Bargains of a Preppish Sort, Gossip Guys and Girls

Hello-Hello, and happy Thursday, it is simply beautiful here at the Prepatorium, we hope you are enjoying equally blissful conditions.

Once again we are brief, the crush of business remains a significant factor in the day, leaving little time for tea and bon-bons. Sniff.

We begin with an update on Fashion’s Night Out, a repeat of last year’s event during New York Fashion Week, created to get people shopping again. Ahem. Below, a photo from the news conference announcing some of the festivities planned for September 10.

Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Conde Nast

Eagle-eyed readers will recognize some of the notables at that event, including Francisco Costa, Tory Burch, Mayor Bloomberg, Anna Wintour and Marc Jacobs.

However, as Eric Wilson points out in the Times, the shopping celebration comes at a time when we are encountering less-than-stellar economic news (have you checked the balance on your trust fund of late, oh my!) and consumers are less inclined to spend:

“In one typical example of mixed messages, the big reveal for the Fashion’s Night Out Sept. 10 party lineup (celebrities and events galore at hundreds of stores staying open until 11 p.m.) appeared in an issue of Women’s Wear Daily that was otherwise dedicated to a theme of fashion frugality. “Mindless excess is over,” the trend forecaster Faith Popcorn said, right there on its front page.

Shop less!

Shop more!

Shop smarter!”

One of the many specialty items being offered for the event, the toile and striped sneakers Keds has created for Opening Ceremony.

Image via NY Times

Lots of celebrities have been engaged for the event, here is a partial rundown from Mr. Wilson’s story in yesterday’s paper:

“Elie Tahari will be giving dance lessons at Saks, while Simon Spurr and Ed Westwick play darts. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, with Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler, are judging karaoke at Barneys. Thakoon, Georgina Chapman and Reem Acra will model with their dogs at Bergdorf Goodman. There also appears to be an unusual convergence of designer table-tennis games, with matches planned at Barneys, Bloomingdale’s and the Stuart Weitzman store on Madison Avenue.”

There are activities and parties scheduled all over the country, perhaps there are festivities in your corner of the globe as well.

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A few shopping notes to share, this post in the JC Report led us to take a quick look at Consortiums New York, specializing in previously loved classic pieces:

“Consortiums’ brand of vintage prep avoids the era’s notorious pitfalls with sophisticated pieces like pristine mustard boat shoes by Bally, round Brooks Brothers tortoiseshell sunglasses and Ralph Lauren bags made of just-faded bluish green fabric and trimmed with leather.”

Consortiums New York

We do like the aformentioned sunglasses:

Consortiums New York

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We have a number of SOPS (Sales & Savings Opportunites) to share, beginning with the private sale at Tory Burch, offering up to 60% off retail prices.

Savings are significant on pieces like the Auden Cardigan (originally $250, now $100) and the Espadrille Ballet Flat ($46 from $116).

Saks is doing an online-only clearance.

Bargains abound at Polo Ralph Lauren as well, its Last Chance sale is underway, with savings up to 70%.

Speaking of Ralph Lauren, there is news about his daughter Dylan. Ms. Lauren received a marriage proposal on Sunday, Page Six has the romantic details:

“The way Paul Arrouet proposed to Dylan Lauren in Montauk on Sunday, there’s no way she could have said no. After a sporty day of jogging and biking, the squash-playing hedge fund manager invited Dylan, daughter of Ralph and Ricky Lauren, to the beach at sunset, where he’d set up a table under an umbrella with six dozen pink roses. Spelled out in candy for her were the words, “You are my ‘It’ girl.” Arrouet, who has been dating Lauren for four years, got down on one knee, presented her with an emerald-cut sparkler, and said the right words. Dylan — who owns Dylan’s Candy Bar and happens to have a book, “Unwrap Your Sweet Life,” coming out in October — said yes. “We’ve always been best friends. We always have fun together,” she said yesterday. “It’s very exciting.” Her parents joined them on the beach to celebrate. No date is set yet.”

Here is a photo of the couple, although it dates back to 2008.

Photo via Jet Set Socialite

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We have a quick update on two stars from everyone’s favorite faux-prep school show, Gossip Girl.

CraigMcDean for Interview Magazine

Blake Lively has landed another magazine cover, Interview features the actress on its September cover.  We had to giggle at the Daily News headline for its story on the photos:

“Blake Lively says she’s ‘shy’ but has no problem posing in bra and handcuffs for Interview magazine”

Also gracing a cover, costar Chace Crawford.

Nicky Emerson for ES magazine

Mr. Crawford was showcased in last week’s issue of ES, the Evening Standard’s magazine.

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We leave you with several images we have been hoping to share for some time.

Sarah Cates via Refinery 29

Yes, that is a cat, as is this.

Sarah Cates via Refinery 29

They were part of the “Fashionable Feline Extravaganza,” an event put together by the North Shore Animal League. Below, Carmen Miranda lives.

Sarah Cates via Refinery 29

And they are connected to preppish styles or fashion… how? Not. at. all.

For more wacky photos, pop over to Refinery 29.

Until next time, may you be surrounded by sunshine and smiles!

Monday Musings

Hello-Hello, and welcome to the Monday mayhem here at the Prepatorium! We are ever so harried today, we apologize for a completely disorganized post.

We begin with word on the dress worn by entertainer Carrie Underwood at her wedding last weekend to hockey star Mike Fisher. Monique Lhuillier created the Chantilly lace and silk organza gown worn by Ms. Underwood for the ceremony.

People magazine via MoniqueLhuillier.com

The singer’s reception gown was also done by the designer, who shows both dresses on her Facebook page.

People Magazine via Monique Lhuillier

As seen in the pictures, People magazine and sister publication People Style News have the story on the bridal gowns and accessories.

People.com

According to StyleList the shoes were by Stuart Weitzman, his white satin Avalon platform pump. (If it appears to have a pink tone that is because it was embellished with pink crystals.) The bride wore a feather and crystal ban.do headband.

Notwithstanding our thoughts on daytime glitter and frou-frou, the young entertainer looked beautiful, and the two make a lovely couple.

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We may have previously mentioned this, the sleepwear line Norma Kamali is doing for Walmart; today’s WWD story had a few images from the collection.

The new line debuts online October 10.

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We have previously shared links to Lilly Pulitzer and Vera Bradley for those wishing to perk up their desktop via free downloadable designs. Our friends at Boatman Geller are also offering some of their most popular patterns as wallpaper.

Boatman Geller

The available designs include a pattern we adore, Espadrille Preppy Stripe, delightful for your computer or your tabletop!

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In today’s “We are not Worthy” category, two public ‘Thank You’ notes. The first is to the gifted and delightful Miss LPC, perhaps better known by her blog, Privilege.  This always stylish writer was much-too-kind when composing a recent post, we can only offer a public expression of gratitude in return. When we grow up we hope to have a smidgen of LPC’s talent and skill.

Our other thank you is for the ever-so-proper (and loads of fun) Miss Janice; specifically for sharing pictures of a recent soirée she hosted.

Courtesy Miss Janice

Some of Miss Janice’s Lilly Pulitzer tableware came via a blog contest we sponsored with Muffy Martini, the prize was a complete set of the Loco Patch party and tableware items. Thank you for sharing Miss Janice, we always enjoying seeing how people actually use some of our favorite Princess goodies!

Next Year’s Hot Color & Lilly’s Take On It

Hello-Hello, and welcome to the corner condo here at the Prepatorium, where the wind is howling! We hope everyone is safe and warm, protected from the elements.

We start today with word on THE color for next year, at least according to the experts at Pantone.

Courtesy Pantone

Officially know as Pantone #15-5519, more generally referred to as ‘turquoise’ by most of us common folk. Every year the design minds at this color brain trust select a specific color (some may recall Pantone selected mimosa yellow as the color for 2009) as the ‘it’ shade for the coming year. The news release from Pantone explains more:

“…inviting, luminous hue… Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world.”

Courtesy Pantone via WWD

In their story on the color pick, the Los Angeles Times spoke with Janie Schoenborn, design director at Lilly Pulitzer.

“It puts everyone in the same state of mind — on vacation,”

We like that perspective. We also like turquoise pieces from Lilly, in a solid like the Casey V-neck (L) or a print, as with the Elsa (R).

More from Ms. Schoenborn in the Times story:

“Turquoise for us is a really big color. A lot of times it’s transporting, whether you’re actually going to a resort destination or not.”

Lilly’s Checking In print exemplifies this sentiment.

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer

A philosophy also easily seen in the packaging for Lilly’s Beachy eau de parfum.

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer

Look how closely the colors in the Pantone beach image are replicated in the Lilly Sea and Be Seen tote.

The color conveys images that are peaceful and serene, yet also cheery, whether in the Loco Patch pattern on a paper napkin, or the now sold-out Recess backpack.

The designers at Lilly Pulitzer are not alone in their appreciation of the color; nouveau-prep designer/retailer Tommy Hilfiger chimes in:

“”The women in my life wear it on vacation and it looks great with a suntan at the beach,” Hilfiger says.”

However, Mr. Hilfiger does not think it is a color for everyone:

“I love it for women and I strongly dislike it for men. … If men are to wear blue, they should wear light blue or dark blue.”

Call us crazy, but the Tommy Hilfiger sweater in ‘saba blue’ looks amazingly like turquoise.

Tommy Hilfiger

Turquoise fans can also be found outside of the fashion industry:

Sur la Table

More from that Times story:

“Cookware maker Le Creuset reports its shade known as Caribbean is increasingly popular….

Customers are using turquoise in both light, coastal-vibe settings and darker, more urban spaces with wood and stainless steel.”

With a final thought on the color:

“Lilly Pulitzer’s Schoenborn calls it a “buy now, wear anywhere color” because in cooler months it pairs with black and navy, and in the spring and summer it can be worn with white or coral.”

We show the turquoise/navy combination below, the Murfee Scarf is seen atop a navy tee.

For a plethora of products in this hue, pop over and visit Erin at Everything Turquoise, guaranteed to perk up your day.

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A few other items of note:

• One of our favorite footwear designers is expanding into handbags. Stuart Weitzman will be launch a line of handbags next summer, below, a sample.

Courtesy Stuart Weitzman via WWD.com

• In our ‘you cannot make this stuff up’ category, we have word the vibrating makeup classification is not limited to mascara; behold the Lancome Oscillation Power Foundation.

• Today is the deadline for ordering the wonderful new Photo Clipsheets from Whitney English, our brand new item that lets you personalize a stack of note sheets with one of your favorite photos.

Also, a reminder the image you select doesn’t have to be a human being, as demonstrated by The Consort’s selections below:

On these cheery images we say g’bye until next time!

Black Friday Starts…TOMORROW. Seriously. And Preppy Bargains Abound.

Hello-Hello from a sublime and sunny day in the Great Midwest, so nice we can hardly believe it is November!

But we may want to fasten our seat belts, as it could be a bumpy ride this Fall, at least for retailers. However, storekeeper stress also means outstanding savings opportunities, so today we are simply discarding our usual neuroses about usage of the ‘M’ word, and offering what insight we have on hand.

For openers, K-Mart is starting their Black Friday offerings tomorrow.  As in Sunday, November 2, 2008.

For anyone unfamiliar with Black Friday, a previous post has a tad more insight on the phenomenon, including a mention of this Ralph Lauren Factory Stores ad, offering something called Midnight Madness.  The ad says, “Join us after your Thanksgiving Dinner. Most stores open at the stroke of midnight.”  Indeed.

Courtesy bfads.net

Back to today’s post: the Kmart ad does not refer, or apply, to all parts of the store. In fact, it really only offer savings in one area of the store, as explained in Friday’s Advertising Age story:

“The retailer …  said it will offer the deals exclusively in the home-electronics category to help customers kick-start their holiday shopping. The category has become an area of particular concern for retailers, as consumers pull back on discretionary items.”

Should shoppers be looking for the special deals in their Sunday newspaper? Evidently not, at least as best The Princess can discern from yesterday’s story.

“Early Black Friday” sales on about 15 items will roll out in Sunday circulars between Nov. 2 and Nov. 23, as well as on Kmart.com. The deals are being worked into existing circular plans… “

And surprisingly, the discounts will be available for more than one day, different from ‘standard’ Black Friday sales:

“Kmart’s deals are also meant to make holiday shopping more convenient, Mr. Aiello said. Unlike typical Black Friday sales, which require an early wake-up call and heavily promoted limited quantities, the specials will be available for an entire week, with ample supplies in stock.”

Because we do heart your pocketbook (we have been told this is the proper way to use this verb) we went decided to be adventurous and go to the K-Mart website. These are the only two sale circulars we see that are applicable commencing tomorrow; the first seems to be primarily Disney and Hannah Montana related.

Kmart Ad 11.02.08

And the second is a Dollar Days theme:

Kmart Ad 11.02.08

Enough of Black Friday, let us move on to Bergdorf’s, shall we? Their Fall Savings event includes the Tory Burch North-South tote in this color is too fun.

Barney’s thinks their sale is groovy; we are not yet convinced, but are willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

The Prada Ruched Pump is not destined for our shoe rack,

But the Mawi Enameled Bangle is fun and comes in several colors, including our favorite.  And the pinstripe cashmere throw, as well as the eggshell with multi-color stripes both rank extremely well on the Snuggle Factor.

It seems that Brooks Brothers continues its aggressive marketing stance with their Preferred Customer Event.

This translates to a 25% discount if one uses their Brooks Brothers Platinum MasterCard Platinum, a mere 15% savings for those paying through other means.

J. Crew is pushing their ‘Fall Sale.’

And TP is simply ga-ga over the Clea Flats:

And speaking of J. Crew, a reminder on the next Men’s Shop:

Courtesy J. Crew

It shall be interesting to watch the way Crew plays the Men’s Collection in this locale, as it is quite different from the ambience of the Liquor Store site.

Saks is also eager to assist one’s wardrobe enhancement efforts, offering multiple sales, like the Stuart Weitzman Patent Slide.  And ladies, TP can personally vouch for these; they are divine. Dowdy? Maybe. Frumpish? Perhaps. But they are us, and we don’t have the only toes clad in these at JL meetings.

Then there is the Lord & Taylor ‘Just in Time’ sale which has so many different elements we can barely keep them straight.

But because we want to do our best to help locate fiscally friendly merchandise for all of our Princess readers, we’ll give it a go. L&T is offering:

• Additional 15% off Cashmere
• 33% off Gloves
• 25% off Handbags
• Free shipping on all orders more than $99

J. Press is always an excellent choice, and this fall it is no different, with multiple markdowns throughout the store. These snappy madras trousers for The Spousal Unit at a superb price; they will be ideal during this winter’s annual getaway.

Their Short-sleeve New York Polo is also fun.

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And so we might close with an ‘appropriate’ Pretty in Pink, here is the Lilly Pulitzer Infant’s Cover-up; Saks is offering this at an attractive markdown.

Happy Hunting!

More Sales: Tory Burch, Burberry, Lilly Pulitzer, Saks

The Princess apologizes if our previous two posts had a bit of a diminution in quality; they were our first attempts at posting whilst traveling out of town. What an amazing adventure to use the laptop with that wacky Windows system again! We are grateful to have returned home to Preppy Princess Intergalactic Headquarters intact, sans any severe weather encounters. (We do remain concerned about TP’s mère, however, facing Day 5 without power, and steadfastly refusing to leave the family property. Naturally.)

Judging by the wretched excess in length of last Friday’s post on the myriad sales going on around town and online, it might be difficult to believe we missed any. Think again. TP’s brain is less like a steel trap and more like a steel sieve; it seems we missed more sales than we told you about. Above, one of many examples: the Lord & Taylor Friends and Family sale, with 20% off almost everything online, but they are offering 40% off swimsuits, a big help if you have procrastinated on this front. There are also “more” or “deeper” or “special” discounts or price cuts. You’re grown-ups: you’ve shopped, you know the drill. The best idea is to check before you leave the house if there is any question in your mind about sale pricing being in effect. We make no promises, the best practice is always to shop early, and shop often. Below we show the Land’s End Sale notice, LL Bean’s is similar (although the discounts are not as deep).

Burberry launched their sale today and there is a substantial amount of merchandise marked down. For those interested in wallets or umbrellas, especially those in the Burberry signature designs, there is a good mix available as of this writing. There is also a decent offering in terms of apparel. The Princess was most taken by this sweet cotton jacket with its empire waist, as well as the wildly popular ski jacket, now almost 50% off.

It is well worth your time to glance at the jackets and trench coats for both men and women, including this ‘packaway tench‘ in fuchsia or the Men’s ‘Harry’ jacket. There are also some great markdowns on shoes for both Men and Women.

Next on our hit parade is Tory Burch, with loads of goodies, including the trimmed polo in several colors and the elegant Veronica dress.

Once done at Tory’s meander over to Saks 5th Avenue for even more fun as they continue the Online Only Designer Sale. A substantial amount of merchandise is marked down. Significantly.

Like these summer espadrilles from Ralph Lauren Collection in a red ticking stripe and a pair of Jimmy Choo pink patent slides that are to die for!

If you can manage to make your way out of the shoe department, take a peek at some of the ladies apparel, be it ready-to-wear or designer, like this LBD from Armani Collezioni or what Burberry calls their Neaton Classic Chino Pants.

Of course, this doesn’t include all of the jewelry on sale, like these very cool lucite bracelets from Alexis Bittar or Kenneth Jay Lane.

There is also the Il Baule D’Elianne Infant’s Smocked Dress, and the fabulosity that is the Bose iPod SoundDock Digital Music System. And there is an enormous amount of marked down merchandise you will find in the Men’s Store, Just Kids, additional Women’s Apparel or the Shoes/Handbags categories. Most of your household name designers are represented in this sale, including Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Louboutin, Stuart Weitzman, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Tommy Bahama, Badgley Mischka Platinum Label, Dior, Carolina Herrera, Tod’s, and many more.

While we are worshipping at the altar of the sales savings goddess, let us not forget the Lilly Pulitzer warehouse sale that started yesterday (Wednesday, June 11) and runs through Saturday, June 14 at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA. Why King of Prussia? Because the Lilly HQ are located here.

Of course, if you are nowhere near this part of the planet, there are loads of online Lilly shops, and almost every single one has healthy markdowns on absolutely beautiful Lilly items. A few we love are Splash of Pink, or the Peppermint Palm; below we feature two girls dresses from the Peppermint Palm clearance selection.

As always, The Princess hopes anyone with information they think we should be sharing with the rest of the class (so to speak) will forward that to us via the comment form. Happy hunting and let’s remember this is not intended to be a contact sport!