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.

The Princess Gets Back to Basics

Happy-Happy almost-weekend everybody! Here at the Prepatorium we finally have something resembling normal temperatures: we might hit 75 degrees today. Calm yourselves, it has not yet happened, it is merely a prediction made by the Weatherologists on teewee, so there’s just an itty-bitty chance they could be wrong.

Regular readers are aware we feel strongly about the virtues of basics upon which one can construct a meaningful existence: basic decency towards others, basic recipes, basic apparel and accessories.

One such elementary item is a simple watch on a classic ribbon band.  Today we bring you a new entrant to this sector of the market:

Bobby Jones

The new watch from Bobby Jones is just out. It has a stainless steel case and comes in two additional striped ribbon patterns, as well as a solid black ribbon for those preferring a more understated look. (TP’s father wore a plain Timex with a plain black ribbon strap as far back as she can remember.)

The movement is by Seiko, so this one isn’t just a pretty face. It is available now at the Bobby Jones Shop.

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We have several other opportunities for you to make contributions to the economy, all of them fiscally-friendly, of course.  Bergdorf Goodman is having their Designer Sale with “Prices as much as 40% Off” on items like the D & G Pumps(L) and the Tory Burch Megan flat (R).

Another emporium offering substantial savings: J. Press. Their Blue Silk Herringbone jacket is an excellent investment for the MOTH (Man of the House) in your life.

J. Press

Classic stalwart Banana Republic also has scads of goods with revised price points. Below, the Cotton V-Neck Sweater, now $39.99 for most colors, but only $24.99 in white.

Banana Republic

Not to be left out, Brooks Brothers is promoting some solid discounts on Men’s merchandise for Father’s Day.

Brooks Brothers

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Our next company covered is assuredly not known for helping one save their pocket change; we quite respect that policy. We’re talking about Hermès.

Hermes

The luxury firm has opened a seasonal store in East Hampton. The shop is located right on Main, will be open until Sept. 20, and will carry some limited edition goods.

PHOTO: Skot Yobbagy/WSJ Magazine

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In another SOTT (Sign of The Times), word from P&G that Max Factor cosmetics will no longer be sold in the US.

PHOTO: WWD Staff

Today’s story in WWD about the planned phase-out quotes an unnamed P&G executive:

“It’s a shadow of what it once was. Domestically it’s just so competitive. They have lost considerable real estate over the years and certainly over the last two years. It’s actually long overdue.”

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Because we adore The Queen (we more-than-adore our own TQM but today we speak of the one on the far side of the pond,), we thought we would close out the post with this photo, perfectly suited to be today’s Pretty in Pink.

PHOTO: Phil Noble/AFP/Getty

The picture of HRH and Prince Philip dates to late May, and we think she looks faboo.

Enjoy the weekend, dollfaces, we’ll chat again soon!

Tiffany Makes a Move, Sales & Savings of a Prepalicious Sort

Hello-Hello and Happy Friday dolls, yippee!

It is a simply splendid day here at the Prepatorium, so let’s dive right into things! (The sooner we finish the sooner you-know-who can scoot outside!)

We want to do a quick reminder about the Lilly Pulitzer sale at RueLaLa; things sell out so quickly at these sites it is best to mention it right off the top so anyone interested in adding to their walk-in can head in that direction.

RueLaLa is one of those ‘invite only’ online sale sites that have sprung up recently. If you aren’t yet a member, use the special Princess code to join: go to RueLaLa.com, at the prompt select “Invited by a Member” and then enter this as the email address to get in: VIP@ruelala.com.

Now, Lilly isn’t the only sale at RueLaLa, they are also doing CC Skye.

Both sales end Saturday night.

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Next, word on some interesting moves by upscale retailers, Tiffany & Henri Bendel. Let’s start with the store-we-once-adored,Tiffany. (Surely you remember this dreary tedious episode and yes, of course we continue wallowing in our snit.)

News came late yesterday that Tiffany is buying bankruptcy-challenged Lambertson Truex (see the middle of this post if seeking more details) from Samsonite. This could make perfect sense for both companies, as this story on the WWD site explains:

“Lambertson and Truex will explore the development of a collection of leather accessories for Tiffany & Co.”

Remember our posts last summer about these outstanding totes? (NOTE: We have linked to them as a courtesy but they are no longer available.)

Courtesy Tiffany.com

It makes perfect sense to us; there may well be many more pieces in this color.

As far as Bendel goes, they are going to stop selling clothing and shrink the 5th Avenue flagship store as today’s WWD reports:

“The Fifth Avenue flagship will be reduced in size from three to two selling floors, offering accessories, handbags, jewelry, gifts, beauty and fragrance…”

“There’s lots of iconography, like our [brown and white] stripes…

TRANSLATION: Probably more of this sort of thing.

Now mind you, TP has long been fond of Bendel’s iconic brown and white stripes, along with the Bendel Girl. We just don’t care to see them on our teapot every day, be it by Villeroy and Boch at Bendel or from Target.  So our guess is the company will roll out more logofied merchandise moving forward.

We do want to alert everyone there is a sale on some goods at Bendel, including the Henri Bendel Mini Notebooks. (We confess to a soft spot for these, in previous years they have made a great gift.)

They are fun because of their names: Bliss List, Me, Me, Me, Thin, Rich, and Fabulous, and Worth Waiting For. Previously selling at $25, the notebooks are now $12.50.

Perhaps if we hold hands and sing Kumbaya our fears about raging attacks of Logophobia will prove to be unfounded. What do you think?

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Yesterday’s post talked about what we refer to as something of a ‘preppy trifecta’:significant sales at Brooks Brothers, J. Crew and Polo Ralph Lauren.  We neglected to mention the obvious:

Brooks Brothers Friends and Family event begins Saturday, providing a 30% discount on merchandise, ending Monday, May 11. Use promo code FRIEND79 or FRIEND 81 to receive the discount, or go to BrooksBrothers.com/friends.  By the way, if in need of the code to receive an additional 20% of sale merchandise at J. Crew, use promo code EXTRA20 at checkout.

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In other Sales & Savings news, Target has reduced prices on the Alexander McQueen collection, prices many felt were too high from the outset.

Additionally the always awesome Third Coast Preppy is clearly back in the swing of things after bringing an exquisite new preppy into the world, her list of preppy savings and sales can only be referred to by one word – Prepalicious!

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We also have a few briefs on several stars of that kinda’-sorta’-preppy Gossip Girl, starting with news that actresses Blake Lively and Taylor Momsen both made People magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People list.

PHOTOS: People Magazine, WENN

And another star of the hit TV show has landed another magazine cover; Leighton Meester can be seen fronting this month’s issue of Cosmopolitan.

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We close with a Pretty in Pink.

A Princess customer needed token gifts to use as favors at a shower; she ordered 40 of these when she learned the custom key fobs are only $5 each.

Apologies for the shameless self-promotion, we just thought the fobs were such a cute idea and more-than-practical.  (They’re far more vibrant than TP’s photo conveys, Francesco Scavullo we are not.)

On that note, we do hope everyone has a delightful weekend filled with fun and food for the spirit!

Michelle Obama in J. Crew Again, Tommy Hilfiger’s East Hampton Store

Happy April Fun Day!

Turning a page on the calendar here at the Prepatorium is always a pleasure this time of year, and today does not disappoint. In keeping with the bright sunshine outside we wanted to share a few updates to some of our favorite collections at the shop.

We start with additions to our Lilly Pulitzer Stationery & Gifts group.  The Stickers & Labels Set matches our springtime mood perfectly!

The set includes 20 sheets of classic Lilly designs, and at only $14 they have turned out to be an excellent little gift. Another perfect present for someone special, the Circle Notes in Mumsie and Animal Crackers.

Lilly Circle Notes

We like the way they are finished off with the perky little grosgrain bows in matching shades of pink.

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Preppy-style retailer J. Crew must be on Cloud 9 today with news of Michelle Obama’s wardrobe choices for her first public appearance in London.

PHOTO: Leon Neal/Pool/Reuters

The First Lady selected Crew’s Dazzling Dots pencil skirt ($158) and the Crystal Constellation Cardigan ($298).

J. Crew Dazzling Dots Skirt

But if you are now making plans for adding the cardigan to your walk-in (it really is a delightful choice for an evening out), we bring you not-such-wonderful news: according to the J. Crew site, the sweater is sold out.

J. Crew Crystal Constellation Cardigan

We do enjoy British narratives on fashion, including the Guardian’s description of the outfit:

“As every girl who shops on the high street knows, it is the accessories that make or break an outfit. Obama did not put a foot wrong in low-heeled animal-skin-print heels and her signature pearls.”

Yesterday Mrs. Obama wore a  custom-made Thakoon coat with grosgrain piping when boarding Air Force One.

PHOTO: Jason Reed/Reuters

Upon arriving in London the First Lady was in a Jason Wu chartreuse silk crepe short sleeve sheath accented by a shawl collar.

PHOTO: Charles Dharapak/AP

The young designer tells WWD he had no idea Mrs. Obama would be wearing another one of his creations.

“Yellow is such a great color, and it’s nice that we are seeing spring right now,” Wu said. “It’s definitely very optimistic.”

We couldn’t be happier to see the First Lady in American designers again; we eagerly await news of her attire for her meeting with the Queen!

One note before we leave this topic: J. Crew is doing another Final Sale promotion, with an additional 30% Off sale prices.

Another word of caution however, this offer is not good at retail or factory stores, and it ends tomorrow (April 2) at midnight.  To receive the discount, use promo code EXTRA30 at checkout.

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Also today, news that Tommy Hilfiger has opened his new store in East Hampton, right on Main Street.

Courtesy Photo via WWD.com

Mr. Hilfiger has only 9 other free-standing shops; this is his first in the Hamptons.  In early March the company held its menswear presentation, announcing an expansion of their tailored clothing offerings.

PHOTO: Kyle Ericksen

Mr. Hilfiger can be seen in the photo, standing in the center, wearing an orange necktie.

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For today’s Adventures in Argyle we share another bit of shameless self-promotion…

PreppyPrincess.com

…using one of our new Ribbon Key Fobs.

PreppyPrincess.com

You select the ribbon of your choice, as well as the webbing.  And to be perfectly crass (again, really, how tasteless can we be?) in discussing prices, let’s just worsen the situation, shall we? These fun and fabulous goodies are a mere $5, offering the perfect pick-me-up gift for just about anyone on your list.

To be completely candid dolls, this is one of those times when we are grateful Great Aunt Molly departed this planet long before seeing us engaged in discussing something as inappropriate as this.  Frankly, the poor woman would be horrified; but then, having a career in tv for all those years didn’t exactly conform to family standards either.

Finally today, a peek at the new Britney Spears marketing poster for her Candie’s Only line at Kohl’s.

Candie's Only at Kohl's

The collection debuts in April. US Weekly will distribute 4 million copies of this poster in their April 15 issue.  Previous “Candie’s Girls” include Avril Lavigne and Hayden Panettiere.

We must apologize, as yesterday we promised photos from the Kate Spade fall collection, and we have just run out of space and time. Tomorrow, we promise-promise-promise!