Is Martha’s Latest Deal a Good Thing? Also, Sales & Savings of the Preppish Kind

Hello-Hello, and happy Wednesday Thursday to everyone.

Once again we apologize for the less-than-sporadic posts, the crush of business has translated into no time for blogging. With regrets, it’s possible we may only be able to do one or two more posts before Christmas, eeek!

Today we begin with last week’s news that Martha Stewart has made a deal JC Penney, quite a deal.  Penney’s is buying a piece of Ms. Stewart’s company, they will be selling Ms. Stewart’s merchandise at its stores.  Not everyone thinks this is a brilliant move for JC Penney; Women’s Wear Daily’s story on the news questions the wisdom of the arrangement:

It’s a brand that’s been bounced around from retailer to retailer, has lost some cachet and embraces styles and a color palette that’s tasteful, safe and not particularly compelling. The Stewart deal is far from the groundbreaking pact… to bring Sephora shops into Penney’s stores, which moved the retailer into the beauty category in a major way, brought in a slew of high-end brands — and lured younger, hipper consumers.

Readers are no doubt aware omni-Martha Martha Stewart is currently sold at Macy’s. (Not including Martha merchandise at Home Depot (shown below), at KMart, or at Michael’s, and perhaps other places your trusty scribe doesn’t know about.)

Home Depot

Back to the Macy’s part of the story, obviously the department store has made an enormous investment in Ms. Stewart.

Macy's

From all we have read and seen the arrangement has paid off for both parties. (Below we show the Martha Stewart Collection Biscuit Cutters and Digital Thermometer at Macy’s.)

Apparently Macy’s was not thrilled to learn of the deal, more on that angle from the WWD story:

Many believe that Macy’s was blindsided by the Penney’s deal, and that it’s possible Stewart didn’t disclose her intentions with Penney’s, though Macy’s would have expected her to, and to try to work on improving her Macy’s business before taking it to the competition.

A Wall Street Journal article offers this:

In a statement Wednesday, Macy’s said it will review its Martha Stewart product line for “potential changes” in light of “the proliferation of Martha Stewart-branded product in the marketplace.”

Ouch.

We forgot Martha at PetSmart.

Back to the WWD story:

“A retailer who has done business with Stewart said, “Her merchandise has never been a barn burner in terms of sales. The category is not something that ever skyrockets. This is not like Target investing in Michael Graves and creating really edgy highly acclaimed product…”

Hmmm, obviously we’ll be hearing more about this one.

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Our other topic today, all those seasonal Sales & Savings Opportunities, many offering some preptastic style statements.

Vineyard Vines

• Vineyard Vines is offering an additional 30% off all sale merchandise, use code ELF for the discount
• Tory Burch is doing ‘up to 30% off’ select handbags, jewelry & accessories’ along with free shipping on all orders
• Ralph Lauren offers free shipping on all orders through the 20th, use code RLFS2011
• Banana Republic is taking 30% off your entire order and doing free shipping with a $50 purchase, use code BRGET30 at checkout for the savings
• Gapis touting it’s big sale and also offering free shipping with a $50 purchase
  

  The Gap

• Sadly, Talbots continues to do whatever it can to move merchandise, everything is 40% off, including full price and sale merchandise.
• Kate Spade has a solid amount of merchandise on sale and is providing free shipping to all 50 states
• J. Crew is offering free shipping on any order today only (or so they say), use code JINGLE
• Neimans, Saks, Nordstrom and almost all of the major department stores are offering either sales, clearances and/or promotional pricing. Neiman’s Last Call(in stores & online) is also doing 40% off one regular priced item through the 16th, as well as an additional 30% off your entire purchase through the 22nd
  

  Neiman Marcus Last Call

We leave you with this, Bergdorf’s fabulous holiday video about the store going to the dogs.

"Unleashed" by Bergdorf Goodman

Ho-Ho-Ho. May your holidaze Christmas and Hanukkah preps be going well.

A Preppy Collaboration

Happy Monday, it was a hectic weekend here at the Prepatorium, the days ahead are destined to be even busier, eek!

We begin with a look at another design partnership, this one between a longtime favorite, Pendleton, and retailer Eddie Bauer. The two companies from the Pacific northwest have collaborated since the 1920s, below we see a page from the 1948 Eddie Bauer catalog, the first year Pendleton products were shown in that catalog.

Pendleton/Eddie Bauer

The new collection is geared for the holidays, Bedding & Home items include classic Pendleton motifs.

The Christmas stockings are $59.95, crafted of pure wool. The jacquard wool tote is $199.95, the wool shirt comes in two colorways and runs $129.95.

There are also items for your MOTH (Man Of The House), including these.

The collection is available now.

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Our other item today involves an update on the much ballyhooed Versace for H&M collection, launching this Thursday in London, on Saturday in the States. We wanted to follow up not because we believe our treasured readers are enormous Versace fans (although there is a plethora of Pretty in Pink), but because of the analogy made in our post between this launch and the Missoni for Target problems.  First, a backgrounder on the “issues” (there’s a euphemism) faced by Le Boutique Targét with the Missoni launch:

“We all know what happened recently with Missoni for Target–that collection disappeared instantly, online shoppers got $25 consolation gift cards instead of cute zigzagged coffee cups, and items showed up on eBay for exorbitant prices.”

That comes via Fashionista. Not mentioned, the issue of Target’s website going down. For hours.

At any rate, it turns out H&M has rules in place to prevent just the kinds of issue outlined above, especially the re-selling of products at online auction sites like ebay.  From The Telegraph here are rules for those shopping in London.

Shoppers will be allowed in stores in groups of 20, with a shopping allowance of just 10 minutes. Customers can only buy one of each item and only in one size to stop customers buying for their friends or bulk-buying popular styles to sell on eBay.

Fashionista also has been been told the guidleines will be similar for US shoppers. Of course, the biggest distinction between this launch and Missoni for Target is the lack of online sales, the giant retailer isn’t expected to offer that until next year.

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We have two quick Sales & Savings Opportunities to pass on, the first comes via the folks at Vineyard Vines, a reminder its Friends & Family promotion offering 25% off everything ends at midnight. Use promo code FAMILY to receive the discount.

Also, J. Crew is offering an additional 30% off sale merchandise, both online and in store.

The promotion is good through Sunday night (the 20th), the promo code is MUSTHAVE, it is *not* applicable at factory stores.

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

Lilly Pulitzer Bridal Gowns & Jon Hamm Does Daycare

Hello-Hello, and happy Wednesday!

We are really in the midst of a major rush of new products, much of it involving Lilly love! Today we have a sneak peek at the Lilly Pulitzer Bridal collection and in just a few days we will be showing the Fall 2010 goodies from our Lilly Stationery and Gifts line! But here we go with some of the soon-to-be-released dresses.

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer via A Splash of Elegance

Many readers may be familiar with Lilly’s Wedding Wear focus, and the existing dresses that are suitable for wear in that capacity.

The new dresses are by Designer Bride, a collection of gowns from four noted designers; in addition to Lilly the others are David Meister, Angel Sanchez and Carmen Marc Valvo. According to Women’s Wear Daily (subscription req’d.) there are twelve Lilly gowns in total.

“The collection featured signature Lilly prints done in “white on white” and the “Lilly lace” applied on a gown. Standouts were the short versions, such as a lace cocktail dress with cap sleeves and a grosgrain ribbon belt.”

The Designer Bride line debuted to buyers last week. More from the WWD story:

“The first collection down the runway was Lilly Pulitzer, which showed 12 dresses inspired by destination weddings in resort towns such as Palm Beach, Fla.; Palm Springs, Calif., and Nantucket, Mass.”

Bridal is a wise move, J. Crew is doing very well with its wedding collection and new standalone bridal store.

The gowns will not be sold at Lilly Pulitzer stores or online, they will be available at 61 bridal boutiques late this year or in early 2011. Our next look requires a full shot to better show its lace overlay atop the layer of soft pink.

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer via A Splash of Elegance

This is probably our favorite dress in the shorter profile, you know how we are when it comes to bows!

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer via A Splash of Elegance

On the left, beading and/or other embellishment enhances the clean, classic lines. The style shown on the right, while not our favorite look, includes a tunic that alone would be stunning. And scandalously short in some circles.

The sharp wedding planners over at A Splash of Elegance posted these and we couldn’t resist sharing them, and they are also now available for online drooling viewing! Below, one final dress from the new collection.

Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer via A Splash of Elegance

To give you an idea of some of the pieces currently on the Wedding Wear portion of the Lilly site, here are the Betsey dress (L) and the Layton dress (R).

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Today’s other item of note deals with our tedious obsession fondness for Mad Men.

Mizzou Magazine

Mizzou Magazine’s summer issue features a story on the show’s star, actor Jon Hamm.

Mizzou Magazine

We must thank MLD, her kindness in sharing the story is more than appreciated. Although we went to school in Columbia (Missouri), we did not attend the University of Missouri, matriculating instead at the women’s college located in that community, so we would not have been aware of the story.

One of the more interesting tidbits in the story? Learning that Mr. Hamm taught Daycare at an establishment in Columbia called Kids Depot, getting the job by suggesting the facility have more men on staff. The story also takes note of the actor’s popularity:

“Hamm’s name and image are ubiquitous: Hamm on People magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive list. Hamm hosting Saturday Night Live. Hamm modeling menswear of the 1960s, in photos by Annie Leibovitz. Hamm featured in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Rolling Stone, GQ, In Style, Entertainment Weekly, Elle and most of the popular press.”

Happy reading.

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A quick Sales and Savings opportunity for fans of Vineyard Vines: ‘members only/by invitation only’ discount site Gilt is offering pieces from the popular retailer. For example, the Puzzle Whale classic tote shown on the left is on sale for $25, the Mini Murray beach tote is $22. A word of caution: these sales historically sell out of goods fairly quickly.

 

If interested in this, or future sales at Gilt, and in need of an invitation, simply click here.

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We leave you with a look at what Best Week Ever calls “The World’s Most Photoshopped Dog“. The pooch in question is found in Polo Ralph Lauren’s Camp Polo graphics.

Courtesy Polo Ralph Lauren

Writer Dan Hopper points out it is “…the most poorly Photoshopped dog-in-a-shirt I’ve ever seen.” The site also offers this graphic:

Via Best Week Ever

Until next time, there you have it.

 

J. Crew Bridal 2010, Sales & Savings of a Preppish Sort

Hello-Hello and Happy Friday!

Doesn’t it take forever to get to this particular Friday every year? This one following the New Year’s? Or is it just our old and ancient self?

Lest we lapse into a whineathon, we move on to a quick glance at this spring’s J. Crew Bridal look book:

J. Crew

Officially dubbed “Weddings and Parties Spring 2010 Preview,’ the line continues to offer stellar alternatives to more costly bridal attire.  First up, the Chiffon/Organza Dune gown.

Courtesy Photo via The Frisky

For some reason the Silk-Cotton Estate dress seen below appears heavy and bulky, even when taking into account a thicker, weightier fabric. It must be the lines or the lighting or the shot. Or something.

J Crew via The Frisky

This one makes up for that with its light and appealing lines.

Our thanks to Bridal Opulence and The Frisky! To peruse the entire collection, just click here.

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We have just a few Friday Fun bits and bytes today, almost all of them of the Sales & Savings kind; we are trying to keep your pocketbook in mind.

There are lots of Angela Moore goodies available at a splendid price point in Angela’s Attic, we had nary a clue about the Attic and its treasures!

The Buzzy Bees classic (L) is now $24.99 (a nice savings from the original $50), as is the Confetti Pink/Lime classic.

Next, a reminder the Brooks Brothers clearance continues apace; if seeking a look that combines tartan and madras for the man in your life, here is a possibility.   On the right we show the Black Fleece Knit Jacket for women, reduced in price by 50%. (FYI, it appears much of the Black Fleece is discounted.)

Talbots is also offering some bang-up bargains.

As one might expect, both Kate Spade and Tory Burch also have significant discounts available, both in-store and online.

The Vineyard Vines guys are doing their ‘Whale of a Sale,’ with offers like this Argyle V-Neck, reduced to $89.99.

The discounted merchandise offered in the Boys and Girls sale section is darling, per usual with this retailer. On the left, the Girls’ Corduroys and right, the Girls’ Striped Rugby Dress.

For today’s Pretty in Pink, we go with a man’s style we would personally be pleased to sport, the pink cashmere sweater from Matthew Williamson’s new menswear line.

Courtesy Photo via WWD

It is a luscious look. We also appreciate the cool yet vibrant pairing of olive and fuchsia seen on the scarf. While not for us, it seems like a very hot color combination this year. Below we show two looks from Louis Vuitton’s pre-fall group using an almost identical palette.

It is an eye-catching combo.

We leave you with a look at the new line Tarina Tarantino is launching at Sephora come February.

PHOTO: George Chinsee/WWD

May everyone enjoy a recuperative and restorative weekend!

Photo Credits Louis Vuitton: L George Chinsee/WWD, R courtesy photo via Style.com.