Those Vineyard Vines Hotel Suites

Hello-Hello, welcome to an almost-weekend here in the Corner Condo at the Prepatorium.

Today we are engaging in some much-needed Friday Fun, starting with news that Vineyard Vines is decorating hotel suites. From Women’s Wear Daily:

Talk about living the Vineyard Vines lifestyle.

The nautical-inspired brand has partnered with Lark Hotels, a boutique hotel group with properties throughout coastal New England, to create two guest suites.

Below, a suite at the Captain Fairfield Inn in Kennebunkport.

Captain Fairfield Inn

Back to the WWD.com story:

The suites mix the brand’s coastal preppy chic touches with the modern influences for which Lark Hotels is known. Pillows and bed bolsters are made from boardshorts material, and the edging on the window shades is from Vineyard Vines belts.

Another part of the suite.

Captain Fairfield Inn

The Captain Fairfield Inn is the first Lark property to have suites with VV decor.

Captain Fairfield Inn

Next to have the Vines treatment: 76 Main on Nantucket. That property’s grand opening is June 9.

This isn’t the first interaction between the two brands, Lark employees are outfitted by Vineyard Vines. More from the Lark blog.

From managers to housekeepers (and even friends and family!), you’ll see the crew at our hotels decked out in stylish vineyard vines dresses, khakis, polo shirts, tunics and capris.

Lark Hotels Blog

Lark’s other properties include the Attwater in Newport and the historic Danforth in Portland (Maine).

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Our other tidbit involves Friday Fun of the Four-Legged kind, we wanted to share more preppish duds for your pooch.

ParsonsDesignGrad on etsy

The madras coat is by ParsonsDesignGrad on etsy. The shop owner and design whiz got in touch last week about her creations and I just fell in love with them.  One of the niftiest things about the coat is that it is reversible, the flip side of the oh-so-snappy madras is a lovely repp tie stripe.

ParsonsDesignGrad on etsy

The coats are made from re-purposed and upcycled vintage linens, there are some wonderful patterns available.

ParsonsDesignGrad on etsy

If interested in visiting the ParsonsDesignGrad etsy shop, just click here.

We also stumbled across some new styles while endlessly grazing studiously reading some of today’s offerings at Fab.com.

Preppie Pup at Fab.com

These are by Preppie Pup, available at Fab, there are definitely some ‘fashionable’ looks.

Seeing these dapper styles reminded me of the posts we’ve done showcasing The Rover Boutique. Below, some of the images we have previously shared.

Rover Boutique

There are new styles at the Boutique, including the Fieldwork Raincoat.

The Rover Boutique

This one has a bit of the Barbour touch, don’t you think? Just in time for spring, the Boutique also has some cute new bowtie collars, like this seersucker style, definitely today’s Pretty in Pink.

The Rover Boutique on etsy

On that cheery note, g’bye until next time!

Critters on Clothing, Can Eddie Bauer Come Back? And That Big Soap Opera Shocker

Hello-hello, welcome to another crazy day at The Prepatorium.

Business commitments mandate brevity today (it is turning into “one of those weeks”), so we jump right in with a story about something near and dear to many prep hearts, embroidered critters on everything from clothing to key fobs.

“Not all critters are created equal: Dogs and waterfowl are popular, but cats barely make it onto the radar — at least when it comes to creatures featured on the preppy clothes and accessories that seem synonymous with spring.

Below, ties from LL Bean, the blue is decorated with a deer and the moss green is adorned with a trout.

The story is by Samantha Critchell, it has run in a number of papers already; here is a link to the piece in the Fall River Herald News.

“You also can’t go wrong with a whale or crab; girls love their ponies and butterflies; and boys have a thing for sharks.”

LL Bean design director Jim Hauptman shares his expertise in the article:

“Brown and black bears, however, which would seem natural for an outdoorsy brand, are tough because the embroidery can only get down to a certain level of detail. “Bears end up looking like blobs,” Hauptman said. A panda is the exception to the bear rule because of its definitive coloring, he adds.”

Below, our custom Key Fobs showcase some of the themes discussed in the story. (Still one of life’s all-time great bargains at only $6.)

PreppyPrincess.com

Shep Murray from Vineyard Vines is also quoted in the story:

“Color can’t be underestimated, said Shep Murray. Brights draw in critter fans, while traditional colors, such as navy, khaki and white, suit those less adventurous.“We find if we put a fish — on khaki shorts with the simple outline of a navy fish — most guys will wear it. You can get those people a little less likely to wear a critter to wear it if you don’t color it so brightly,” he said, “but the guy who is a ‘total prep’ wants it pink and green.”

A pair of men’s Embroidered Whales Club shorts offered at VV.

Mr. Murry talks about the company’s new Kentucky Derby collection in the story, explaining customers will be seeing a lot of horses this spring. Below, a belt from that collection.

Brooks Brothers is also offering whales this spring in the Clark pants, the Seersucker Capris are available for the ladies, embroidered with lemons.

Four-legged family members demand equal-opportunity when it comes to personal adornment:

Courtesy Tilly T. Bulldog

Tilly enjoys stepping out in her harness from the Princess; Scooter-the-Wonder-Cat was happy when we read her this next part of the story, sharing Mr. Murray’s opinion :

“He said he’s going to revisit cats at some point since he personally is a cat person, but, again, it’s the issue of shape and color.

We’re proud that our vendor for critter ribbon belts, key fobs and pet collar/leashes does an outstanding job. Below, just a few of the offerings demonstrating the attention to detail in the designs:

Can you tell a book by its critters, so to speak?

“Regionally, New Englanders are partial to golden retrievers, boats and bluefish, while Floridians prefer flamingoes, marlins, sailfish and palm trees, Ian Murray said. Midwesterners like anything that reminds them of a vacation, he added, so the beach motifs do well there.”

The article is very well done, to read it in its entirety, click here. We are curious, do you wear embroidered clothing or accessories? What’s your favorite critter?

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Next, a very quick update on what some refer to as a heritage brand, Eddie Bauer.  In today’s Women’s Wear Daily there is an interesting story about the company:

“Eddie Bauer invented the down-filled jacket, outfitted the first American ascent of Mount Everest and even patented the badminton shuttlecock — and the 91-year-old company that bears his name wants consumers to know that.”

An image from the spring catalog.

Eddie Bauer

Eddie Bauer faces a challenging environment, it is recovering from not just one, but two bankruptcies since 2003. Getting those of us once fond of the brand back into a store will be even more daunting.  For both The Consort and yours truly, this is a case of feeling like the brand left us, we didn’t leave the brand.

Below, a look at one of the newly reformatted stores.

Courtesy Eddie Bauer via WWD.com

Reclaiming lost customers while also growing new fans is a key part of the company’s strategy moving forward.

Courtesy Eddie Bauer via WWD.com

It is unlikely we will go out of our way to shop at Bauer, but knowing how hard the company is working at re-invigorating the brand, we may peek inside a store.

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We leave you with a bombshell.  In fact, a personal admonishment to TQM: please seat thyself before reading further, lest you tip over from the shock.

Are we ready?

ABC cancels ‘All My Children’ and ‘One Life to Live,’ replaces soaps with lifestyle shows

Or, as our neighbor to the north put it

ABC Cancels Soap Operas, Hates Us All

The headline immediately above is from Macleans, here is more from that story:

“Okay, the news that ABC is canceling One Life To Live and All My Children is not a stunning surprise. It’s been a nearly-confirmed rumour for a few weeks. But look what they’re replacing them with:

ABC will debut two new daytime programs this fall and winter: “The Chew,” a program about food news and trends, and “The Revolution,” about health and lifestyle transformations.

That’s just cold.”

From TMZ:

Via TMZ.com

One Life to Live has been on the air 43 years, All My Children for 41 years.

ABC

Good bye Erica. Goodbye Pine Valley.

Sniff.

Is Coach Like McDonald’s? Also, Socialite Style

Hello-Hello everyone, what a scrumptious day here at the Prepatorium, despite an early trip to the HOP (House of Pain, aka the dentist) the day still sparkles. Is it bright and beautiful where you are? We ardently hope so, it is good for the soul.

We start with a little something we have been meaning to share for a few days, a look at one of “The Big Money” columns as run by Reuters last week: “Coach is Now Traveling Coach.”

“… fashionistas who prefer Hermès and Louis Vuitton dismiss Coach as gateway luxury. A competitor called it the “McDonald’s of luxury” and one fashion blogger asked during Boom 2.0 whether it is “the scheming social climber of the handbag world.”

Ouch!

Courtesy Photo

The story by Jill Priluck is focused more on the new Poppy line from Coach, most recently discussed in this forum here (with lots of pics!) and here (very brief) last month. More from the story:

“”Even the occasional luxury buyer shuns the brand: “I don’t want to carry the same bag as a 15-year-old,” said a 37-year-old mother from New Jersey.””

However, while Ms. Priluck’s story allows some to bash the retailer, she does not.

“And yet by all measures, Coach operates with exceptional savvy in the fast-changing, embattled fashion industry.”

Below, a collage featuring pieces from the new line not accompanying the article.

The story is a fascinating look at where the brand has been, and where it’s going. We highly recommend it.

Has anyone bought things from the new line? Looked at it in stores? Love it? Hate it? Unsure? Do tell, we are all dying to hear!

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Other morsels and meanderings today include a reminder about the wonderful work being done by the incredibly-generous Prep-E Girl on behalf of our four-legged friends.

Miss Erin has started a new blog, Puppy Love by Erin, with a ‘higher purpose’ than most blogs, including this one. Erin is raising money so she can sponsor a puppy in the Puppies Behind Bars program, a $3000 undertaking.

And how is she doing this? Because Miss E is one talented prep, she is making and selling handcrafted dog collars in all sorts of fabulous fabrics and materials. Below, a shot of the stylish Jake modeling one of the collars in an outstanding madras, very chic.

Erin is requesting a $20 donation for each collar, very reasonable IOHO.  We want to do what we can to help out, and this is our first step, simply sharing information about Erin’s efforts with our friends here in the Preppy blogosphere.  Our next step will be more tangible, but that will be just ‘tween us and Miss Erin. 🙂

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We share another bit of linkage now that we keep meaning to post, a wonderful story the folks over at the Refinery 29 Blog did in June.

From Babe to Brill: The Evolution of Socialite Style

The story by Kelly Hoffman really needs to be seen because of the superb graphic layout detailing styles decade by decade.

“Socialite, social, society—the words may change, but New York has always had its crowd of well-heeled women who never fail to bring the wow factor to a good party. But today’s toniest group of Tribute wearers weren’t the first pretty young things to light up a room (and cause a scandal or deux).”

Babe Paley, Nan Kempner, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Tinsley Mortimer and Lauren Santo Domingo are a few of the women featured. As you can surmise, the story is another fun read we suggest one might want to find time for!

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Finally, we sign off with a darling photo we were emailed by the inimitable Jen at When Pigs Fly:

Cotton Candy Flip Flops at PreppyPrincess.com

We’re very impressed by the lovely pedicure seen on those toes, our Cotton Candy flips are honored to be used merely to accent that elegance and beauty! (Heh-heh.) At any rate, Jen managed to find time to take the picture while in the midst of a horse show this weekend, talk about multi-tasking! (You can read more about the show here.)

We mentioned a fun feature to Jen that we are starting at the Princess shoppe, and she jumped on it, getting that image of the twinkletoes seen above to us despite her extremely busy weekend! Simply put, Pictures from a Preppy Planet (that is our goofy working title for our endeavor) asks our charming customers to send us a picture(s) showcasing their Princess merchandise in action.

We have our top IT Folks on this (exactly, The Consort) project, creating a special page for the pictures on the shoppe’s website. Because we are sensitive to the need for anonymity, we realize not all customers can show the products in use with a person. But photos like the one above are ideal, just perfect!

Best of all, anyone submitting a picture that we can use receives a 10% discount code to use at the Princess for a month, it seems only proper to say “Thank You” to those sharing their fun!

Until next time, happy day!

In Honor of the Big Event (Please Don’t Say You Forgot.)

Hello-Hello!

Isn’t Wasn’t it an exciting day?

Ummm… are you saying you didn’t know? How is that possible? Honestly, priorities are so misplaced these days.  Well, there’s no point in wallowing in your shame alone, none of the Palace residents knew about the big event either.

But take heart – it isn’t too late to recover your dignity. In honor of the Day we are declaring it Lobster Stimulus Day, hoping that if we shared relevant items of a retail nature we might all feel better about overlooking the occasion.

We start with the LobsterLine collection from David Wood, an outstanding men’s shop in Portland, Maine.

Lobsterline Courtesy David Wood Clothiers

There are several items in the group.

Everything is fabulous, especially the pink pants. For men. Sniff.

If seeking decor for the cottage, the Lobster Lamp at Newport Nautical is… well, it could be called… whimsical. How’s that?

Newport Nautical

(You did note our use of the word cottage?)

Another possible option for one of your contributions to Our National Economy, the personalized Lobster Platter from Preppy Princess. (we must inquire: Did you see that acronym? ONE? Our National Economy? Doesn’t it make you all warm and fuzzy inside?!)

PreppyPrincess.com

If this doesn’t tickle your taste buds, how about the Lobster Rug at Nautical Rooster?

Those seeking personal accessories featuring the crustacean may favor the Kate Spade Lobster bag from her 2007 Cape Cod Collection, still available at some online storefronts.

The cost at the places we saw it was about one-third less than the bag’s original selling price, in light of its past-season status.

Seeking a smaller investment? A set of two Boatman Geller Lobster Pads is only $38, and that includes personalization.

PreppyPrincess.com

Our next item features a lobster larger than we generally like, but the Men’s Lobster Pants from Bermuda Styles are still cute.

BermudaStyles.com

One can find Nantucket Reds sporting the lobster in either seersucker or poplin. (The Reds seen below show a whale; the photo is offered as a means of providing context only.)

LL Bean offers the pink and green Lobster Flip-flops:

LL Bean

One mustn’t forget our best friends when on a quest for proper duds to mark the special day.

PreppyPrincess.com

The Custom Dog Collars, Harnesses and Leashes are all available at our little shop, and they are *very* reasonable, trust TP on this.  The pink and blue colorway is also available for these items.

And we also offer cute key fobs. At only $5. And you pick the ribbon, and the backing!

There is one lobster item we discovered that can’t be purchased

We hope everyone enjoys celebrating the big day!

On a separate note, we hope everyone is able to pop over and send good wishes to Mrs. Newlywed as she undergoes a major medical procedure.

Adieu until next time.