Talbots Holiday 2011 and A Few Sales/Savings Opportunities

Hello-Hello, welcome to an absolutely gorgeous day here at the Prepatorium.

It seems like just last week we were engaged in a whineathon of epic proportion desperate for just a taste of spring or summer weather.  Fast forward a few weeks and now many friends find themselves praying for an early fall, it has been that hot or that dry or that wet, or simply that miserable in their corner of the globe. In that spirit we offer an early look at this year’s holiday collection at Talbots.

Women’s Wear Daily attended yesterday’s preview and has the story.

“Inspired by Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball of 1966, Michael Smaldone, Talbots’ chief creative officer, showed a holiday collection on Wednesday that was minimalistic, with a nod to easy Sixties glamour.”

There are some nice, bright jewel tones in the line.

It’s always good to see a splash of color in the middle of winter.

Another angle on the more vibrant colors.

Robert Mitra/WWD

Here are a few of the more casual styles.

Robert Mitra/WWD

It looks like Talbots will continue to grow its workout/athletic/yoga group, an area that remains a very positive story for most retailers. (Full disclosure; your trusty correspondent has a few pieces from this group and they are outstanding.)

Robert Mitra/WWD

There is a wonderful array of pieces in a deep, rich red, perfect for the holidays.

Robert Mitra/WWD

More from the WWD story:

“Smaldone focused on clean shapes, from long column gowns to short A-line dresses, as well as graphic black-and-white elements on looks such as a long houndstooth skirt.”

More in these colors.

Also seen more frequently this time of year, lamé and sequins, with a few animal prints also visible.

Robert Mitra/WWD

There are more jewel tones shown in the holiday accessories.

Robert Mitra/WWD

A few more items.

Robert Mitra/WWD

These are a bit tougher to see, but you can still get an idea of what will be offered.

Robert Mitra/WWD

Many of the styles shown look elegant, although it is obviously difficult to gauge when you can’t feel the fabric, look closely at the cut, the embellishment, etc.  We fervently hope the collection helps the troubled retailer get back on track, we would like to see them around for many years to come.

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We have a very few Sales and Savings Opportunities to offer.

Kate Spade is taking an additional 25% off sale prices, use promo code SALE25 for the discount. (Today is the last day.)

Brooks Brothers is doing its summer Clearance event.

Vineyard Vines is taking an additional 40% off its sale items, use promo code HOT. One caveat, this morning they have experienced numerous outages and downtime for the website. We’re sure it will be remedied as quickly as possible, but patience might be required.

Basically every apparel & accessories retailer we know of is offering significant discounts at its stores (as well factory/outlet stores) and online.

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One last FYI, we are doing a poll at our sister site What Kate Wore, Kate’s wearing of pantyhose/tights/nylons almost all the time is creating quite the conversation. We would love to know what you think, either by vote or comment or both!

With that, we say thank you for popping in to visit, we cherish each and every reader, knowing you have a gazillion choices when it comes to online reading opportunities. We are grateful you decided to spend a little time with us. 🙂

ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDIT:

• All Talbots photos by Robert Mitra, WWD

The List: a Preppy Black Friday

Hello-Hello and Gobble-Gobble!

For those thinking about an excursion (there’s a euphemism!) of a retail kind in the next several days, we offer our list of Sales and Savings this Thanksgiving weekend.  We may update it once again before the weekend concludes, but are more likely to revel in the company of family and preparations for our Pink & Green Monday!

That’s right, 20% off everything at The Princess for one day only, complete with our free gift wrapping! Use promo code PGM at checkout to receive your discount on all of our preppy goodies!

Here is information on other preptastic retailers; well, mostly preptastic. As always, check with your local store, shopping center or outlet mall for specific hours and details.

J. Crew: Already underway online, take an additional 20% off merchandise only, use promo code EXTRA20 at checkout.

J. Crew Outlet stores: before 8am Friday morning take an additional 40% off Clearance merchandise, other weekend discounts at Crew outlets include 30– 50% off select holiday styles & 30–40% off select Crewcuts holiday styles.

Lacoste: Already underway online, 30% off all merchandise, use promo code THANKS09 at checkout to receive the discount; ends 11/30/09.

Lilly Pulitzer: On Friday only spend $500 and receive a limited edition Resort Tote like the one seen below (a $200 value); gift wrapping is also complimentary all day on Friday.

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer

Polo Ralph Lauren: Already underway, 25% Off, use promo code HOL2009, ends 12/7/09

Ralph Lauren Factory Stores: 20% discount on purchases of $150+ after midnight Thanksgiving night/Friday morning until 10am.

Brooks Brothers: Friday & Saturday 7am – Noon receive an additional 15% off your entire purchase; receive an additional 5% when using your MasterCard or your Brooks Brothers Platinum MasterCard.

Brooks Brothers Factory Stores: 40 percent off all items until Sunday, and an extra 10 percent off of this Friday and Saturday until noon.

Banana Republic: We have heard but have not confirmed that on Friday only cashmere sweaters will be Buy One, Get One free

Banana Republic Outlets: 40% Off Any Purchase.

Ann Taylor: “Style Steals” on various items now through Sunday.

Ann Taylor Loft: “Style Steals” on various items now through Sunday.

Tommy Hilfiger Outlet Stores: 40% off the entire store all day on Black Friday and additional discounts for specific days; to download coupons providing these markdowns, click here.

The Gap: Already underway and online-only, 50% off all regularly-priced  Men’s & Women’s Sweaters, Kids & Baby Cozy Fleece styles.

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Here is what we can share on the more standard department stores, offered with an apology for the more East Coast-centric emphasis:

Saks 5th Avenue: Starts online Thursday and at 8am Friday in stores, up to 60% off original prices on selections for her & him, various additional offers too lengthy to list; also free shipping for any online order, use promo code HOLIDAY9, offer valid through midnight Monday night (the 30th)

Neiman Marcus: The Women’s Apparel Sale is already underway with up to 40% off original prices; there is also free shipping on any online orders until midnight 11/3/09, use promo code NMNOV at checkout.

Neiman Marcus Last Call: Shoppers using their Neiman’s card will receive an additional 25% off, ends 12/1; select stores are open midnight-8am as well, click here for details.

Barneys: their sale is already underway online with up to 40% off on select merchandise.

Bergdorf Goodman: free shipping with any online order, use promo code SHOPBG at checkout.

For more information on special sales, promotions and the like, here are a few general interest sites that may be of assistance:

• Black-Friday.net
• BlackFridayAds
• GottaDeal.com
• BlackFriday2009.com

With that, farewell until next time, and may everyone enjoy a simply splendid Thanksgiving!

Gobble-Gobble.

Tiffany Says Not in Our Backyard, Next Target Designers Revealed, Black Friday

Hello-Hello and welcome to a Monday!

We begin with a tale about Tiffany; this time it is the story of the luxury retailer’s lawsuit against its landlord in Century City (California).  It seems the jeweler is making it ever-so-clear they do not want fast-fashion merchandiser H&M as a neighbor. (As in H&M that just did the wildly popular ‘Jimmy Choo for H&M’ line, described in this post.)

Apparently Tiffany believes having H&M as a neighbor would be just this side of apocalyptic; the LA Times has more:

“H&M is not a luxury or upscale retailer. H&M is at best characterized as a ‘popular-price’ mass merchandise clothing retailer.”

“The location of the H&M store will cause irreparable injury to Tiffany’s business reputation as a luxury retailer, a reputation that Tiffany has enjoyed and worked hard to maintain for more than a century and a half,” the lawsuit said.”

While understanding a brand’s desire to protect its caché, the story points out that in Pasadena the two stores are almost next door to each other. Other stories on the topic wonder about Tiffany’s efforts to embrace the ‘aspirational shopper,’ those coveting upscale brands while also shopping mass retailers like H&M.

Courtesy Tiffany

Many such consumers are precisely the same customers fond of merchandise displaying a retailer’s logo, something Tiffany has marketed strongly the last several years.

It will be interesting to see how this turns out. We do want to note this is not ‘new news,’ as we are wont to say; the original story broke in September and yours truly keeps forgetting to post it.

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A few more retail notes today, including word on the next two accessories designers for Targèt; the Cynthia Vincent for Target collection will launch at Target stores nationwide and at Target.com from April 18, available through through July 1. Below, several styles from Ms. Vincent’s Fall 09 Collection.

Also, headwear from Eugenia Kim will debut next year, it is going to be the first hat launch in Target’s series of limited-time-only accessories. The Eugenia Kim for Target collection debuts April 18, running through June 20. Below, looks from the 2008 Eugenia Kim line.

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There is also news that Forever 21 has launched its love and beauty cosmetic line.

Courtesy Forever 21 via WWD

Everything in the new line is priced at $10 or less; it all appears to be available online.

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Before delving headfirst into our next topic it is time we are honest with our cherished readers; we do not participate in Black Friday.  It is really not our cup of tea; additionally, we are always blessed by a visit from The Queen Mother for Thanksgiving, precluding any chance to partake of the mayhem. Such a shame. (Cough-cough.)

We still desire to maintain contributions to the PPP (Pocketbook Protection Program), continuing efforts at providing a list of fiscally friendly locales for the upcoming frenzy.

To be fair, there are far too many special markdowns, discounts and promotions to accurately track; we are including those we believe to be of the most interest to our bloggy friends.

Here we go, beginning with Talbots, already offering 20% off merchandise and free shipping; use offer code 020556520 at checkout to receive the discounts.

Martin & Osa will discount all denim (regularly $89.50 – $120) and cashmere to $59 (regularly priced at $130 – $170).

• Brooks Brothers: November 27th and Saturday, November 28th until 12:00 noon each day. Shop Early and receive an additional 15% off your entire purchase; receive an additional 5% when using your MasterCard or your Brooks Brothers Platinum MasterCard

• J. Crew Outlet stores will take an additional 40% off Clearance merchandise before 8am Friday morning; clearly one should check with their local factory store for hours
  • Other discounts at Crew outlets  for the weekend include 30% – 50% off select holiday styles & 30 – 40% off select Crewcuts holiday styles

• Tommy Hilfiger Factory Stores: 40% off the entire store all day on Black Friday (the 27th)
  • There are additional discounts for specific days, including the Wednesday before Thanksgiving; to download coupons providing these markdowns, click here.

• Banana Republic Outlets: 40% Off Any Purchase

• Old Navy stores: Open 12 – 7pm on Thanksgiving Day, & 3am – midnight on Black Friday, too many discounts to list

• Henri Bendel 8-10am Friday:
  • Save 40% on all Cold Weather Knit Hats, Scarves & Gloves
  • Save 40% on Bath & Body Collection
  • Save 25% on Candle Collections, Home Fragrance, Sweet Treats
  • (After 10am these items remain on sale but at 25% off)

• Macys.com continues its Thanksgiving sale with savings of 20% to 50%, ending 11/28.

• Lacoste: 30% off everything in the store

We are still seeking verifiable information on the following stores: Ann Taylor & Ann Taylor Loft, J. Crew, Banana Republic, Polo Ralph Lauren & Polo Ralph Lauren Factory stores, Brooks Brothers Factory stores.

NOTE: Please be sure to note if we are citing discounts at regular stores and factory stores or outlets.  Be sure to let us know if you have information to share on any preptastic shopping opportunities and we’ll pass it along.  If looking for other products, here are some general Black Friday sites:

• Black-Friday.net
• BlackFridayAds
• GottaDeal.com
• BlackFriday2009.com

Savvy shoppers may remember that after all the Black Friday comes Cyber Monday: the day when online retailers offer special deals.  That tradition is alive and well here at The Princess, in fact, we’ll have a little surprise for what we’re calling Pink & Green Monday.

Until next time, do let us know if you

Adventures in Argyle, Preppy Sales and Savings

Hello-Hello, greetings for another week!

We have several Sales and Savings to report today; some may be repetitious but we thought they bore a second run, beginning with Brooks Brothers.

Brooks has taken significant markdowns on many items, including several pieces that definitely qualify as Adventures in Argyle.

The Merino Argyle Cardigan is now $117.60 ($168), and on the right we have the Cashmere Argyle cardigan, now $208.60 (originally $298).  Both seemed to be available in almost all sizes as of this writing.

The Country Club Mini-Argyle crew sock is now $16 (originally $40) and the Cotton Argyle Anklet now $6 ($15); both are offered in a variety of colorways.

As The Consort has been heard to say: “You can’t go wrong with a good pair of socks from Brooks Brothers.”

Not on sale at Brooks, but definitely worthy of a mention, the St. Jude Collection, including the Brooksie ™ Bear.

Courtesy Brooks Brothers

The retailer is donating $5 from the sale of each bear to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. There are several other items in this collection at Brooks Brothers, all with a portion of sales going to the hospital and research center.

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Also offering a sizable selection of Sale merchandise, Lacoste; the hat originally ($45, now $24.99) and gloves (originally $40, now $27.99) shown below definitely qualify as Pretty in Pink.

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Over at Bergdorf, their semi-annual sale is underway.

J. Crew continues their ‘holiday sale‘:

One item of note: Crew is also offering 20% off all orders of $150 or more; use promo code INSIDER at checkout. This is online only and ends Wednesday night (the 18th) at midnight.

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Nautica has a solid selection of discounted merchandise in their online Sale section.  We simply adore the Girls Anchor Print Skirt is now $14.99, originally it sold at $30. We also like the Girls Signal Flag polo.

Two things we fell in love with: the Baby Anchor Print Hoodie (now $14.99) and the Baby Dreamer Sweater Coat (now $21.99)

The item that really sent us over the moon? The Infant Plaid Trim Onesie.

If that doesn’t qualify as Prepalicious we don’t know what will; it is off the charts on the Cute-o-meter. (It is also only $9.99.)

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We have an update to the Jimmy Choo for H & M post from Friday: it was bedlam at most H&M stores when the collection went on sale Saturday.  In Vancouver shoppers camped outside the store.

Vancouver Sun

From a MarketWatch story:

“…the greater part of both Choo’s ladies’ and men’s collections sold out…. Even in Madrid, the epicenter of one of Europe’s most recession-battered economies, plenty of women and men could be seen toting glossy blue H&M bags Saturday afternoon.”

Below, Gossip Girl star Michelle Trachtenberg was among those shopping the H&M on Fifth this weekend.

Rob Loud/Getty Images

Speaking of Gossip Girl, many of Ms. Trachtenberg’s costars were seen at last night’s private screening of ‘The Private Lives of Pippa Lee‘.

Blake Lively was at the screening, along with Keanu Reeves, Julianne Moore, Robin Wright Penn, director Rebecca Miller and Zoe Kazan.

Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Many of the actress’s G2 costars were also in attendance, including Chace Crawford.

Jemal Countess/Getty Images

And real-life sweetheart Penn Badgley was on hand as well.

Jemal Countess/Getty Images

The film has a November 27 release date.

It’s a Mad Mannish Gossiping Girlish Kind of Day at the Prepatorium

Hello-Hello and welcome to Thursday!

We are feeling a bit crushed under the weight of business and some travel commitments so we preface our post today with an apology, as it is much more flash than substance. (But good flashiness we like to think, in a Gossippy and Madly Mannish sort of way.)

Blame it all on the September issues of a few of our favorite magazines, starting with Harper’s Bazaar, using Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester for their cover.

Terry Richardson/Harper's Bazaar

As part of the magazine’s “Fabulous at Every Age” feature the story has photos of Ms. Leighton ‘aging’ into her fifties, a fascinating technique. We thought the young actress looked stunning in this Lanvin dress and belt.

Terry Richardson/Harper's Bazaar

Another Gossip Girl gracing a September issue: Taylor Momsen on the cover of Teen Vogue.

PHOTO: Patrick Demarchelier

The show continues filming all over the city; below we see Blake Lively with her pooch, a photo that has the Daily Mail saying her maltese/poodle dog is “the perfect accessory” in this story.

PHOTO: Splash News

And finally in Gossip Girl notes, official word came yesterday that the proposed G2 spinoff is dead. There you have it.

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Most readers know we are enormous Mad Men fans, eagerly counting the seconds until Season 3 of the 60’s-based drama premieres on the 16th. Knowing how many readers share our addiction fondness for the show, we thought we might alert you to this stunning image in Vanity Fair:

PHOTO: Annie Leibovitz/Vanity Fair

For those not-so-gaga not entirely familiar with the show, above we see “Don and Betty Draper,” played by Jon Hamm and January Jones.  The photo is one of several jaw-dropping shots accompanying an excellent story: “Don and Betty’s Paradise Lost” in the magazine.

The genius of Annie Leibovitz captures both stars perfectly.

PHOTO: Annie Leibovitz/Vanity Fair

Bruce Handy’s article is superb reading:

“Entering its third season on a fresh wave of Emmy nominations, AMC’s Mad Men is the most stylish—and perhaps best—show on television. Inside its meticulous reconstruction of the precipice that was New York advertising circa 1960, where the men and women of Sterling Cooper smoke, drink, love, and lie…”

Mr. Handy previously did stories with both Mr. Hamm and Ms. Jones; to see these, just click on their names.

Another must-read for M2 fans, Chris Mohney’s story in BlackBook simply titled “Elizabeth Moss: Mad Style“.

PHOTO: Bravo-TV via BlackBookMag.com

Ms. Moss portrays ‘Peggy,’ a young woman making waves at the fictitious advertising agency because she is doing a man’s work (gasp), having moved out of the secretarial pool into actually writing ads!

We can hardly wait to see the first episode next Sunday night (16th) at 10pm!

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We have a few quick Sales and Savings notes today, starting with Saks doing their Consolidation Clearance, a sure sign that we are approaching the end of summer in the retailing world. (Note that TP refuses to acknowledge we are inching ever-closer to the end of summer in the real world. Clearly denial has moved from Egypt to the Midwest.)  A cautionary note on the Saks sale; they say prices go back up August 17.

J. Crew is also promoting fiscally-friendly price points, with new items added to their Final Sale.

And Polo Ralph Lauren is doing their End of Summer sale.  This includes items for the four-legged and furry members of your family.

The Striped Crest Polo is one of today’s Pretty in Pink items, despite it triggering our Logophobia. (Honestly. How disturbed can one get when it discussing a garment intended for your favorite pooch?) It is now only $14, discounted from the original selling price of $40.

Bargains abound dollfaces, so if at all possible we shall attempt to shop early, shop often and do what we can to help move the country beyond These Challenging Times.

We close with our second Pretty in Pink item, this one directly from the Princess shoppe. For your consideration we offer the Good Living Gift Labels:

The labels are about the size of a business care and come in their own little acrylic plastic case, so they can be kept orderly, something near and dear to our OCD heart. (We do hate it when we have labels loose all over our little gift closet, it just makes us a little goofy.) At just $6 for a box of 18 labels, we love this as an outstanding way to label gifts and goodies, perfectly preppy and ideal for gift-giving. There are several other patterns and colors available if these just a little too preptastic.

With that perky note we must scamper back to the Corner Condo here at InterGalcatic Princess HQ. Thank you for stopping in, we’ll be back tomorrow!