J. Crew Final Sale, “Preppy Paradise” Opens, Kate Spade Summer 2009 Looks

Hello and happy new day everyone!

We start with a quick couple of hits, things going on you may be interested in, like J. Crew’s “Enjoy an Extra 30% Off“ Final (their word, not ours) Sale, ending Wednesday night at midnight.

To enjoy the additional discount use Promo Code EXTRA30 at checkout.

In other J. Crew news, the sharp eyes at the Material Interest blog on Men. Style. com have spotted an intriguing piece at the Tribeca Liquor Store locale.  It is a very limited edition jacket, something you may find appealing for the Mr. Wonderful in your life.

Courtesy J. Crew via Men.Style.com

A stop at the online Men’s Shop at the Liquor Store does not show the military style jacket, but then, with a run of only 7 (s-e-v-e-n) jackets (not to mention the $850 price point), it’s likely one must visit the store in person to view this item.

The jacket is a collaborative effort with the one and only Mister Freedom in LA; below, as shown in a November post on the Mister Freedom blog.

Courtesy Mister Freedom

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Lost in last week’s frenzy, news in The Cut blog about Fred Perry’s SoHo store opening. This is a beautiful thing.  As the story describes it:

“Buttoned-up British sportswear brand Fred Perry quietly unveiled its first Stateside store last week, bringing a preppy paradise of plaid, argyle, and tweed to Soho.”

We will never, ever, complain about a new stop on the circuit. Even when we are experiencing extraordinary difficulty getting away for a few days to enjoy the circuit. Sigh.

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Regular readers may remember previous posts about Michelle Obama wearing jewelry by Loree Rodkin; she wore earrings by the designer election night and several pieces during Tuesday’s Inaugural events. Guess who was in Loree Rodkin at the SAG Awards last evening in Los Angeles?

PHOTO: Danny Moloshok/Reuters

None other than winner Mickey Rourke, in Loree Rodkin sunglasses.  No diamonds that we can see, just the glasses.

FYI, following up Friday’s post about the First Lady’s jewelry at the Inaugural Balls, Ms. Rodkin says she has she has taken “… 100 orders for jewelry that is similar in style…”. This according to WSJ’s On The Runway blog, always on top of this sort of news.

BTW, not all the stars were at the SAG Awards over the weekend. Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester was at the launch party for Nylon Mexico.

The Nylon blog shows the dress worn by Ms. Leighton in detail; it is now available at Net-a-Porter.

It is referred to as the “Preen Cordula Lace Up Dress” as well as the “…lace-up bandage dress.” If it is a style you fancy, not to worry about showing up at a function with TP in the same frock.  A tad too racy for us. We knew you would understand.

Let’s go from one Nylon item to another… a stop at Nylon online today revealed these cute shoes in the blog’s Spring Awakening story. The Ballet Flats are found for $19.50 at Old Navy.

Another example demonstrating precisely why we effort a visit to the Nylon site every day.

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Also a quick look at some of the Kate Spade Summer goods featured in today’s WWD story on the company, most notably the brand’s foray into apparel. Below, pieces from the upcoming collection.

PHOTO: Robert Mitra via WWD

The story focuses on efforts to rejuvenate the brand, and the highly competitive landscape when it comes to accessories:

“Contemporary lines like Rebecca Minkoff and Botkier are appealing to fashion-driven consumers, while J.Crew and Tory Burch are fortifying their accessories focus with a solid infrastructure already intact.”

PHOTO: Robert Mitra/WWD

We’re not sure yet how crazy we are about this look… is anyone else thinking hula skirt? There is also an elegant cuff bracelet from the line.

PHOTO: Robert Mitra/WWD

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Not to be left out of the picture, a Kate Spade competitor is featured in today’s email missive from Bergdorf’s:

Bergdorf Goodman

The retailer is featuring the new Tory Burch Logo Sandal.

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And for a closing smile we get back to our semi-regular feature, “Pretty in Pink,” with the Pink Ligne Roset chair by Pierre Paulin:

That’s a smile and a half… enjoy your day!

J. Crew Obama Sketches, Jason Wu – Preppy? And, Ralph Lauren Debuts Watches

Greetings and salutations on a drab and dreary day here in the Great Midwest.  However, as we said to ourselves this morning, “Whine not Princess, as the temperature is above freezing for the first time in nearly three weeks.” Indeed.

J. Crew continues to update its website related to their winning looks for the First Family. (In case you missed our many posts on the topic, click here or here for a sampling.) Today’s home page provided insight into the design process, with a reproduction of their inspiration board for the Obama designs.

Courtesy J. Crew

We always enjoy seeing the final pieces alongside the sketches….

PHOTO: Jim Young/Reuters

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In this story from Cheryl Lu-Lien Tang at the WSJ’s fabulous Heard on the Runway blog, we learn a little more about Malia and Sasha’s individual styles from J. Crew’s Jenna Lyons:

“Malia, she likes pleats and pared-down things and is not a huge fan of sparkles, but little Sasha loves bright colors and sparkly things,” says Ms. Lyons, who says her team submitted 20 sketches based on the details they received.

That same WSJ blog story indicates that an opportunity to acquire an almost-identical look for your Young Miss should arrive in about six months:

“… (the company) plans this fall to introduce coats in its Crewcuts by J.Crew line that are similar to the ones Malia and Sasha wore on Tuesday.

“They’ll be versions of them but not the exact coat, in that color, with those buttons,” Ms. Lyons says. “Malia and Sasha will not go to school next year and see the girl next to them wearing the same coat.”

Not all was fabulous for J. Crew however, as noted in this story in the Times’ Bits blog:

“By Tuesday afternoon, the Web page on J. Crew’s site that features women’s gloves had crashed. By Wednesday morning, the whole women’s section of the site had crashed. Later in the day, the entire site was down, with a note that said, “Stay tuned…Sorry, we’re experiencing some technical difficulties right now (even the best sites aren’t perfect). Check back with us in a little while.”

Another look we saw on the J. Crew homepage:

Courtesy J. Crew

Those reading Tuesday’s post about Michelle Obama selecting a Jason Wu gown for the Inaugural balls may remember we closed with this line:

“We’ll be back with more, including the Princess Consort’s take on Jason Wu’s preppy aesthetic, including some pretty in pink confections from the runway.”

And TPC is feeling validated this afternoon, yes he is. We give you part of a story at today’s Arizona Central, titled Who is Jason Wu, writing:

“Whimsical and feminine at times, but he loves preppy and East Coast vibes, too. His spring collection is filled with bright ethereal gowns, ladylike shift dresses and menswear-inspired trousers and long shorts.”

Courtesy Jason Wu

We adore the pink look shown above, as well as this dress:

Courtesy Jason Wu

We just have to share a few more:

Courtesy Jason Wu

Courtesy Jason Wu

We do love almost everything Mr. Wu shows in this collection – what do you think?

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A note for students or afficionadas of interior design, especially those intrigued by White House decor: today’s All the Best is a must-read. Ronda has done an outstanding job sharing inside information and photos on designers like Dorothy Draper and Sister Parish (to name a few) and their work with varying First Families.  Just seeing the photo of the Kennedy family in front of the Christmas tree in 1962 is worth the visit, not to mention the image of Babe Paley at the Eisenhower Inaugural Ball!

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One more quick item almost lost in the Inaugural shuffle: Ralph Lauren unveiled the company’s new luxury watch line this week in Switzerland.

The company plans three different collections, with the first launching in April of this year. Price points will range from approximately $8800 – $25,000 according to a Bloomberg story.  The initial group is designed with the retailer’s iconic equestrian theme in mind.

Courtesy Luxist.com

Ariel Adams at Luxist has a wonderful piece on the line loaded with fascinating tidbits:

“These are no mere fashion watches as can be seen from their unveiling at which occurred at the luxury watch show SIHH 2009.”

For more, click here.

We’ll be back shortly!

Obama Fashion & Prep School Updates, Worst Concealers Ever List

Hello-Hello on a busy Tuesday!

We start with an update to our initial story on the Obama school search.

The ongoing effort to find the best school for Malia and Sasha Obama moved to the next level yesterday when Michelle Obama took Malia and Sasha for a two-hour visit at Georgetown Day School.

Georgetown Day Lower School

Before you know it we may be seeing a run on these:

Georgetown Day School

Today the girls and the next First Lady are expected to repeat that exercise at the Sidwell Friends campus.  Below, a photo from the Time magazine story that says Sidwell is the “…greenest school” in the United States.

PHOTO: David Burnett for TIME

Writer Margaret Carlson has an interesting perspective on the schools in her recent Bloomberg story.

“The car pool line at Sidwell runs to Mercedes and BMWs. At Maret, where journalists’ children abound, and at GDS, where students call teachers by their first names, you see more Volvos and Priuses. At Sidwell you might see a Palin Valentino. At Maret, Banana Republic.”

The article discusses Maret, a school we discussed very little in our previous post, as as we don’t believe it to be in serious consideration at this point.

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The discussion continues regarding the dress Mrs. Obama wore for the 60 minutes interview that aired Sunday.

PHOTO: Aaron Tomlinson/CBS News Handout

Many are suggesting it is another Maria Pinto design, primarily because of the color and lines. When we find out we will let you know.

And the Times has another story about the J. Crew ensemble the future First Lady wore for her Tonight Show appearance.

“A spokeswoman for the J. Crew Group said the company had no idea Mrs. Obama would wear J. Crew until it began seeing teasers of her “Tonight Show” appearance. But it moved quickly to capitalize on it.

Marketers bought “Michelle Obama” keywords on Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, built a page on the jcrew.com Web site that promoted her outfit, and told call-center representatives how to handle queries about Mrs. Obama’s fashion.”

For one of our previous posts with photos, descriptions of the pieces and links to those items at J. Crew, just click here.  BTW, J. Crew is now promoting a 25% off regular-priced Women’s shoes through tomorrow night.  The promo code is SHOESALE.

J. Crew

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Ladies, you know we try to maintain proper etiquette standards here in our corner condo at Princess HQ, especially when it comes to issues of bloggage. Therefore TP is a tad timid; we fear we are treading dangerously close to the ‘poor taste’ line with our next topic: dark circles under one’s eyes. Does anyone else suffer from this wretched phenomenon?

The good folks at Total Beauty have a quick little slide show on the “Worst Concealers Ever” that is simply fascinating! We couldn’t not share the link with you! Please don’t think less of us, the UTP (Urge to Post) was overwhelming and we couldn’t help ourselves! We do feel better knowing we are not the only who struggles with this.

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Finally: Sasha and Malia Obama Election Night Dress Info

Hello-Hello!

Before we say anything, let us publicly thank Miss Fabulous herself, Kate at the Nautical by Nature blog for tipping us on where to get the scooop about those darling dresses worn by Malia and Sasha Obama on election night.  Below, a photo of the future First Family on Tuesday night.

Joe Raedle/Getty

As we reported on Thursday, (although at that time we were not entirely convinced it was actually the same dress), the bright red dress worn by Malia Obama is by Biscotti, Inc. The full name of the item is the Biscotti Girls Precious Jewels Christmas Party Dress with Bubble Hem.

PHOTO

According to this report on the Journal’s Fashion Blog, Biscotti has been inundated with requests from buyers:

“Buyers really, really wanted it. We found out we had more of the fabric so we’re quickly producing more,” said Bernadette Reiss, Biscotti’s co-owner. The label says it has enough fabric to make 150 to 200 more pieces.

Here is the Nordstrom photo, followed by a tight shot of the belt that comes with the dress, although Malia opted for a more understated belt.

The dress is made in Vietnam, and Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan’s story notes that this additional run now being manufactured should be available in stores in approximately three weeks.

The story reports that an Obama family spokesperson says the dress was purchased at Nordstrom, which is where we originally showed the item, available at $110.  Best Dressed Child also shows the dress, but at $104. While this style does appear to be sold out/selling out fast, there are a number of *very* similar styles by Biscotti, including this one; the primary difference is in the sleeves and the big bow in the back. We show the dress as available at ‘Shop Girl Super Chic Boutique‘.

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Here is one of the matching cardigans or shrugs in the Biscotti Girls Precious Jewels Christmas Party group.

We now move on to the incredibly sweet party frock with the giant bow on the front worn by Sasha Obama. We have deliberately kept the photo almost full-size to better show the dress.

PHOTO: Jim Bourg

It turns out the dress is made by Gerson & Gerson, Inc., according to another story on the Journal’s fashion blog.  The company’s headquarters and showroom are in New York; their apparel is made under the Iris & Ivy label as well as the Bonnie Jean name.

“… the company has nevertheless sold out of the $72 dress that it makes under the Iris & Ivy children’s label and sells at retailers like Nordstrom and Dillard’s.”

PHOTO: Jason Reed/Reuters

Here is a photo from the Gerson & Gerson website; the URL may also show up in your browser as “Bonnie Jean.”  Gerson is the parent company to that line.

Ms. Tan’s story includes company President Barbara Zein’s plans for exploiting the Sasha Obama connection to their dress:

“Ms. Zein already has plans to further capitalize on the Obama connection. “We’re bringing back the style immediately in a different fabrication,” says Ms. Zein, who adds that the pieces will probably be in stores by spring. To cement the link to the new First Family, she’s given the style a name: Sasha.”

TP believes there is a very fine line between smart, aggressive marketing and the boundaries of good taste. Ms. Zein’s toe just went over it.

PHOTO: Joe Raedle/Getty

Above all, the Obama children looked beautiful and were charming throughout the evening. Below, a behind the scenes photo shows Sasha giving big sister Malia a little kiss as Mom watches.

Obama Campaign

There is an entire album of behind-the-scenes photographs available for anyone to view at the Flckr website.

Another fun set of photos? The “Project Runway Ball Gown Challenge” over at the Daily Beast. Here is just one sketch, from Chris March, a Season 4 semifinalist.

TheDailyBeast.com

Another tidbit from Tuesday night we hadn’t shared (for space considerations) is the Vogue magazine chatter. Below, a fun shot of Vogue magazine’s editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley, via Fashion Week Daily’s story. TP loved reading this if only for the knowledge she was not hallucinogenic Tuesday evening when watching the events in Grant Park.

Fashion Week Daily

Mr. Talley and Vogue Editor Anna Wintour hosted numerous fund-raising parties on behalf of the Obama-Biden ticket.  As NY Magazine‘s wonderful blog The Cut reported in June :

“Rumor has it André Leon Talley is just dying to get his hands on Michelle Obama. The New York Post reports he wants to style her, like he did Venus Williams for the Costume Institute gala or Jennifer Hudson at the 2007 Oscars. Only ALT’s not always spot-on with his wardrobe choices; many critics flat-out hated the gold python bolero jacket Hudson wore at said Oscars. And some Democrats are a wee bit nervous that Talley might lead Obama to fashion faux pas–dom as well. (Since when did these politicos become so fashion-conscious?)”

But the real chatter involves Ms. Obama appearing on Vogue’s cover, a tradition for First Ladies, although not always immediately following the elction. Another celebrity in the VIP area of Chicago’s Grant Park Tuesday was super-celebrity Oprah Winfrey.

PHOTO: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty

We have to post this photo collage because we just didn’t realize all the magazine covers featuring the President-elect prior to the election.

Courtesy Gawker.com

We have yet to obtain positive confirmation that Cassandra Bromfield has been selected to create Michelle Obama’s gown for the Inaugural Balls, or that she is designing daywear for the other events on January 20th. Below, another image

Courtesy Cassandra Bromfield

More Election Fashions Including Michelle Obama’s $10,000 Earrings, Sneak Peek at Thakoon for Target, Preppy Updates

It is Friday, and what a magnificent thing that is… sigh. “And visions of bubble-baths danced in her head…”

We start with more photos from Election Night in response to the ongoing inquiries we are receiving related to Cindy McCain’s dress (a suit), as well as Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin’s apparel.

PHOTO: Jim Bourg/Reuters

There isn’t really loads more to report.  However, we can share new information regarding the future First Lady’s earrings on Tuesday night, hopefully seen in the photographs that follow.  (We do apologize in advance for their large size; clearly we are trying to show those beautiful earrings!)

PHOTO: Morry Gash/AP

They are by Loree Rodkin, crafted of white gold and diamonds. UPI spoke with Ms. Rodkin about Ms. Obama wearing her design election night:

“Loree Rodkin, a Los Angeles-based designer of expensive jewelry, said she was surprised and pleased to see Obama wearing her earrings. Rodkin said the design retails for $10,275 a pair — and were not a loan.”

PHOTO: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty

The earrings look light and lacy, and very feminine, stunning on Ms. Obama.  In the online bio at her website the designer is described:

“…known for her noncomformist visionary approach to jewelry making…. has designed jewelry for most of Hollywood’s brightest stars including Madonna, Mary J. Blige, Cher, Aerosmith…”

According to the Browns Fashion website, the earrings are available for ordering now, if one is so inclined:

Courtesy Browns Fashion

If interested in purchasing the earrings, one must email Browns, they are not currently available on the site.

Here is a photo someone named Diablo Cody (?) in what is a similar style if the skull and crossbones are removed:

 

A Loree Rodkin ad from May, 2008:

 

TheEssentialist.com

For a good look at the designer’s work, try these items at Glimpse, or the selection at Blue Bee.  It would seem from surveying a variety of retailers and other sites that a fair amount of Ms. Rodkin’s work is done using images of skulls, daggers, and other “goth” (?) motifs. (Is that the term…?) Here is the designer in a press photo:

 

Courtesy Loree Rodkin

Our journalism background requires us to point out that Cindy McCain received substantial criticism for wearing diamond earrings at the Republican Convention valued at $280,000. A popular magazine estimated them to be 3 carats in size; the report was not confirmed or denied.

Today the Obamas attended a parent-teacher conference in Chicago:

PHOTO: John Gress/Reuters

Otherwise, the onslaught of newsprint and airwaves devoted to the Narciso Rodriguez dress worn by Ms. Obama election night continues to grow.

Back to the continuing questions here at the Prepatorium regarding Cindy McCain and Sarah Palin and their election night dresses.  Actually, neither wore a dress; they both were attired in what TP would call a “cocktail suit.” (Oh dear, that may reveal a bit too much information regarding our age, shall we say. There you have it.) And here we have the photo:

PHOTO: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Ms. Palin’s dark navy suit is by Tahari, and we have lots more information on it as well as several more photos, here at Wednesday’s “extended election night fashions” post.  That post reveals the only store where the navy color is available.

A reminder on the Michelle Obama book, the biography by WaPo reporter Lisa Mundy; reports indicate it is selling fast; why this would surprise anyone is beyond us.

LizaMundy.com

Readers may remember hearing about Target’s upcoming collection by Thakoon Panichgul, a designer Michelle Obama has worn several times. We have early photos showing some of the designs thanks to the always on top of things people at Nylon magazine.

 

As detailed in a previous post, this is one of a handful of designers favored by Michelle Obama. The collection is due to debut at the retailer on Christmas Day.

 

The pieces look very beachy, ideal for one’s resort wardrobe over the winter holidays. And that is perfect as the collection debuts in the middle of winter, on Christmas Day. That seems rather odd, doesn’t it?

The coat won’t work on an elderly prep like TP (sniff), but it will look darling on most anyone else.

 

Prices for the pieces will range from $20 to $70.  Also to debut On Christmas Day, the Erickson-Beamon for Target Collection, another line Ms. Obama is seen wearing. Here is a preview picture of what to expect, courtesy of the oh-so-hip Nitrolicious.

 

Courtesy Nitrolicious.com

Erickson-Beamon has already collaborated with a retailer, Urban Outfitters.  That line is available in the UK at the Kensington High Street and Oxford Street stores, as well as at the UK online site. Below, their Crystal Cube Necklace from that line:

 

Erickson-Beamon for Urban Outfitters UK

If the subject of designer collaborations with Target sounds slightly familiar, perhaps it is because just this Tuesday we talked about the surprise announcement of Target’s upcoming line with edgy designer Alexander McQueen.  We now have a date for that collection to be available: March 1st, 2009. If seeking more information and photos showing multiple pieces from each designer, this post is fairly comprehensive, albeit in a bloggage sort of way.

We close with few quick hits on preppy goings-on …

• Talbots has confirmed they are selling J. Jill
• the oh-so-stylish Third Coast Preppy found this fun article about the Lilly Pulitzer exhibit that opened at the New School for Design at Parsons
• Online shopping is now available at Lilly Pulitzer! FULL DISCLOSURE: An awesome preppy blogger discovered this outstanding information, and we cannot remember who it was, but they deserve the credit, not us. (If you know, please let us know so they might be properly thanked
  • NOTE: We owe our thanks to the incredibly gifted Teddi, as we read about this in her superb blog, Jewish Girl in WASP’s Clothing.  🙂
• The über-preppy television show known as Gossip Girl has another star landing a big endorsement opportunity: Ed Westwick (who plays Chuck Bass) is the new face for K-Swiss. Below, the actor shooting in New York Thursday:
  

And a reminder to enter our Great Preppy Giveaway Contest by leaving a comment telling us one thing you are thankful for related to America …one thing about the United States for which you are thankful. Remember, if you mention this contest on your blog, you are then eligible to send the snappy Madras photocards to a friend! And the best part of this?  It is all free! Here is a quick glance at the Primary Prize, the Scout Tote:

Bungalow Scout Tote

And here are the Holly House Madras photocards, also from the Preppy Princess store.

Holly House Photocards at PreppyPrincess.com

For all of the details and information, just click here.

Have a splendid weekend!