Polo for “People in Seersucker,” Le Boutique Targét’s Next Designer (After Missoni)

Happy beginning of a new week to everyone, thanking you for popping in for a visit.

Did you spend any time watching this yesterday?

Michel Spingler/AP Photo

While not one for the ages, it was nice to see these two duel again.

Laurent Baheux/AP Photo

Vogue’s Anna Wintour appeared to enjoy the match, in front of her we see Mr. Federer’s wife Mika.

Lionel Cironneau/AP Photo

We did not see the historic women’s final, where Li Na became the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam singles title. Below the champion poses with her trophy during a photocall after the match.

Charles Platiau/Reuters

Next up on the circuit, Wimbledon, starting in just about two weeks.

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In other sporting news….(kinda’ sorta’) this weekend was the annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic on Governor’s Island.

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

On hand this year, Deborra-Lee Furness, Julianna Margulies, Naomi Watts, Donna Karan, Wyclef Jean, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Paul Haggis. Mr. Jackman was the emcee for the afternoon’s activities.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

The Times’ City Room blog carried an interesting story that had a bit of a bite:

“For a few hours on Sunday, Governors Island became something of a Hamptons satellite, dotted with people in Nantucket reds, linen suits, Lilly Pulitzer pinks and sunhats that seemed as wide as a city block.

They came for an exhibition polo match put on with the intention, according to the organizers, of bringing the elite sport down from on high. But the thousands of spectators, who sipped Champagne costumed in high Hamptons style, seemed intent on just the opposite.”

The event draws an interesting crowd. Below left, Andre Balaz and Naomi Watts, on the right we see one of our Anti-Preps, Nicky Hilton.

Below we see designer Keren Craig with Olivia Palermo, on the right, Nacho Figueras.

Mr. Figueras models for Polo Ralph Lauren and also plays for the Black Watch, a team sponsored by PRL.

Back to the City Room post:

But even with the free admission and ferry ride, polo populism still seemed a far-off dream. Champagne, at $17 a flute, seemed to be the drink of choice. And though there might have been some who went to Governors Island instead of a Yankees game (the Yankees were playing in California, anyway), most of the pinstripes were on seersucker suits.

Frankly, we think almost any free sporting event is a good thing. But to pretend that this is a sport for everyone and anyone borders on the ludicrous.  More from the City Room’s piece:

Mr. Figueras, who is known as Nacho, said the event was intended to “bring polo to the people.”

“For a kid to wake up in the morning” he added, “and say, ‘Dad look, let’s go watch the polo instead of the Yankees game’ – ultimately that would be my dream.”

Mr. Figueras estimated that high-level horses – “we are talking about Formula One horses,” he said – cost up to $250,000.

Considering admission to a Yankees game requires a second mortgage a significant cash outlay, perhaps that isn’t far off the mark. On a more positive note, Ms. Karan’s party was also a fundraiser for Hope Help and Rebuild Haiti.

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A sporting event on the far side of the pond also drew attention this weekend. Many in the royal family turned out to watch the Queen’s horse race in the Epsom Derby. The Queen was in hot pink, definitely today’s Pretty in Pink.

Much of the buzz surrounded an appearance by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate.

The Mirror

The couple looked relaxed and happy for their first public outing since their wedding. Princess Eugenie was in black and white polka dots, Princess Beatrice also looked lovely in a floral print.

Akira Suemori/AP

Kate wore another Reiss dress with LK Bennett accessories. To see details on the complete ensemble, visit our sister blog, What Kate Wore.

Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images

It seemed that everyone had a good time, despite the Queen’s horse throwing a shoe and finishing third.

WENN

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We have several tidbits about an item many of us couldn’t live without, from a wardrobe perspective, the polo shirt. Today’s Valet carries a good backgrounder on the shirt’s origins, including how it came by its name after René Lacoste decided to create tennis shirts that would be more practical and comfortable:

“…Lacoste set out to make a more comfortable, short-sleeve style. He was inspired by Anglo-Indian polo players, who managed to play in extreme heat and bright sun thanks to their lightweight pique cotton jerseys.”

The story is part of Valet’s “Anatomy of a Classic” series, examining iconic items found in a gentleman’s wardrobe.  Today’s post includes a look at some of the logos seen on the shirts.

Via Valet

Many not as familiar with the tennis champion might find some of Mr. Lacoste’s other creations to be of interest:

Rene Lacoste was never much for rules. He often thought he knew better and oftentimes, he did. A world-class tennis star by the time he was 20, he would later go on to revolutionize the game with such inventions as the ball machine and the steel racket, but it was his innovation while he was still playing that had the largest impact on the world. And it’s the reason why you know of him today—the polo shirt.

We recommend the story, it’s a nice, quick read.

Our other note on polo shirts involves Hermès, the company has just launched its own version of the classic.

Hermès

Fond as we are of this brand, we can only say that $455 for a polo shirt borders on lunacy. Really. I’m sure they are done in a rich, lush cotton with a fabulous hand and incredible drape, but really. To quote Nancy Reagan, just say no. Harrumph.

Finally today, word on Target’s next designer collaboration: the retailer is partnering with Josie Natori.  Women’s Wear Daily has the story (subscription required):

The designer will introduce a limited edition collection with Target, called Josie Natori for Target, that will be a tightly focused group of bras, panties, sleepwear, loungewear, camis and chemises. The Natori line represents Target’s first limited edition foray into lingerie and loungewear.

The line will launch in October, just in time for Christmas, with a second collection scheduled to arrive in January, perfect for marketing to Valentine’s Day shoppers.

On that note we say g’bye until next time!

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Additional Photo Credits:

• Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images
• Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
• AP Photo/John Giles/PA Wire
• Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images

Fashion Week: Trina Turk, True Prep Party at Brooks Brothers

Hello-Hello, welcome to a Wednesday!

We have more Fashion Week goings-on to share, beginning with last night’s bash, the Brooks Brothers True Prep party.

Via True Prep Facebook

The festivities were at the Brooks mother ship on Madison, above, one of the theme windows.  The gala drew a big crowd,  as explained by Los Angeles Times writer Adam Tschorn in his blog post on the event:

“…the night’s stack of books had dwindled from 400 to just three in less than an hour, according to our madras-clad mole.”

Authors Lisa Birnbach and Chip Kidd were on hand, madly signing books and looking well, preppish in Mr. Tschorn’s photos.

PHOTOS: Adam Tschorn

Again, he describes the scene:

“The enthusiastic crowd took the opportunity to don its preppiest threads. As we arrived a a clutch of young girls in pink Lilly Pulitzer patterns spilled out the door, and, once amid the sea of Sperry Top-Siders, all-over embroidered trousers and navy-blue blazers made us feel like we’d fallen into our own version of “The Hot Tub Time Machine.”

For those recognizing Mr. Tschorn’s name, we have previously quoted from his stories in the Times, as well as his blog posts; he does a splendid job covering fashion and culture. It sounds like the True Prep special edition at Brooks Brothers (previously mentioned in this post) was quite the popular item. To read Mr. Tschorn’s piece in its entirety click here; it will make you smile.

The scene is likely to be similar this evening at the Vineyard Vines party in Georgetown.  That function gets underway at 6pm, showcasing not only the book and Ms. Birnbach, but also six new True Prep products.  We have previously shown the Vines tie featuring the book cover’s Golden Retriever, Henry; that pattern is also used on the new Vines True Prep tote.

NBC/Universal

Look for a fleece vest and several other co-branded items.

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Back to Fashion Week runway shows, a speedy glance at a label we love, Mulberry. We rarely feature apparel, generally we’re gushing chatting about the company’s handbags; here are a few styles from WWD’s brief review.

Any company willing to put a pooch in a picture or two will grab our attention; the photos are all by Pasha Antonov via WWD.

Nothing to make us gaga, but some lovely prints and stellar bags.

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Showing for the first time  in New York, a Princess fave, Trina Turk.  Some pieces were simply outstanding, with vibrant prints in rich, saturated colors.

This also held true for the menswear, making us wonder if this is what a marriage of Lilly Pulitzer and Loudmouth Golf might produce…?

As always, Ms. Turk presents some solid basics as well as pieces for fun and sun.

From the Women’s Wear Daily review:

“Trina Turk celebrated her 15th anniversary with her first New York presentation, offering pop prints and retro-infused wares with a Palm Springs attitude, including one-shoulder dresses in various lengths, airy knits and crisp shorts.”

We do enjoy much of Ms. Turk’s work, especially her home furnishings and accessories line.

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In keeping with our tradition of tracking those former faux-prep school students, we have a few Gossip Girl updates.  More accurately, out and about mentions.

Chris Trotman/Getty Images for ATP

Above we see US Open champ Rafa Nadal with Blake Lively backstage at the Regis and Kelly show yesterday.  The actress then headed to Boston to promote the opening of her film, “The Town”. Also at the Fenway Park showing of the film, Mad Men’s Jon Hamm.

What an amazing place to see a film!

With that, it is g’bye until next time, when we look at the runway shows taking place today, Ralph Lauren and Tory Burch, among others.

ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS:

• Brian Snyder/REUTERS
• Bryce Vickmark/REUTERS

Wimbledon 2010: Polo Ralph Lauren & Tiffany Diamonds by the Yard

Hello-Hello, and Happy Tuesday!

We missed you yesterday, but the volume of inquiries about the wedding of Sweden’s Princess Victoria made us think it would be wise to leave up our Saturday post detailing the party frocks, heads of state in attendance, etc. But we are back today, and a good thing, as it is high party and sporting season.

Everyone knows Wimbledon is under way, and that means lots of activities on and off the court. We begin with some images from the official Pre-Party this past Saturday, on the left we see Venus Williams; sister Serena Williams may be seen on the right.

Celebrities (we use that word loosely) were also on hand, including the Sugababes singing group. (Do help TP out here, are we hopelessly out of touch to be unfamiliar with this group?)

Claire Greenway/Getty

Two more athletes in attendance, Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic.

As many readers know, there is always another party this time of year, the Polo Ralph Lauren annual Wimbledon celebration.

Dave M. Benett/Getty

This year’s event was at the firm’s Bond Street store. Party-goers included Gwyneth Paltrow  and actor Matt LeBlanc, the latter wearing Ralph Lauren.

More atmosphere at the party venue, the PRL store in London.

Below, Jules Knight, Stephen Bowman, Oliver Baines and Humphrey Berney of Blake (we confess to looking this one up on Google, they all are in what is referred to as a ‘boy band’) on the blue carpet.

Dave M. Benett/Getty

Also attending the festivities, former Champion Boris Becker and his wife, Lily, seen below.

Getty

We thought Venus Williams looked elegant, and adore the pink/green necktie the gentleman on the right is sporting.

The event was a fundraiser for a British breast cancer organization, Too Many Women.

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Mr. Becker’s connection with Polo Ralph Lauren can be seen in this ad showcasing the Wimbledon Ball Boys and Girls, all clad in Ralph Lauren designs.

Courtesy Image via AP

This is the fourth year Mr. Lauren has designed the uniforms, although they are basically unchanged from last year. More on this topic tomorrow.

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This year’s Wimbledon on-court fashion updates are many and varied, below we see Serena Williams in her new Nike look.

Toby Melville/Reuters

Maria Sharapova also wears a new style, also with a jacket over the dress, and also from Nike.

Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters

For more updates and information about the on-court fashions, pop over and visit Rich at Down The Line Tennis, as always, he is a much better source on the topic than we.  The most we can add is evidence that it is hot over at Centre Court.

Reuters

Yes, it looks very warm indeed.

Getty Images

Of course the uppermost image is a shirtless Roger Federer, the second is Rafael Nadal.

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And our final fashion note comes via a Tiffany new release regarding the earrings Maria Sharapova will be wearing during Wimbledon. Some may recall the tennis star and Tiffany have a marketing agreement; she wears and publicizes a specific pair of Tiffany earrings during each Grand Slam event.

Courtesy Tiffany

Ms. Sharapova is wearing Elsa Peretti Diamonds by the Yard®, here is a better look

Courtesy Tiffany

The Tiffany website’s product description:

“Maria Sharapova, one of the world’s top tennis players, is wearing Elsa Peretti® Diamonds by the Yard® earrings at Wimbledon. Sterling silver drop earrings with round brilliant diamonds, for pierced ears. Carat total weight .30. Original designs copyrighted by Elsa Peretti.”

Until next time!

ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS:

• Claire Greenway/Getty
• Tim Jenkins/WWD

It’s A Little Racy & Not At All Preppy (Gasp!)

Hello everyone, happy-almost-long-weekend!

We didn’t plan to post about tennis togs or the US Open today, but have no choice, given the stories about Rafael Nadal emanating from Flushing Meadows. The topic?

PHOTO: David Gray/Reuters

The attire worn by Mr. Nadal, more precisely, the shorts.

PHOTO: Getty Images

Evidently the NY Post reported that the shorts are “slightly see-through.”  That original story has been picked up by all manner of publications, including NY Magazine.

“A funny feeling has come over us. We can’t be sure, but we think — just maybe — it’s called suddenly caring about sports. He is life-changing, that Spaniard.”

Lord, this is a wretched job, but we shall try to soldier on.

Indeed.

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Because it involves both the Open and Gossip Girl, we have a trivia question today: what G2 star is named after a brand used all the time in tennis?

In case anyone missed it, the answer would be:

Mr. Badgley is named after the tennis ball.  And because we haven’t yet done a Pretty in Pink today, here is something we haven’t featured, the Penn Pink Tennis balls.

According to the website, Penn donates .15 cents of each can sold to ‘breast cancer research’. (We put that in quotes because we’re not fans of generalized statements when it comes to fundraising claims, we like very specific data points and names of organizations benefiting from the donated funds.)

Back to Gossip Girl, it seems there is a bit of chatter about an episode being shot this week; it features a 1920’s-era party, complete with flapper-style party duds.

Above one can see actresses Hilary Duff and Blake Lively in their party frocks.

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Yesterday we mentioned the J. Crew sale underway, we also want to fill everyone in on the Brook Brothers promotion.

Unlike many other retailers doing special sales and discounts around the holiday weekend, the Brooks’ Consolidation Clearance is at its retail stores, it is not an online promotion at this point.

As we’re speaking of the Brooks’ retail stores, we are beyond tardy with this, but simply must thank John Doyle at the company’s Cleveland store. He was more than helpful when we popped in, recommending a shirt we adore, as well as some other goodies we acquired. A gentleman in the truest definition of the word, Mr. Doyle was not only first-rate in the customer-service arena, he was loads of fun and totally understands the Brooks aesthetic. What a dear man.

We’re a little underwhelmed by the online selection at Brooks Brothers, have you looked at their offerings recently? The Country Club section is headlined “Spring 2009” and seems to have negligible amounts of merchandise, and Thom Browne’s Black Fleece section seem to be equally depleted.  The Men’s Paisley Trousers are marked down by 50%, as are the Women’s Seersucker style Jacket and matching Skirt.

Every single pair of women’s shoes on the site is discounted at least 50% from its original selling price, including the Bow Peep-Toed Pump.

The shoes are $86.40; these originally sold at $288.

The lack of updated inventory seems odd, as Brooks appears ready to market their fall line; the company is going to emphasize those items made in America.

Courtesy Photo via WWD.com

A recent Women’s Wear Daily story has more on the campaign:

“In a campaign entitled Makers & Merchants, the 191-year-old retailer is shining a spotlight on iconic merchandise pieces that have been made in the U.S.”

There you have it.

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One last tidbit for those seeking reading for the extended weekend, Vanity Fair has an extended interview today with Mad Men’s Pete Campbell, seen to the right of Don Draper in the photo below.

Photo Courtesy amc-tv via Vanity Fair

Umm, of course we meant to say “an interview with Vincent Kartheiser who plays Pete Campbell, seen in this photo with Jon Hamm, who plays Don Draper.”

Of course we know they’re not real, honestly.

Heh-heh-heh.

Tennis Togs Part Two & “When Logos Run Amok” Example 46

Hello-Hello!

Last week we ran a little preview of some of the tennis apparel being unveiled at this year’s US Open, including the new looks from Nike for Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Serena Williams.  We also looked at some of the pieces coming from Polo Ralph Lauren, the Open’s official sponsor.

Today we turn our attention to Lacoste’s new looks for Andy Roddick. Mr. Roddick can be seen below, as well as Mr. Federer, Ms. Williams and Maria Sharapova.

PHOTO: Ray Stubblebine/Reuters

He is wearing the Printed Check Super Dry Polo, we offer a better view:

Courtesy Lacoste

The Diamante Drawstring Short is on sale in select colors.Here is a look at the ensemble in navy as worn by Mr. Roddick yesterday.

PHOTO: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty

The Women’s Short Sleeve Super Dry Polo comes in both white and a rich raspberry pink.

Many readers probably saw Mr. Roddick visiting the David Letterman show last week. Unfortunately he was sporting the new polo from Lacoste, with the “Big Croc”.

We clearly have a new addition to the “When Logos Run Amok” category.

Lacoste.com

An interesting note, the Oversized Croc Pique Polos for men run $92, while the Short Sleeve Classic Pique Polos are only $54.99 – $79.50.  A similar theme is evident on the Ladies side of the shop, with the Women’s Oversize Croc Polo at $85 and other versions running $54.99 – $79.50.

One more comment about Mr. Roddick, he is not happy with the Open’s new rules regarding Twitter. The Straight Sets blog from the Times carried a post about the issue:

““I think its lame the U.S. Open is trying to regulate our tweeting,” he wrote Friday night. “I understand the on-court issue but not sure they can tell us if we can’t do it on our own time … we’ll see.”

The rules state that tweeting is not allowed on the court during matches. They also warn players about using Twitter away from the court, saying that sending “certain sensitive information” could be considered passing along inside information to gamblers.”

We are grateful there are no such rules governing TP’s Tweets!

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When covering the Nike togs last week we neglected to show the looks for Ms. Sharapova, always a fashionista on and off the court. First, her day dress:

The Night Dress is a very dark midnight blue with silver piping; there appears to be some sort of unfortunate glittery lamé fabric insert.

It is superior to the dress worn by Ms. Sharapova last week for the Rogers Cup in Toronto. We like the minty-green color, but the full skirt is reminiscent of a prom frock gone bad.

Chris Young/Canadian Press/AP

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A look we liked even less? The not-quite-Ed-Hardyish drawing on the back of the dress worn yesterday by Venus Williams for her first-round win.

PHOTO: Emmanuel Dunand/Getty

The dress isn’t quite as bad from the front.

PHOTO: Emmanuel Dunand

And we do like pink.

But… the color for tennis apparel is white. Granted, we are old. We are boring. Fuddy-duddy is a kind and gentle way to describe our ‘tennis style’ as there is no style whatsoever.

We are quite comfortable in this kind of look:

This comes as no surprise to readers.

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One of the more intriguing debuts this week comes courtesy of US star James Blake, who has moved from Nike to Fila.

Chris Trotman/Getty Images for DirecTV

Fila and Mr. Blake have partnered on an apparel and accessories line, launched at the Lord & Taylor on Fifth Avenue last week.  In honor of the player’s late father the collection is named Thomas Reynolds.  Below, Mr. Blake can be seen with actor Will Ferrell, who was dressed as Blake for the annual Arthur Ashe Kids Day event.

Ray Stubblebine/Reuters

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For those curious about the outcome of Roger Federer’s first match against Devin Britton of the US, Mr. Federer won.

PHOTO: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

However, we may need to pursue a future chat about ‘Monogram Man,’ and the overall issue surrounding Mr. Federer’s logo/crest/monogram.

Below we see Rafa Nadal practicing this morning, his first match is set for Wednesday.

PHOTO: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

On this smiling face, we say G’bye until next time!