Love that Lilly, and Michelle Obama in $500,000+ Diamonds

Hello-Hello everybody, and welcome to the almost-weekend!

We promised more Lilly Pulitzer Stationery goodies, so here we go! First, the Note Card Books in Patchtastic and Lillywood:

Lilly Pulitzer Note Card Books at PreppyPrincess.com

At only $15 for each Set of 10 Note Cards (2 each of 5 different patterns) and envelopes, these are already a favorite here at the Prepatorium.  And they haven’t even arrived yet!

Also due in around the 4th or 5th of February, these bright and cheery Large Notebooks in Animal Crackers (L) and Cabanarama (R):

Lilly Pulitzer Notebooks at PreppyPrincess.com

The Large Notebooks are about 9″ x 12″ with an inside pocket; they will be $16.

At 6″ x 8″ the Mini-Notebooks are perfect for tossing in the tote.  They also have an inside pocket, and will run $14.  Below, the Mini-Notebooks in Mumsie and Bee’s Knees Patch:

Lilly Pulitzer Mini-Notebooks at PreppyPrincess.com

A reminder that the Princess Consort has been typing his little fingers to the bone, making sure some of the Lilly merchandise is up on the Princess website for pre-ordering.  The Lilly folks say they are shipping February 1st; we expect our first shipment being here by the 4th or 5th of February. Pre-ordering means your order gets out the door first when the Lilly merchandise arrives here. Pre-orders are at the top of the list and will be turned around on the same day we receive the merchandise from Lilly.

We also said we would share some sneak peeks from the market. Here is a glance at two new patterns from Scout that we went ga-ga over, starting with the Poolside Stripe:

Available 2/15/09

Stripes Away is another new pattern we will be getting in mid-February.

Available 2.15.09 PreppyPrincess.com

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On the topic of Inaugural fashion, the LA Times raises a question about the propriety of a First Lady borrowing jewelry, in relation to these $17,000 Loree Rodkin earrings.

LoreeRodkin.com

Michelle Obama wore the sparklers to Sunday’s concert.

PHOTO: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty

(Frankly, TP is far more fascinated by the Narciso Rodriguez ensemble in camel and black, really quite elegant IOHO.)  The paper’s All the Rage blog cites rules about borrowed apparel and accessories set up when Ronald Reagan was President in the 1980s, and Mrs. Reagan was chided for her frequent borrowing of designer clothes.

“Michelle Obama wore $17,000 diamond chandelier earrings designed by Loree Rodkin to the “We Are One” concert on Sunday — not a gift from her husband, but borrowed from a Chicago retailer. The next morning, dispatches were dutifully sent out from the publicist for Rodkin to let the press know whom to credit for her ear candy. How very red carpet.”

Yikes… that seems a little cranky, no? We presume All the Rage would apply the same question to Tuesday night’s jewelry, a healthy 77.6 carats in diamonds, again, borrowed from Loree Rodkin. (Mrs. Obama is seen with U.S. Army Sgt. Margaret H. Herrera following her dance with President Obama.)

PHOTO: Gary Hershorn/Reuters

The Arizona Republic has a little more information on the bling (that is the proper term…yes?) in this story:

“Curious about costs, we called Moody Blues boutique in Scottsdale, which carries Loree Rodkin jewelry. There, a chain necklace with a cross pendant covered in an estimated 3 carats of diamonds is $21,000, says Catie Cerutti, store manager.

We’d hate to draw any cost-per-carat conclusions based on that, but . . . oh, who are we kidding. Our math shows that Obama could have been wearing $543,200 worth of diamonds.”

There you have it.

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Now, if you are interested in sporting a knock-off of the First Lady’s Jason Wu gown, eDressMe has one available. Really.

eDressMe.com

We have an answer to our question Is Jason Wu Preppy?, asked in this post: absolutely.  Without question. According to Eric Wilson’s story in today’s Times, he attended Loomis, a not-very-well-know Connecticut boarding school.

We credit the Consort for the sharp eye on this – he is such a Fashionisto. (The male version of Fashionista…hello?)

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And in our “The Princess wasn’t Born Yesterday” category, we pose a question: is it possible that the “Marvelous Malia” and “Sweet Sasha” dolls pictured below have absolutely no connection whatsoever to the little girls who just moved into the White House?!

PHOTO: Scott Olson/Getty

That’s what the folks at Ty say; they just released the dolls for sale, and controversy  about the TyGirlz dolls is growing. An Associated Press story explains the “coincidence”:

“The Oak Brook-based company chose the names because ‘they are beautiful names,’ not because of any resemblance to Malia and Sasha Obama, said spokeswoman Tania Lundeen.”

“‘There’s nothing on the dolls that refers to the Obama girls,’ Lundeen said. ‘It would not be fair to say they are exact replications of these girls.

Oh.  Silly Princess.

However – let it be said that at least the moronic company (really, this is PR Debacle 101 level stuff) put a little madras on the dolls’ cuffs and one pair of sneakers.

PHOTO: Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

Do enjoy your Saturday and Sunday!

New Collections at the Preppy Princess! (Oooh, more madras!) Plus Giveaway Winner!

Hello-Hello!  Things are bright and sunny here at the Prepatorium, oh-so-wonderful after all the dark and dreary days we have seen.

In fact, we are more than a little excited over new collections at the Preppy Princess, although we fear TSU (The Spousal Unit) would make the case we are closer to ‘completely ga-ga’ in our enthusiasm. And it goes without saying we have to share them with you!

We start with the Bermuda Madras Placemats, 100% cotton patchwork madras, reversible to a solid plaid madras on the other side.

PreppyPrincess.com

Accompanied by the Bermuda Madras Table Runner in the same patchwork and reversing to the plaid on the other side.

PreppyPrincess.com

Matched by the Bermuda Madras Napkins, also 100% cotton.

PreppyPrincess.com

Everything in this group is machine washable, like all of our linens. It would be simply insane to have to go to the trouble of taking things like this to the dry cleaners. We also have new napkin rings that complement just about any color in your linen closet!

Glass Napkin Rings

The Glass Napkin Rings are solid with in bright, vibrant colors.  You just know what is going to happen with our dinner table:

At only $2 each, they make an ideal stocking stuffer! The red and green would be fun and festive right now.

Now we also want to show you another new group, starting with the Blue Lagoon placemats in a classic blue, white, and yellow design.

PreppyPrincess.com

Fun for perking up the table now, or perhaps while wintering in Florida, and absolutely ideal at the cottage this summer. The matching napkins:

PreppyPrincess.com

And we even have matching Blue Lagoon kitchen towels:

PreppyPrincess.com

The Blue Lagoon group is also constructed of 100% cotton and entirely machine washable.  A really fun Christmas or Hanukkah gift basket could be easily put together with any of these groups. And everything is fiscally friendly with placemats (place mats?) at only $8, napkins $4, the towel also $4 and the table runner $20.

Enough about us… let’s talk about you! We have a winner of this week’s Great Giveaway. Congratulations to one of the private blogs we enjoy, Well, I Do Declare! Amelia receives these goodies from the Princess:

The Classic Whales Guest Towels:

Classic Whales Guest Towels Set

Our exclusive Have a Whale of a Holiday notecards…

"Have a Whale of a Holiday" notecards

And the Black Baguette market tote from a line we love, Bungalow Scout.

Scout Baguette Tote

We will be posting information on our last fifth and final (at least until we are well into next year) Giveaway later today or early tomorrow.

Enjoy a splendid day!

Preppy Princess Giveaway

We’re just popping in with a quick reminder about our Great Giveaway: be sure to leave a comment sharing one wish you have and you are entered!

Our drawing is scheduled for Wednesday morning, the 10th.  The prize package includes the Princess’s exclusive Have a Whale of a Holiday boxed note card set.

"Whale of a Holiday" Notecards at PreppyPrincess.com

Also included in this week’s prize package, a set of our plush Classic Guest Towels in the Pink Whale motif.  These are just perfect when friends visit, or as a gift for the nautically inclined in your circle of friends.

Classic Guest Towels at PreppyPrincess.com

Rounding out the goodies, the Black Baguette market tote from a line we love, Bungalow Scout.

 

Scout Tote at PreppyPrincess.com

 

 

This is really perfect for carrying things home from the grocery because it is *so* roomy, with more than enough space for a gallon milk to stand up at 12″ x 15″ x 12″, but also very lightweight and easily collapsed.

Here is a sampling of some of the comments we have already received:

The wonderful Winkie Houghton says:

“My wish is for every one to have a wonderful holiday with family & friends, no mater how little or a lot you give or receive this holiday season!!”

And the always-tasteful Nautical by Nature shares:

“I wish that the holidays would just get here already! I am so ready for a vacation “

We can echo that sentiment!

Just leave your wish to enter.  That’s it!  Scribble (in a cyber sort of way) a comment with one wish and you’re in!

We hope everyone enjoys a stellar Monday!

Is J. Crew Discounting Too Much? And the Free Preppy Goodies – Enter Now!

Courtesy J. Crew

Most readers have seen this email alert from J. Crew.  As many are no doubt aware, it is just one of many promotional efforts from the retailer that have hit our electronic in-bins recently.  And the company is not alone in its aggressive promotional moves; we are hard-pressed to come up with any retailers not currently promoting some sort of discount or sale to customers.  (If anyone is not aware of the discount shown in the photo above, it offers 20% off full-price sweaters and ends Thursday night at midnight; the promo code needed at checkout is SWEATERS.)

However, elsewhere on the J. Crew site one finds this:

Courtesy J. Crew

… and this sale is not a discount or promotional price that ends tomorrow at midnight, as with the sweaters. This is an ongoing sale offering very deep discounts, especially for a retailer of Crew’s caliber, with items like the Men’s Patchwork tartan vest that originally sold at $228 now offered at $59.99.  The Princess is no mathologist, but it seems to us that is almost 75% off the original price.

And the site is full of merchandise on Sale, not all at this level of markdown, but a hefty amount nonetheless.  Why are deep discounts, other than the obvious appeal they hold for most of us, an issue? Because they make investors in the company’s stock nervous.  From Thomson Financial News:

“Shares of the preppy clothing company run by Wall Street darling and former Gap Inc CEO Mickey Drexler fell 14 percent to their life-time low of $11.90 in morning trade.”

The article cites a memo written by a stock analyst:

“…’The worst is yet to come for J. Crew, which has continued to reel under a weak economy’ …analyst Eric Beder wrote in a note to clients…”

“…surveys and store tours have shown J. Crew is becoming “more and more aggressive,” to clear out inventory….

While TP is always excited to see merchandise offered at more fiscally friendly price points, Crew cannot be making much profit on this Cashmere Sequin Shell being sold for $49.99, roughly 70% less than its original price of $158.

The story also quotes the analyst:

“We do not believe the J. Crew business model works at the current levels and depth of price cuts,” he wrote.”

J. Crew Group’s stock closed at a new all-time low this afternoon, $11.64 per share. Ouch. We wish we were a bigger and better person Ladies, but let’s face it: their pain is your gain.

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A quick reminder on the Great Preppy Giveaway: enter to win this Scout Zip ‘n Tuck Market Tote by leaving a comment before midnight tonight telling us one thing about America you are grateful for.

PreppyPrincess.com

…just anything at all about the United States that you are thankful for, and you are entered to win the tote! And if you mention the giveaway on your blog, then you will automatically be able to send the Preppy Princess Madras Photocards to anyone you choose! And we pay the shipping on everything!

PreppyPrincess.com

Tomorrow we will reveal the lucky winner(s)! And don’t forget we’ll be starting a new Thankful Thursday Giveaway tomorrow too, so pop in and say “Hi” when you have a spare nanosecond. We’re always glad to see you!

More Election Fashions Including Michelle Obama’s $10,000 Earrings, Sneak Peek at Thakoon for Target, Preppy Updates

It is Friday, and what a magnificent thing that is… sigh. “And visions of bubble-baths danced in her head…”

We start with more photos from Election Night in response to the ongoing inquiries we are receiving related to Cindy McCain’s dress (a suit), as well as Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin’s apparel.

PHOTO: Jim Bourg/Reuters

There isn’t really loads more to report.  However, we can share new information regarding the future First Lady’s earrings on Tuesday night, hopefully seen in the photographs that follow.  (We do apologize in advance for their large size; clearly we are trying to show those beautiful earrings!)

PHOTO: Morry Gash/AP

They are by Loree Rodkin, crafted of white gold and diamonds. UPI spoke with Ms. Rodkin about Ms. Obama wearing her design election night:

“Loree Rodkin, a Los Angeles-based designer of expensive jewelry, said she was surprised and pleased to see Obama wearing her earrings. Rodkin said the design retails for $10,275 a pair — and were not a loan.”

PHOTO: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty

The earrings look light and lacy, and very feminine, stunning on Ms. Obama.  In the online bio at her website the designer is described:

“…known for her noncomformist visionary approach to jewelry making…. has designed jewelry for most of Hollywood’s brightest stars including Madonna, Mary J. Blige, Cher, Aerosmith…”

According to the Browns Fashion website, the earrings are available for ordering now, if one is so inclined:

Courtesy Browns Fashion

If interested in purchasing the earrings, one must email Browns, they are not currently available on the site.

Here is a photo someone named Diablo Cody (?) in what is a similar style if the skull and crossbones are removed:

 

A Loree Rodkin ad from May, 2008:

 

TheEssentialist.com

For a good look at the designer’s work, try these items at Glimpse, or the selection at Blue Bee.  It would seem from surveying a variety of retailers and other sites that a fair amount of Ms. Rodkin’s work is done using images of skulls, daggers, and other “goth” (?) motifs. (Is that the term…?) Here is the designer in a press photo:

 

Courtesy Loree Rodkin

Our journalism background requires us to point out that Cindy McCain received substantial criticism for wearing diamond earrings at the Republican Convention valued at $280,000. A popular magazine estimated them to be 3 carats in size; the report was not confirmed or denied.

Today the Obamas attended a parent-teacher conference in Chicago:

PHOTO: John Gress/Reuters

Otherwise, the onslaught of newsprint and airwaves devoted to the Narciso Rodriguez dress worn by Ms. Obama election night continues to grow.

Back to the continuing questions here at the Prepatorium regarding Cindy McCain and Sarah Palin and their election night dresses.  Actually, neither wore a dress; they both were attired in what TP would call a “cocktail suit.” (Oh dear, that may reveal a bit too much information regarding our age, shall we say. There you have it.) And here we have the photo:

PHOTO: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Ms. Palin’s dark navy suit is by Tahari, and we have lots more information on it as well as several more photos, here at Wednesday’s “extended election night fashions” post.  That post reveals the only store where the navy color is available.

A reminder on the Michelle Obama book, the biography by WaPo reporter Lisa Mundy; reports indicate it is selling fast; why this would surprise anyone is beyond us.

LizaMundy.com

Readers may remember hearing about Target’s upcoming collection by Thakoon Panichgul, a designer Michelle Obama has worn several times. We have early photos showing some of the designs thanks to the always on top of things people at Nylon magazine.

 

As detailed in a previous post, this is one of a handful of designers favored by Michelle Obama. The collection is due to debut at the retailer on Christmas Day.

 

The pieces look very beachy, ideal for one’s resort wardrobe over the winter holidays. And that is perfect as the collection debuts in the middle of winter, on Christmas Day. That seems rather odd, doesn’t it?

The coat won’t work on an elderly prep like TP (sniff), but it will look darling on most anyone else.

 

Prices for the pieces will range from $20 to $70.  Also to debut On Christmas Day, the Erickson-Beamon for Target Collection, another line Ms. Obama is seen wearing. Here is a preview picture of what to expect, courtesy of the oh-so-hip Nitrolicious.

 

Courtesy Nitrolicious.com

Erickson-Beamon has already collaborated with a retailer, Urban Outfitters.  That line is available in the UK at the Kensington High Street and Oxford Street stores, as well as at the UK online site. Below, their Crystal Cube Necklace from that line:

 

Erickson-Beamon for Urban Outfitters UK

If the subject of designer collaborations with Target sounds slightly familiar, perhaps it is because just this Tuesday we talked about the surprise announcement of Target’s upcoming line with edgy designer Alexander McQueen.  We now have a date for that collection to be available: March 1st, 2009. If seeking more information and photos showing multiple pieces from each designer, this post is fairly comprehensive, albeit in a bloggage sort of way.

We close with few quick hits on preppy goings-on …

• Talbots has confirmed they are selling J. Jill
• the oh-so-stylish Third Coast Preppy found this fun article about the Lilly Pulitzer exhibit that opened at the New School for Design at Parsons
• Online shopping is now available at Lilly Pulitzer! FULL DISCLOSURE: An awesome preppy blogger discovered this outstanding information, and we cannot remember who it was, but they deserve the credit, not us. (If you know, please let us know so they might be properly thanked
  • NOTE: We owe our thanks to the incredibly gifted Teddi, as we read about this in her superb blog, Jewish Girl in WASP’s Clothing.  🙂
• The über-preppy television show known as Gossip Girl has another star landing a big endorsement opportunity: Ed Westwick (who plays Chuck Bass) is the new face for K-Swiss. Below, the actor shooting in New York Thursday:
  

And a reminder to enter our Great Preppy Giveaway Contest by leaving a comment telling us one thing you are thankful for related to America …one thing about the United States for which you are thankful. Remember, if you mention this contest on your blog, you are then eligible to send the snappy Madras photocards to a friend! And the best part of this?  It is all free! Here is a quick glance at the Primary Prize, the Scout Tote:

Bungalow Scout Tote

And here are the Holly House Madras photocards, also from the Preppy Princess store.

Holly House Photocards at PreppyPrincess.com

For all of the details and information, just click here.

Have a splendid weekend!