Pink’s New Shirt, Talbots & Target Sneak Peeks

Hello-hello!

We are hyper-busy today, so we shall do some quick blog-bombs! (Essentially Headlines with a brief tidbit, and/or photos.)

There will be a new addition to this fall’s line of Thomas Pink shirts. This WWD story explains the upscale retailer’s announcement that it will offer a wrinkle-free shirt in its Men’s line.  An intriguing thought, although we are somewhat disconcerted, uncertain we wish to purchase ‘crease-resistant’ shirts for the Consort at Pink.

Speaking of TSU (The Spousal Unit), he was more-than-disappointed to learn one of his favorite haunts for apparel is struggling.  Mark Shale becomes another unfortunate SOTT (Sign of the Times), with word they are filing bankruptcy and plan to close stores in Kansas City, Atlanta, and Dallas. The 3 Chicago-area stores will be kept open as a buyer for them is sought; the outlet store closed on Monday. 

When visiting Chicago it is not unusual for TSU to pop into the Michigan Avenue store; he is also fond of the Galleria location (Dallas).  The retailer has women’s apparel as well, with brands many readers will recognize for their exceptional quality and style. This is a shame, as Mark Shale runs an outstanding operation with customer service unmatched by 99.% of their counterparts. 

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Those who follow TP on Twitter may remember yesterday’s Tweet about Talbots’ boosting the age of its target customer; previously they were hoping to reach Women age 45 – 55/65, now it is 45 to 65+.  Yikes.

We wanted to share a few looks from Talbots’ fall line. (We don’t know if these styles fit with a marketing plan aimed at women 65+… your thoughts?)

Courtesy Photo via WWD

The look in the picture above seems more suitable for the under-55 demo IOHO, while this next style easily transcends age. 

Courtesy Photo via WWD

The Women’s Wear Daily story describes some of the looks: 

“Among some of the highlights of the fall collection, are cardigans with ruffles, bows and rosettes; printed scarves and waist sashes; sheath and lace evening dresses from $129 to $149…”

Courtesy Photo via WWD

Here in the corner condo we are hopeful these photos do not represent the best of the fall fashions, as there is little that appealed to us.   

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We have an update on the eco-friendly Loomstate for Target Collection due in stores in time for Earth Day which is April 22. 

Photo by Talaya Centeno

All of these pieces are made from certified 100% organic cotton. 

Photo by Talaya Centeno

 It is nice to see a GO International line with menswear, just a few photos down. 

Courtesy Photo

These next two photos are via the fabulous Nitrolicious, who has several more pictures from the group on her site.  

Pieces in the collection will range in price from $14.99 through $44.99. The men’s collection will be in stores about a month longer than the women’s, but as with many of Target’s limited edition collections, pieces may go quickly.  

That serves as a good reminder: the Thakoon for Target Collection is now drastically reduced. The clearance pricing includes things like tops at $4.24 and dresses at $13.99 

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For today’s Pretty in Pink we have several offerings, simply because we have absolutely no self-control in some areas. (We recognize that for most readers this is not new information.)

How about the Hello Kitty Polka Dots rain coat for kids?

Of course there is a matching Hello Kitty umbrella available, also at DLL Rainwear.

No need to be alarmed about finding something of this sort for your very own: the Pink Damask Raincoat for Women.

On that cheery note we say ‘bye, as we fly out the door!

Ralph Lauren…at the White House? Gossip Girl Reality Show in the Works

Hello and Happy Friday!  It seems the week has either flown by at a furious pace or been painfuly slow, no in-betweens for our friends and business associates. What about you? Frenzied crazy-fast? Or painfully slow-as-molasses?

Speaking of a frenzy, Fashion Week is officially underway. We will do our best to share relevant updates, photos and info as we can.  In fact, we’ll start with a little gossip via the always-on-top-of-things staff at NY Mag.  The GQ fashion week party was Wednesday night, and apparently the conversation turned to the Obama family and their sartorial selections.  Several attendees considered ‘preppy purveyors’ talked about the President’s selection of neckties.

“… designer Tommy Hilfiger said that while his company had not formally approached the Obamas about wearing his designs, “I know Barack wears some of my ties, I’ve seen them.” David Lauren, clad in Rugby and wearing a foot cast after a run-in with a cracked Soho sidewalk, added that the Obamas “have great style … and if they choose to wear us, we’d love it.”

The “He likes me better!” “No he doesn’t, he likes me best!” one-upsmanship apparently continued:

“But even if Sasha and Malia Obama eschew outsized Polo ponies this season, rest assured that the Ralph Lauren brand has already made its mark on the White House. “I believe that [the Obama girls’] rooms have been painted with Ralph Lauren paints,” said Lauren.”

We expect everyone shall enjoy much more restful sleep this evening being in possession of this information.

BTW, the online Tommy store does have *all* kids merchandise 30% off, according to the website:

Tommy Hilfiger

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On a quasi-related note, one of our original Anti-Preps, Kim Kardashian, is evidently attending some shows at Fashion Week.  Seriously.  Ms.Kardashian claims the idea to attend some of the shows was actually the brainchild (?) of “Reggie.” (Apologies, but we do not know Reggie, although we presume he is a romantic interest for Ms. Kardashian.)

At any rate, apparently the two are planning on being at the Adidas Y-3 show. Below we show a Y-3 look:

Courtesy Ruby Hornet

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Big news for Gossip Girl fans: Bravo is launching a reality show based on Gossip Girl! Broadcasting & Cable reports a new show is planned by the producer who does Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style.

The story on the magazine’s website says:

“The docudrama is being described by insiders as the real-life Gossip Girl, although the show will not feature any of Manhattan’s exclusive schools specifically.

This is not the first time a reality show based on the G2 theme has been attempted:

‘CBS also looked into a reality series about students at the Manhattan private school York Prep, but the school was said to be skittish about the attention such a project would bring.”

The story says the show will air later this year.

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We share a few SOTTs (Signs of the Times) our readers may deem to be of note:

• Both the The Inter-Con Montelucita & W resort hotels in Scottsdale are facing foreclosure. (Both remain 0pen.)
• The Knickerbocker Yacht Club is closing, according to this Newsday story.  Not a club we have ever visited, the article’s online photos show the charm of the Port Washington Club.  Apparently members even looked at merging with Manhasset Bay Yacht Club YC, but that is not an option. The Club has been in operation for 135 years.

• 

  PHOTO: Ana P. Gutierrez/Newsday

Our thanks to Luxist for both of these tips.

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Hello Kitty now has some hip apparel designs to accompany her MAC Cosmetics collection. MAC asked multiple designers to create looks for the doll; below we show two sketches, starting with Emanuel Ungaro:

Courtesy Vogue UK/Ungaro

If that isn’t the cutest pink bow, we don’t know what is. Of course, here at the Prepatorium we believe “Life is Better with a Bow,” so we are favorably predisposed to bows. Especially if they are pink.  This creation by Elie Saab also features a pink bow, although not quite as prominently.

Courtesy Vogue UK/Elie Saab

Other designers include Herve Leger by Max Azria, Zac Posen and Charlotte Ronson.  Each of the eight designs was then made into an actual garment; they are now being auctioned on eBay as a fundraiser for the FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York. It is worth a nanosecond or two to see how the sketches translated into reality, very fun!

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Okay, it is time for some Pretty in Pink to perk up the gray day outside.  How about these darlings for your little darling? The Kenneth Cole Bow Glitz ‘n Bow Flats are sized for Infants & Toddlers; they are on sale for about $19 at 6pm.

A reminder that 6pm is actually Zappo’s site for sale and clearance merchandise – bargains abound! And speaking of fiscally friendly shopping, Target has the entire Thakoon Collection marked down, with discounts that look substantial.

On that happy note, don’t forget to enter our Lilly Pulitzer Stationery Giveaway, and Happy-Happy weekend!

Thakoon & Hayden-Harnett Target Updates, Another Gossip Girl Cover

Hello-Hello and Happy Tuesday Happy New Year’s Eve!

Today we are Yesterday we were pondering the fabulousness of electricity in all its many applications… it truly is a beautiful invention. And we don’t just say that because the GGPs (great-grandparents) wintered next door to Mr. Edison in Ft. Myers.  Nor because we have just returned arrived home Tuesday night from the Queen Mother’s estate, following a  few detours along the way.  At retail establishments.  Actually, this was the first time we remember taking refuge (ahem) in a store to avoid becoming the next snowman on the block.

Which brings us to this afternoon as we make every effort to keep our head from exploding.  You see, while still favorably inclined toward the benefits of functioning electricity, we must inform you that shortly after the power was restored we lost another vital service: the telephone.  Which translates into no internet access.  Rather essential here in the corner condo at Preppy Princess HQ, what with our little online boutique being… well, online.

No. Phone. And. No. Internet. Access. For almost twenty-four hours. A situation not rectified by even a Jumbo Prozac Latte. And we assure you that retail therapy would have been a total waste of hairspray.  The online site was fine, we just couldn’t get online ourselves. When the AT&T imbecile finally floated by for a visit this morning we were inclined to accost him, but The Consort said if we did that he would be unable to repair things.  We do love the T-1 line we have, it delivers the oh-so-fast-web-access as promised, but being without landbased phone service as well as the internet is really most unpleasant. Harrumph.

Rather than get our whiskers in a wad, we’ll just cease the whine-athon and get down to business.  In Sunday’s post we promised to file an update on the Thakoon for Target collection as soon as we were able to visit the Boutique in person.

Yesterday’s Monday’s agenda included a family outing to the spanking new Target near the Queen Mother’s home base, in part to allow TP & TQM to better inspect the Thakoon. (We also looked at the scant Hayden-Harnett offerings available, an entirely separate topic of conversation.) HRH, the Princely Sibling also joined us, although he did not share the same level of enthusiasm for the excusion as we.

Thakoon for Target

Overall the line is very well merchandised. The pieces look vastly superior to the photographs we have previously shared, all of them true to Thakoon’s design aesthetic. Many of the sweaters and tees have a soft, supple feel to the touch.

Unfortunately not all of the pieces share this characteristic; many are polyester.  These do not feel at all soft or silky, but slightly slimy, forcing TQM to recoil in horror. (A little dramatic, yes, but to be fair we don’t know if she has ever worn any synthetic textiles, certainly not next to the skin.)  The Camo Print Cami shown above in Navy & Yellow is all poly, as is the Colorblock Cami seen below.

Thakoon for Target

Reactions to the Collection that we have seen and/or heard:

• Pieces do not run true to size, with fit is all over the map
• The quality is very good to excellent
• The quality is poor to shoddy
• Quantities are running low with some stores completely out of stock on multiple items
• Your best bet for purchasing anything is online

Well dolls, it is now your obligation opportunity to share any insight you may have on the topic.  Our best suggestion for anyone contemplating a purchase would be to read all of the reviews each customer is leaving on the Target site; they are enlightening.

BTW, Thakoon is looking smarter every day with his decision to offer ‘Thakoon Addition,’ a capsule collection with lower opening price points.  The good folks at the  Style File blog have a wonderful interview with the designer.  Our favorite quote comes when he is talking about Michelle Obama wearing one of his designs the final night of the Democratic Convention in Denver; the dress was one of his signature print:

“A print dress? On TV? There’s change you can believe in.”

We also seek your input on our next topic, the Hayden-Harnett for Target accessory line due at your local store Monday.  Below, the Canvas Hobo:

Hayden-Harnett for Target

The new line for Target from the popular handbag designers was a tad slow in arriving at some stores; we saw only 4 different bag designs on display during Monday’s visit to the retailer.

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As we mentioned in Sunday’s post about the Penn Badgley spread in January’s GQ, magazine covers continue to be peopled by Gossip Girl stars.  Now we learn of CosmoGirl Prom’s next cover, featuring….

CosmoGirl Prom

Taylor Momsen.

PHOTO: Ezra Patchett

Our thanks to Just Jared Jr., for the photos of Ms. Momsen showcased in a number of… um… well, extraordinary prom dresses, how’s that sound? In all candor, one really looked very sweet.

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Regular readers know TP is a fan of Vivre, not only for their fashion sense and good taste, but also for their delightful presentation and superb online publications.  The upscale site is also having an outstanding Clearance Sale, nothing to sneeze at given the current economic climate. (A reminder: it is five o’clock: do you know where your trust fund is?)

Markdowns have been taken on a plethora of merchandise at Vivre, including some much-too-fun napkin rings from Kim Seybert:

Vivre.com

They would make the perfect gift for someone near and dear to us, and at 40% off their original price of $115 they look like a solid buy.  However, at $69 for a set of four they are not for everyone, and the recipient we have in mind might throttle us if we allocated that amount to their Birthday gift budget.

Fortunately this same person is simply gaga for the Shoreline napkin rings at the Princess, a mere $5.50 each, or just $20 for a set of four.

Shoreline Napkin Rings at PreppyPrincess.com

That’s it for this post. Until next time, we shall be awaiting your insider knowledge on the topics detailed above!

We close with a TDF classic car for our Pretty in Pink, a 1958 Continental Coupe.

We send everyone a massive “Thank You” for the wit, wisdom, and strength you shared this year as we became part of the Blogosphere.  You are all Prepalicious in our mind! Happy, Happy New Year!

Thakoon for Target Now Online, Gossip Guy goes Prep

Hello-Hello and Happy Days-After-Christmas!

A quick reminder to all that the Thakoon for Target collection has dropped, at least online. 32 items are priced below $24, the additional 23 items are in the $25 – $49 range, so the Collection is fiscally friendly, as promised.

As best we can tell from the photos, there are some nice pieces, like the Oxford Stripe Tee:

Thakoon for Target®

The Sleeveless Sweater is also cotton, available in ‘navy pride’ and grey.

Thakoon for Target

The brightly colored bathing suits look fun, and are wisely being sold as separates, similar to the way Shoshanna markets her fabulous swimsuits. Many of the looks carry a preppy aesthetic in either their overall design or the textile pattern. (Or both in isolated instances.)

We aren’t overly entranced with all of the pieces in the collection; this Pleated Stripe Dress is 100% polyster. Ouch. It is a shame, because it almost looks like the perfect repp tie stripe, no?

Sadly, the colorblock dress we were so enchanted by in all of the early photos is also polyester.

We just don’t understand the poly, especially when used for pieces designed to be worn next to one’s skin. Who knows, TP is frequently wrong and it is entirely possible our opinion will be changed after visiting the Boutique and feeling the material firsthand. So to speak. At any rate, the entire Collection should be available tomorrow morning at those Target stores  designated to carry the line.

We can only hope it won’t be long before we learn if this gifted designer has been selected to style either Michelle Obama’s Inaugural gown, or her daytime look for January 20th.

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Another month, another big magazine story featuring one of the oh-so-popular Gossip Girl stars.

PHOTO: Terry Richardson

In the January 2009 GQ (yes, the one with Ms. Aniston on the cover in nothing but a Brooks Brothers tie) issue, actor Penn Badgley is featured in “AMERICAN SPLENDOR – Essential pieces of sartorial Americana worn by Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley. In the photo above Mr.Badgley wears a Lacoste sweater and polo shirt.

PHOTO: Terry Richardson

All pieces shown in the photo above are Polo by Ralph Lauren. We found the caption/descriptor intriguing:

“It used to be that cardigans were worn by preppies and grandpas. Lately, they’re worn by everyone from artists to DJs (and yes, still grandpas). Try yours with a tie—you needn’t belong to a Princeton eating club to pull it off.”

BTW, Mr. Badgley and co-star/off-screen companion Blake Lively are named as one of the “Best Celebrity Hookups 2008” in a story from Canada’s National Post.  (We can hardly contain our excitement.)

PHOTO: Robert Pitts/Landov/MCT

Another ‘Gossip Guy’ figures in a cover story for the upcoming Spring issue of “YourProm” magazine. Teen singing sensation Taylor Swift (a talent of whom we are quite fond) shares her dream date for prom; it is none other than Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford.

Your Prom

BTW, GQ is running a contest on their site featuring (among other prizes) a $10,000 J. Crew wardrobe.

And finally, a look at what happens When Pink Goes Wrong:

No one will be surprised to learn the pink Bentley belongs to one of our very first anti-preps.

We are now speechless.

🙂