Christina Ricci Is A Secret Prepster!

Since we were talking about Pan Am in the last post I couldn't help but think about Christina Ricci's style. Christina has been around for so long. Most people remember her best as a kid when she played the morose Wednesday in The Addams Family but my favorite film in which she is the cutest child ever was the film Mermaids. If you haven't seen it rent it now. Cher, Winona Ryder (right before she got really big and then went into her shop-lifting phase) and Christina star as one of the greatest mother-daughters teams ever. It is like Gilmore Girls except with a ton more sex and alcoholism. Because of that film I have a dream of only serving my children appetizers for every meal (see the movie and you'll get it).

Then Christina entered those awkward teenage years and made a lot of films where she kissed Devon Sawa. Come on. Admit you still love Now & Then. Then Chris decided to do some really weird artsy films like Bastard out of Carolina, That Darn Cat (well except for that one. You gotta pay the rent), The Ice Storm (which is amazing and Katie Holmes' film debut), The Opposite of Sex, Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas, Sleepy Hollow, Prozac Nation (which makes you want to die). Then I forgot she did that weird stint on Ally McBeal and one of my favorite new Woody Allen films, Anything Else (worth the rental).

In Black Snake Moan

You can't say the girl doesn't make interesting choices. You think she is a purely independent film actress but then she'll do a TV stint or a big film like Speed Racer. And then she does something like Black Snake Moan (in which she got super skinny) and now here she is on Pan Am. As for her style, she did definitely go through a rebellious teen phase but now she is a total prepster. She loves J.Crew and even puts her dogs in argyle sweaters. Let's take a look at some of her best looks.

Gorgeous

Very retro

So cute and tiny

Even though it is weird with the heart I think it is gorgeous

Elegant in black

Love the bag and the dog

Stripes! Cute coat! Skinny jeans! Flats!

Stripes!

Love the peach jacket and stripes!

Cute blue dress. Not loving the haircut on her.

Very cute. Girl loves her Chanel.

Are you ready for Pan Am?!!

You may or may not have noticed that of all the shows coming out this fall, there is a bit of a retro vibe. We've got the Charlie's Angels reboot, that show about the Playboy Club when it first started and the one I am most excited about, Pan Am.

I'm thinking these shows may have something to do with the success of that little show called Mad Men. Anyway, I am feeling mixed about The Playboy Club. They are trying to make Eddie Cibrian into the next Jon Hamm but it is just not going to happen. However, I think Pan Am does have potential. First of all I love that whole 1950's/early 1960's Catch me if You Can-era of flying. It was when people dressed up to fly and flight attendants weren't mad. The shows stars Kelli Garner (you may recognize her for that terrible show that it made it about two episodes, My Generation. It did not speak to me. It did not speak to anyone), Margot Elsie Robbie and believe it or not, Christina Ricci.

Little Wednesday Adams finally decided to do a TV show. I guess that guest spot on Grey's Anatomy got her hooked. Anyway, from the promo the show is pretty much about a fun, young group of stewardesses and the men who ogle them. No it actually looks very sweet and fun and like it actually possesses some of that Mad Men glamour. Take a look and I suppose take a look at The Playboy Club commercial if you must.

I am a Lilly girl!!

I am truly obsessed with Lilly Pulitzer to a disgusting point. I am even planning on naming my dog that I am getting later this summer Lilly Pulitzer. Well, Lilly Pulitzer or Bob Costas. I haven't decided yet. They both make really strong statements.

The story of Lilly Pulitzer is as old as time or 1958. I, of course, have it memorized but I am just going to confer with Wikipedia to make sure I get it exactly right. Lilly Pulitzer was born Lillan Lee McKim in Roslyn, New York in 1931. She attended the Chapin School in New York (one of her school mates was little miss Jacqueline Lee and we all know who that is). She then went on to Miss Porter's School and finally Finch College, the college-finishing school in New York City except she forgot to finish. Actually she left after one semester to work as a midwife's assistant in West Virginia (interesting) and a volunteer at the Veterans Hospital in The Bronx. Then in 1950 she got that last name Pulitzer when she married Peter Pulitzer, grandson of publisher Joseph Pulitzer. The young couple moved to Palm Beach, Florida where Peter owned several Florida citrus groves and Lilly opened a juice stand just off Worth Avenue. 

Miss Lilly Pulitzer herself in Palm Beach

Then Lilly made lemonade out of lemons. Actually it was oranges. She found that squeezing juice made a mess on her clothes so to camouflage the juice stains but still look super cute she designed a sleeveless shift dress made of bright, printed cotton. Customers loved the dress so she started making more and selling them at her juice stand. Eventually her "Lillys" took over the business and she decided they could get her farther than juice. Her use of bright colors just made everyone happy and like they were in Palm Beach all the time. In 1959 Lilly became president of her company Lilly Pulitzer. Jackie Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, and members of the Vanderbilt and Whitney clans loved her designs and from the 1960s to the early 1980s they were considered to be a staple of the preppy wardrobe. Everybody had to have their summer Lillys.

But by 1984 Lilly was tired and decided to retire and close down the entire Lilly operation!!! But then in 1993 (luckily from about 1986 through 1993 I only liked to wear pants so this shut down didn't affect me) the rights to the brand were purchased by Sugartown Worldwide (which was eventually taken over by Oxford) because they wanted to revive the brand!!! Lilly stayed on as a creative consultant and today the company has 75 Lilly Pulitzer signature stores, company-owned retail stores and is sold in stores like Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus. 

My local Lilly store on Madison Ave

In the past few years the brand has really exploded with more clothing as well as shoes, purses, jewelry, tech accessories (I have a Lilly iPad case!!!) and a bunch of other things in flower prints that no one needs. I usually opt for accessories because 1) they are really pretty 2) they are cheaper than a dress (LP knows how to make a buck) 3) unless you are super ballsy you have to be with the right crowd to wear a bright pink dress with orange elephants all over it. If you are in Nantucket, Palm Beach, Fire Island, Kennebunkport, Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod, Point O' Woods or Dorians on the Upper East Side then Lilly it up (I may have missed a few so consult The Preppy Handbook for more examples).

A Lilly family

When I see a Lilly dress I just get happy and not just because they are cheery prints but because someone had a really special idea years ago and generations of people love this clothing. And did you hear, she is coming out with furniture this summer!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh happy day!

Suri rocks it

Great book with decorating tips

My dream sandals

I actually carry this lunch box to work and I think I rock it.

A Lilly skirt is a summer essential

My favorite little clutch

And another great summer bag

Love her comforter designs

I think Mr.Popper's Penguins looks adorable because apparently I am 8-years-old

But in all seriousness "Mr. Popper's Penguins" was actually one of my favorite books as a kid. Yes it is a book! The film looks like it completely changed the entire plot plus made it take place in modern day while the original book was written in 1938 and was about a poor house painter who get a penguin in the mail one day. The film appears to be about a divorced Manhattan millionaire who inherits penguins. 

Okay so the plot is probably totally different from my beloved childhood favorite but we do get to see Jim Carrey who has been absent for a bit. There is no one better at taking beloved children's books and turning them into complete pieces of Hollywood crap than Jim Carrey (Hello grinch). But he still knows how to turn on the charm and I think he is at his best when kids are involved and penguins!!! 

I LOVE PENGUINS! Remember that year when they were so trendy and hot? I mean first we had The March of the Penguins which was just ridiculously awesome. I mean do you remember the heartbreaking performance of those penguins? I mean with all the walking in the cold and the protection of the egg. That film had everything: drama, suspense, comedy (like you didn't laugh when the one fell on her ass and moaned) and birds in tuxedos. Then came Happy Feet which started off fun but then became this big depressing environmental statement. My favorite penguins were, of course, the ones from Madagascar but that is overall just an amazing film. But the penguins in Mr.Popper's are real (or at least CGI-real)! The dancing scene trailer is also adorable and I laugh hilariously at it everytime I watch because I truly am an 8-year-old. 

J.Crew J'Adore

J.Crew is seriously my favorite clothing store. I just think of color when I hear the words J.Crew. And I just feel happier when I walk into a J.Crew store. It probably has something to do with bright colors and endorphins. Or maybe buying things just really makes me happy. Haha. I'm shallow. Anyway, I can't really remember exactly when the obsession started though I do remember being very happy whenever that catalogue arrived in the mail. I would devour it! Plus, does everyone remember when the cast of Dawson's Creek was in the catalogue? J.Crew pretty much sponsored that show.

 I also loved it last fall when the cast of the little seen but very good film The Romantics based on the book by Galt Niederhoffer. So Katie Holmes was once again doing another J.Crew campaign. She must have some sort of life-long contract with them.

Sparkles!

Of course, at that point the clothes were still a little old for me but by high school things were finally starting to look pretty good. I think I had rugby shirts that were exactly the same but in slightly different shades of orange. I probably would have a worn a potato sack if it said J.Crew on it (who am I kidding? I still would). And I mean now kids can wear it with Crew Cuts? Sometimes those clothes are way cooler than my stuff. I mean I pretty much consider everything Suri Cruise wears. Not really but actually kinduv. 

The store just continues to amaze me. With Jenna Lyons and her amazing sense of style at the helm the store continues to brand and just find new ways to use sparkles and make striped shirts. Read more about Jenna here. I am pretty sure I have bought 100 J.Crew striped shirts in my lifetime.

The adorable and amazing Jenna Lyons

I'm not even going to talk about how awesome people wear the brand like Michelle Obama but I am just saying.

Michelle Obama

Bryce Dallas Howard in old J.Crew at the MTV Movie Awards

Katie again

I don't know why you would wear a train hat with your bathingsuit or need a purse but it looks cute.

I AM OBSESSED WITH THESE BALLET FLATS

Patterns!

Stripes!