Monday Musings, A Touch of Madras & Seersucker

Hello and Happy Monday! Or is that an oxymoron?!

We begin with something ever-so-fun in pink and green, TP’s favorite color scheme! It all started with this pretty box arriving in the mailbox.

As a rule, we are not prone to discussion of our personal wardrobe other than occasional generalizations regarding a retailer or designer, with an oblique mention of something being featured that we may own.  (What could be more tedious?) However, today we make an exception to share this:

Our new nightie by Lilly Pulitzer comes compliments of the delightful Mindless Musings; we were partners in the Pajama Swap organized by The Landlocked Mermaid.  For those of us fond of bows and grosgrain ribbon, look at the trim on this treasure:

The bows adorn each side of the hem, cute as can be. We send a giant ‘Thank You’ to Miss Mindless Musings, we love our Lilly, as it also has a high snuggle factor!

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Speaking of public ‘Thank You’ sentiments, we simply have to send an appreciative greeting to the one and only Muffy Martini.  Muffy is doing her final Official Blog Birthday Giveaway, and here is what you can win:

MuffyMartini.Blogspot.com

Muffy is giving away some Lilly Pulitzer goodies from our little shop, all of them in the Loco Patch pattern.  The Giveaway prize includes 9 items, from plates and napkins to matches and reuseable glasses, everything you need to host a summer soirée. We’ll stop nattering on about it so you can pop over and enter at Muffy’s blog!

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We have a few Sales & Savings reminders for those still working on wardrobe issues. The Land’s End specials end tonight at midnight; the company is offering 25% off swimwear and up to 40% off loads of other items. Shipping is complimentary with no mandatory expenditure.

Also, eLuxury is taking an additional 40% Off all Sale items.  And Designs by Paige is offering some excellent deals, with several styles of their amazing needlepoint shoes on sale, including the Pink Flamingo Mule, as well as the Hot Pink Ultra Suede Ballet Flats.

Burberry continues their Friends and Family Sale with 30% markdowns on ‘select merchandise.’

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Since we are discussing pink and green, we must recommend a fun and fabulous site we stumbled into: Pink & Green Scene. Talk about Prepalicious – the site is just delightful, featuring a pink and Green item every day!

Erin does an excellent job searching out things in our favorite preppy color combo; such a great job the blog is part of a big mention in a story about decorating blogs that ran in the Financial Times.

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Those who follow us on Twitter may recall have already seen this, but we wanted to share a quick screengrab from SpreadTweet, the program that makes a Twitter screen look like a spreadsheet.

Created to protect those Tweeting at the workplace (gasp!) from possible detection and discipline.

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We thought the changing seasons dictate a bit of seersucker and madras; we begin with the madras polo from a preppish stalwart, Fred Perry.

Courtesy Fred Perry via HighSnobiety.com

However… this is more of a Madras Mistake than a “must have” item for yours truly.  The madras print (more of a faux madras IOHO) is actually applied to the fabric through a digital process. Our thanks to High Snobiety for the original tip on this, as well as a look at the 100th Anniversary Polo, seen below.

Courtesy Fred Perry via Hypebeast & HighSnobiety

We like this model much more! Our *only* concern about the classic polo look is the logo, which appears to be on steroids. Or is that just our imagination?

Speaking of madras, how cute are the Polo Ralph Lauren shoes for little girls at Saks? The Gill Fisherman Sandals are sized for Infants, Toddlers and Girls.

Springtime also has us thinking about seersucker here at the Prepatorium. We are simply gaga over the Florence Eiseman Infant shortall in seersucker with the matching tee.

We also love the clean, classic lines of the E. Land Seersucker Dress at Saks in Toddler & Little Girl’s sizing.

Frankly, it’s so sweet it qualifies as a Pretty in Pink for today. Also in the PIP group, one bright and beautiful car for the original Princess of Pink, Barbie.

Courtesy Photo via Luxist & Autoblog

Created in honor of Barbie’s 50th Birthday, Fiat and Mattel collaborated on the one of a kind dream machine and unveiled it last month.

We have a brief personal note today: Landlocked Mermaid lost her grandmother Friday and we wanted to let her know we are all thinking of her and keeping her in our prayers as we send her a big cyberhug.

With this we say G’bye until tomorrow!

The ‘Preppy Look is Back’. Again.

Happy New Week everyone, did you enjoy your Saturday and Sunday? We hope so, even as we start our Monday here at the Prepatorium with snow swirling outside, and more on the way.  Ickums as we are wont to say, major ickums.

We had to smile this weekend at seeing more headlines proclaiming “The preppy look is back this spring,” according to the Buffalo News.

“Preppy plaids, stripes, polka dots, vibrant colors and, yes, even those motif belts (whales, anyone?) are comfortably at home among the boho chic and other popular looks of the season.”

“Preppy is back. You can bet your Bermudas on it.”

To be fair, Susan Martin, the story’s writer, qualifies the declaration made in the headline:

“Not that those popular preppy staples ever went out of style.”

Perzactly.

One of the stores mentioned in the story is O’Connell’s Clothing, a Buffalo institution. (TP believes anything older than she is now qualifies as an institution.) O’Connell’s carries one of our favorite lines, the fine needlepoint pieces from Smathers & Branson.

Smathers & Branson at O’Connell’s

The article includes needlepoint belts and madras ties on its list of fashionable items this season. We are also taken with the Blue Madras tie at O’Connell’s.

O’Connell’s

The story cites television’s Mad Men and Gossip Girl shows as contributors to the style’s growing popularity.  We would suggest that the bright colors and fun nature of ‘prep style’ add to its positive perception, particularly at a time when much of the day’s news deals with realities both dreary and difficult for many.

Lilly Pulitzer at Zappos.com

After all, if what we wear can’t contribute to enjoying a brighter day, why bother putting it on? Above, the Lilly Pulitzer Girls’ Cherry Taffeta Dress at Zappos. Below, the Nancy Argyle Sweater at Lilly Pulitzer in both pink and true navy.

TP also believes the tailored lines and classic looks that define the style enhance its favorable perception among fashion mavens and adherents. And we would point out that not everything is as garishly technicolor as described in some quarters.

Above left is Lilly Pulitzer’s “Cutie from Bermud-y” look, center is “Prep it Up” and right is “Short and Sweet.” All pieces from these looks are available at LillyPulitzer.com.

Not to belabor issues surrounding the economy’s impact on what are generally considered discretionary purchases, but many a prep has long appreciated the durability and high quality delivered by most ‘preppy retailers’ to be a significant factor in their favor.  (Below left, the J. Press Cotton Chambray Sport Coat TP’s father wore forever, and on the right, the Cotton Madras Sport Coat, also from J. Press.)

Of course, we haven’t even mentioned the positive consequence resulting from the superb customer service practiced at most retailers in this category.  As most of our cherished readers are aware, this high level of service only makes us more loyal to such emporiums.  We *do* adore many national and regional retailers, but the independent clothiers whose establishments we have been fortunate enough to frequent over the years have been outstanding.  Many are struggling as this is written; far too many have already disappeared.  We have a fervent hope they survive, and then thrive once again.

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For today’s Pretty in Pink we have a couple of treasures, starting with the Kameryn Pink Brogue at Topshop.

Kameryn Brogue at Topshop

Now there we share some serious pink! We must tell you however, we deserve no credit whatsoever for discovering these.  That goes to the delightful Kate Loss in her blog post “Wanting What You Can’t Have,” an excellent read!

Our other item is really a ‘Pretty in Pink and Green,” featuring our very own Silly Tilly in her stylish new harness.

Silly Tilly

Among Tilly’s many ailments is a collapsed trachea, so a harness is ever-so-much-better for her than a standard collar.  This is one from our new line of ‘Design Your Own Collars, Harnesses, & Leashes‘ at the store.

Design Your Own! at Preppy Princess

Tilly was adamant about having the ribbon with the little paw prints, and in this specific color combination. Who are we to deny her? (Heh-heh-heh.)

On this perky note we’ll say G’bye until next time!

The New Tiffany Tote Bag + Preppy Needlepoint

Hello and aren’t we happy-happy-happy it is a bright and beautiful Tuesday?! Tis a privilege to be on the third coast where it is bright and sunny, low humidity and high excitement at the Merchandise Mart! We owe a ‘Thank You’ for the lovely weather to Erin (Third Coast Preppy) who promised the Princess Consort it would be this way!

After designing our exclusive placemats, napkins and other goodies, there is nothing quite so fun as buying trips to find the latest and greatest in preppy goodies for the Preppy Princess. That’s where we are, on the road looking for the ‘newest and coolest’ in personal and home accessories.

Speaking of new… has anyone seen these yet? We just stumbled upon them while looking up another item at Tiffany’s. (Yes, to be accurate it is singular, Tiffany, but we’re feeling slightly sloppy this morning.) These are new, at least to The Princess, canvas with leather trim, and only available online.

The Tiffany Tote (our name – Tiffany is simply calling them ‘Pink Tote,’ ‘Brown Tote,’ etc.) seems more like a handbag to TP; regardless of name, we must admit they actually seem kind of cool. The website describes them this way:

Carry yourself with style. Tote in canvas with pink leather. 15.5 x 7.25 x 15.5″. Available exclusively on Tiffany.com.

The totes don’t look like they are really 16″ square from the photos; they seem wider than they are tall, but they do look good-sized. At $395 they are not inexpensive but their lines are clean and timeless. (There is also a white patent leather version of the tote we do not show in the photos.) We’re pretty sure this is one that will be in style next year and the year after that and the year after that. In other words, a good investment if you love the look. Of course, we would remove these pesky things lest the LogoPhobia kick in:

Discounting the easily removable leather logo tag (at least it looks easily removable) this is one handbag or purse or tote or whatever we might be able to establish a relationship with, one we could learn to like, even grow to love. TP would even consider overlooking her bitter and hostile feelings minor concerns (minor?!) about the Tiffany Eyeglasses and think about acquiring one of these. For new readers this means overlooking Tiffany logos the size of Lake Michigan on said eyeglasses. (We have discussed the tedious topic in previous posts and don’t want to bore anyone else with the background.)

Does anyone else think this is reminiscent of other retailers who have branched out into new markets? Cartier does handbags in addition to other personal accessories, and Bulgari comes to mind as a jeweler that extended its brand into new markets, especially leather goods. As an example, we see the Baby Panther Mobile Phone Strap from Cartier below.

On the other hand Fendi started as a small Italian fur and leather company that expanded into more apparel. These are a few looks from their Resort 2009 RTW (Ready to Wear) Collection, so they aren’t commercially available.

Now because it held such a big role as Carrie Bradshaw’s bag in Sex and the City, we simply must show the Fendi Baguette in shocking pink on sale at Bluefly.

You didn’t really think we would pass up the opportunity to do the pink and green thing did you? Here is the green one, also on sale at Bluefly Batcave.

Now, having shown with great fanfare the Polo Ralph Lauren Kids Paint Your Own Polos we were amazed to learn about this: the Fendi Paint Your Own Baguette!

This one was released months ago, back in February or March. It was greeted with almost universal disdain and resentment, people were simply aghast at the thought of $1300 for a white canvas bag with 10 magic markers as they saw it. It is still available at numerous sites if you are so inclined, like eluxury.com and Needless Markup Neiman Marcus.

Everywhere we see stories about the renaissance of needlepoint, although it really never went away for some of us… did it for you? Anything promoting the art/craft is good and you won’t hear us denigrate the coverage. Besides, it is always fun to learn about new designs, including these from Jonathan Adler. The pillow in the top photograph is designed to look like very preppy grosgrain ribbon belts, and the smaller photo below shows Adler’s Ties Pillow, both really TDF (to die for) and great additions to almost any room at any of your homes.

Then we have these two, each of which is on sale, originally $165 and now $98, quite the bargain. We show the set, but the Queen of Hearts and Ace of Spades pillows *are* sold individually so the set of two would run $196.