute. (“When all else fails, alliterate…”, from the film ‘Network’.)

If you are still looking for pink furniture, Target also offers the pink Cloud Chair & Ottoman. (Ouch.) Of course, there is always the Bungie Low-Back Chair in pink and black. A side note here: The Princess really feels compelled to share her impressions of the Cloud Chair. From our limited online perspective it looks like faux fur that may prove…ah…that may prove…um, may prove…yes, it could be difficult for the household staff to keep clean. What with the dog’s hair and all. We’re just looking out for your staff.

We take a moment now to revisit noted designer Thom Browne. (Regular readers have been subjected to enjoyed TP’s thoughts on Mr. Brown’s ‘look’ in previous posts.) It would seem his standalone menswear store has enjoyed a visit from the Times’ “Critical Shopper” columnist Mike Albo. Perhaps enjoyed isn’t the appropriate adjective; we’ll say ‘experienced a visit,’ that might be better.

Photo: Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

Mr. Albo has also done Critical Shopper columns on the new Rogan store (click here for more) and the Brooks Brothers on Madison Avenue (click here for more of that column) at 44th. The photo above is from the February 2007 Brooks Brothers column.

How did Mr. Albo find his visit to Mr. Browne’s emporium, or more accurately Mr. Browne’s designs?

“Across from the gray-hued garments, for example, was a selection of jaunty sweaters. A $3,500 thick cardigan was striped in navy blue and red, and a V-neck tennis sweater for $2,875 looked as if it had been ripped off Jay Gatsby’s dead body.”

(Mr. Browne is seen in his own design above left.)

Mr. Albo is not without humor. In describing a brightly hued overcoat he says,

“Past the three-way mirror was a rack of hilarious outerwear, including an overcoat in a queasily cheery yellow plaid for $4,500 that no one should buy unless he is an exhibitionist looking for a more eye-catching cover-up before exposing himself on the subway platform.”

The entire column is not all pokes and jabs at Mr. Browne’s design aesthetic, who also designs the Black Fleece line for Brooks Brothers. It also makes numerous complimentary points, at one point describing the suits as “light and good-natured, not dogmatic and snobby.” Mr. Albo refers to formalwear as “…beautiful…successfully blended Mr. Browne’s traditional and experimental sides.”

Here at the Prepatorium we simply adore the Critical Shopper; previous columns covered Tory Burch, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Steven Alan. (Note: these links are to the individual designer pages, not the Times columns.)

it is always fun to read another individual’s perceptions of the brand and/or the physical stores selling that designer’s apparel and accessories. Stop by the Times and read this Critical Shopper column, or better yet, peruse some of the back columns, including the previously mentioned Steven Alan review.

Many a preppy is familiar with Steven Alan; we were nudged to pop into the online shop when reminded by the Shopper’s column on the store. We feel compelled to let you know they have several of their men’s “basics” on sale, including the Hidden Button shirt, a classic.

Additionally, many of the Reverse Seam shirts are marked down along with other styles. On the Women’s side, TP is ecstatic to see the Dieppa Restropo Black Patent Lace-ups, although these treasures are not on sale. Of course not.

And while not for us, we do find the Hope Shirt to be absolutely adorable, perfect for someone perhaps a tad younger than TP.

Many of the Kids’ styles are on sale, and while adorable, they are also out of season, to be expected at this time of year. Below, the Girls Camisole Dress.

And ladies, after seeing a quick peek of the Spring 2009 line, we think you will find it more than appealing.

An update now on über-athlete Michael Phelps that many of you are likely to have already heard: he is donating his $1,000,000 bonus from Speedo to his charitable program. (You know, that little check promised if he won all eight Gold Medals.) You can see him below, receiving the symbolic check from the head of Warnaco, owners of the Speedo brand.

Photo: Getty Images/Warnaco

The Michael Phelps Foundation’s “Dream, Plan, Reach” program is going to focus on teaching more children to swim as well as instilling self-confidence in them. Phelps phans can see their hero on Oprah’s season-opener next Monday, along with 149 other Olympic athletes. The 8-time Olympic Gold Medalist was mobbed in Chicago when he arrived to tape the Oprah show.

AP/M. Spencer Green

Below you see Phelps helping a girl learn to swim at a Visa Grant for Early Swimming Program discussion at the McBurney YMCA in New York on Aug. 28th

REUTERS/Joshua Lott

Mr. Phelps has been a busy man. In addition to the many public appearances he is called upon to make, he has also purchased a 4000+ square foot apartment on Baltimore’s rejuvenated and renovated waterfront. The apartment has a stunning view, a Jacuzzi and many other accoutrements.

Good for him, he certainly has worked hard enough.

And one more update related to the Phelps family, with news that Debbie Phelps has actually signed a formal one-year agreement with Chico’s clothing. The deal calls for Ms. Phelps, who is a school principal in Baltimore (among many, many other responsibilities that can only have multiplied recently), to promote the company’s merchandise. In exchange Chico’s provides apparel, accessories, as they reportedly did for her appearance on that same Oprah Winfrey show. (You may want to take a glance at the Debbie Phelps Collection, recently supplemented with far more items than previously contained in the group.)

It’s Official: Michael Phelps Book on the Way, & Debbie Phelps is Down with Chico’s

Well, if it isn’t Tuesday already. How did that happen? Sigh. Well it’s gonna’ be a rock ‘n roll rest of the week for The Princess, so fasten your seat belts, this could be a bumpy ride! Whoo-hoo!

AP Photo/Akira Suemori

We start with an update about everyone’s man of the moment at the games, at least for some: he *does* have a book deal. ‘Built to Succeed’ is due to hit store shelves in December, just in time for the holidays. According to the folks publishing it, the book will focus in part on Mr. Phelps’ life growing up with an attention-deficit disorder in a single-parent home, while the superstar swimmer has said he plans to write about his life training leading up to the Beijing Olympic Games.

Then comes word today about a possible challenge against French Olympic champion and notorious ‘trash talker’ (that is the term, correct?) Alain Bernard, next year at the World Championships in Rome, in the 100 meter freestyle. (You know that The Princess simply had to include that little tidbit!) This, according to the Gazzetta dello Sport. Oh, and the London Games in 2012? Mr. Phelps has has said he plans on chasing more Gold medals in four more years.

Now in post-Olympic fashion news (how’s that for a non-existent news category?), an update to our earlier story about Michael Phelps’ mother, Debbie Phelps, and her Beijing wardrobe. You may remember that Ms. Phelps is a Principal at a middle school in Baltimore.

AP Photo/Steve Ruark

Our post mentioned that much of what Debbie Phelps was wearing at the Summer Olympics was from Chico’s, a midline clothing retailer targeting the Baby Boomer demographic. One of the things we mentioned in the article was that Chico’s execs were very clear they had no ‘sponsorship arrangement’ of any kind with Ms. Phelps. In fact, the most they did apparently was send her a $100 gift card and wishes of good luck prior to her departure for Beijing.

How things can change….here’s what you now see when landing on the Chico’s home page.

Click on that photo link and you are taken to this page….

In fact, there are now three pages in the Debbie Phelps Collection, up a page from yesterday’s two; the boost in the ‘Collection’s’ volume clearly comes via the addition of many jewelry pieces worn by Ms. Phelps. Many of the items are marked by where they were worn, as in “As seen in USA Today” or “As seen on Good Morning America.” Below we show just a few.

Believe it or not, as of this writing, there is still no formal arrangement between the retailer and Ms. Phelps, who even wore one of their jackets for a Johnson & Johnson commercial shoot of a spot that aired on Sunday night. Chico’s President Michele Cloutier told USAToday:

“Customers have been coming in and asking for what she’s wearing,” she says. “They’re saying, ‘I want that jacket,’ and they can describe it perfectly.”

“She completely articulates who we are as a brand,”

If the retailer and Ms. Phelps do come up with an arrangement, we’ll let you know.

There were some other Olympic tidbits/oddities we had not heard about, discovered in our meandering about the internet on a lazy morning. Like Angel Valodia Matos, a Tae Kwon Do entrant from Cuba. Upon hearing the Referee’s decision that he was disqualified from his match, Matos kicked the referee in the face. The World Taekwondo Federation has banned Matos life.

Photo Credit: Matt Dunham/AP

REUTERS/Phil Noble

What follows are great shots of what can happen when one mascot tries to help another mascot….oh my!

REUTERS/Phil Noble

And how about American Idol adding a fourth judge?

Photo: Copyright 2008 Chad Buchanan/Getty Images

Yes, they are. Actually, they have, as Ryan Seacrest announced on his radio show yesterday. The judge is the beautiful songwriter Kara DioGuardi. A story on the Fox news site has more information:

“DioGuardi’s songs have been recorded by artists including Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Santana and Pink.

“We had originally intended for ‘American Idol’ to have four judges,” said “Idol” Executive Producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz. “We’ve seen from our international series that having a fourth judge creates a dynamic that benefits both the contestants and the viewers.”

And the other judges? According to USMagazine, Paula Abdul had the following reaction:

On Phoenix’s 104.7 KISS FM Johnjay & Rich radio show Monday, she said she was excited but added, “I am concerned about the audience and acceptance. Time will tell. We’ll see.”

Asked if she, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell have sat down with DioGuardi to test their chemistry, Abdul replied, “Nope,” and laughed.

When queried about her reaction to the news, The Princess refused to comment. Hhhhmm.

*SPOILER ALERT* Closing Ceremonies Photos, Team USA’s Polo Ralph Lauren Uniforms

Photo: Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated

SPOILER ALERT

***Today’s post features photos and editorial copy of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Closing Ceremonies***

SPOILER ALERT

Photo: Phil Noble/Reuters

Photo: EPA/Nick Bothma

AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan

Hello-Hello! We hope everyone is enjoying themselves this day, where here in the Great Midwest the beastly humidity has left us after providing a welcome downpour for the gardens and grounds. With the Olympic Closing Ceremonies over and done (not counting tonight’s taped broadcast on NBC) we thought it might be a good time to do a few updates.

But first, a few more of the spectacular images from the Closing Ceremonies of the Beijing Summer Games.

Aren’t they just fabulous? The photos actually make us want to watch even more than originally planned this evening. There may be no spontaneity in these ceremonies as produced by the Chinese, but we have also previously noted they do pageantry on a grand scale, resulting in remarkable spectaculars that leave one breathless.

It seems Team USA’s Official Polo Ralph Lauren Closing Ceremony Parade uniforms worked out just fine, a great look for the athletes and officials. We share a few photos of them below.

Photo: A Tielemans/Sports Illustrated

Photo: A Tielemans/Sports Illustrated

Of course if you are looking for your own piece of the Olympic Polo pony, here are a few of the items waiting for you at the Polo Ralph Lauren website, starting with the Men’s Closing Ceremony Sneaker, described by the company as “classic canvas sneakers in white with red and blue lateral stripes.”

PRL Men's Closing Ceremony Sneaker

As the company wrote in their news release about the uniforms:

“Reflecting Ralph Lauren’s trademark sporty sophistication and refined sensibility, the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Closing Ceremony outfits feature timeless Polo knits tipped in bright red and royal blue piping and chino Bermudas in crisp white, all adorned with the iconic Polo pony and the 2008 U.S. Look of the Team logo.”

Now if you are looking for one of the shirts, here is a sample, the Ladies’ Olympic Closing Ceremony Polo.

Perhaps you prefer a look at the entire Ladies Olympic Games Collection, with a little time to peruse things at your own pace. Of course, there are identical items for your future Olympians, like a pair of the Olympic Games Shorts for Sizes 2T to Boys 7.

With the seasons changing, snuggly clothing can suddenly become appealing, like the Olympic Games Fleece Hoodie in Girls Sizes S-XL.

Overall a very nice presentation for Team USA by the Polo Ralph Lauren folks, classic and elegant with a timeless ease that is tough to replicate. The Princess thinks it was a smash hit almost across the board, with the exception of the Logo from H***, but we’ll actually behave ourselves this evening and leave it at that. (We know, you are stunned and amazed…it’s fun being a good Princess once in a while!)

A short paragraph in one of the NYTimes online stories wrapping up the Beijing Summer Games grabbed our attention, enough to make us stop, pause, re-read, pause again and reflect for a moment before going back to the rest of David Barboza’s story .

“India, a country of one billion, won its first gold medal. And Togo, a West African nation of 6 million people, won its very first Olympic medal, a bronze in the kayak.”

That made us think for a few minutes; we like this, especially when it nudges us to perhaps contemplate re-adjusting our perspective on the world just a bit.

We’ll close with a few more photos, including Team USA Basketball and their Gold Medal moment.

Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

AP/Charlie Riedel

Kobe Bryant gets a kiss from his daughter Gianna Maria-Onore as his wife Vanessa watches.

Photo: AP/Dusan Vranic

Photo: AP/Eric Gay

Rehearsals for the Closing Ceremony…

Photo: REUTERS/Donald Chan

Photo: AP/Oded Balilty

Below we see soccer great David Beckham, singer Leona Lewis and guitarist Jimmy Page (you remember…Led Zeppelin) posing before they take part in the Closing Ceremony for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Clive Rose/Getty Images for London 2012

Yao Ming walks toward the stadium to attend the Closing Ceremony.

Photo: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

Photo: REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

Photo: REUTERS/Ruben Sprich

Photo: Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated

Photo: Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated

Simultaneous to the ceremonies in Beijing, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps greets a crowd of 40,000 at a party in London; people are watching those same closing ceremonies on a massive screen erected outside Buckingham Palace. The party celebrates London’s role as host city for the 2012 Games.

Photo: AP/Akira Suemori-Pool

Below, President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai among the heads of state attending the ceremonies, followed by Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf (R) and Queen Silvia.

Photo: REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

Photo: REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

There were any number of images from the Ceremonies….

Photo: AP/David Guttenfelder

Guitarist Jimmy Page, front, soccer star David Beckham, back left, and British pop singer Leona Lew.

AP Photo/Matt Dunham

Photo: Getty Images

Phil Walter/Getty Images

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Julian Finney/Getty

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Al Tielemans/SI

Team Canada’s group is in a celebratory mood in their ahhhh…vivid uniforms.

Below, Belgian athletes with some of the performers and volunteers at the Closing Ceremony.

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Team Canada is still in a party mood!

AP/Luca Bruno

The Polish team is clearly having a good time….

REUTERS/Issei Kato

AP Photo/Kevin Frayer

Above we see USA’s Andra Manson (holding the flag) and Canada’s Karina LeBlanc. Below Yao appears wistful…

AP/Luca Bruno

AP/Luca Bruno

AP Photo/Luca Bruno

AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan

REUTERS/Dylan Martinezpreppy clothing, preppy clothes

Golden Boys, Sharapova Brings the Bling, Polo Ralph Lauren Wants You to Phone Home

Once again, it would seem the pictures best tell the stories. We start with the unprecedented.

Michael Phelps holds each of his 8 Gold Medals

What it’s like being Michael now…

Finding room to breath at the Speedo Athletes party…

Is that the Lacoste ‘Gator on Steroids on his hat?

And then we had the fierce factor out of the water, but no less potent. Rafael Nadal of Spain was all over the court with a ferocity that did not back down.

Here is TP’s favorite shot, a suddenly very grown-up looking Rafa consoling opponent Fernando Gonzales of Chile after the match and Nadal’s win, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.

Of course, there is nothing like royalty attending your events to make you feel special. In this case, it is Queen Sofia of Spain.

Queen Sofia of Spain at Men's Tennis Final (Former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch seated behind her)

The reaction from arch-rival Roger Federer was what one would expect, saying Nadal “totally deserves” the number one ranking, paying warm tribute to the Spaniard who takes over the number one tennis ranking on Monday, replacing Federer after 4-1/2 years.

“That’s what I expected and hoped for many years ago when I got to number one, that if ever somebody were to take it away from me, he would have to play an incredible tennis schedule, win the biggest tournaments, dominate the game basically, and then like this he can take number one. “I didn’t want it to happen that I would play completely bad and somebody would pick up number one in the world. So I think Rafa totally deserves it.”

And let’s not forget Team USA’s golden girls, Venus and Serena Williams, bringing home the gold in Women’s Doubles, beating Anabel Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain in the doubles final 6-2, 6-0. The sisters had some pretty good support from their fans.

The ladies really made short work of their opponents, looking outstanding in their pursuit of the win, and the Gold Medal. Congratulations to Venus Williams and Serena Williams!

Moving on to non-Olympic items, this has been covered many places and we keep intending to mention it ourselves, but between outside functions and Olympic events we simply didn’t have the time, so we apologize if it’s repetitive news. Here is the brief version: the smart marketing maneuvers at Polo Ralph Lauren continue at a rapid pace, most recently an announcement the company is moving into mobile, or “m-commerce.” In other words, we’ll soon be able to buy merchandise using our cell phone.

It all has to do with something called “QR” technology, that standing for Quick Response, a lovely idea, we are sure. Something to do with the box of computer-looking stuff, just like this one in the closeup, or in the ad just below. You can learn more about it in a story in “RL Magazine,” the online version.

Frankly, “Know the Code” sounds like some sort of Secret Squirrel Club hidden handshake or the government’s Disaster Preparedness Plans. Beyond that, all of the technospeak is a bit over TP’s head and really more the purview of The Princess Consort. Mobile shopping isn’t yet a critical need for The Princess, but should it become so, it’s nice to know that Ralph Lauren is leading the way in making it happen for us.

Injuries may have kept Maria Sharapova out of the Olympics and they’re also keeping her out of the US Open starting on the 25th, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t keeping other commitments. Come Wednesday Ms. Sharapova will be in New York unveiling five diamond-encrusted Canon PowerShot Elph cameras to hype her own Limited Edition version of the camera. (There’s that Limited Edition issue rearing its ugly self again…!) Yes, this is a *very* nouveau thing to do, and certainly nothing TP would condone (heh-heh-heh), however… those would be real diamonds, and real diamonds can be of assistance in these challenging economic times. For instance, if you are struggling paying the household staff, or pondering how to pay Missy’s first semester at Boston Latin… that sort of thing. Real-life emergencies.

The five cameras are part of a contest kicking off on Wednesday, “Canon Center Court” and running through October 20. And while we never (nevereverever) discuss the “M” word, it is suggested that each of the cameras is valued at about $12,000 each. If you should want to try to win one. More details will be available online at the Powershot.com site, presumably starting on August 20th.

BTW, speaking of mobile computing and such, you can also be in touch with the US Open through your cell phone via mobile alerts. Click here for details.

And we’ll be in touch tomorrow. ‘Night.