Many of us here in New England are preparing for storms, such as this morning's moving boats up river and bringing the stairs in off the beach. We also have to anticipate some time without power. One thing that stores well is these cookies, so I made a few batches (the recipe is at the end of this entry).
Unanswered Questions
However, between the storm and some business travel, I am a bit behind on answering reader questions.
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| Waiting for delayed flights yesterday at least allowed time to inspect some Brooks Brothers offerings at their airport mall store. |
Reader Questions
I. Firstly, thank you very much for your wonderful blog! I have two quick questions:1) I am an Episcopal clergyman (and was pleased to see St. Thomas, 5th Ave. -- one of the most beautiful churches in this country -- a part of your Christmas Eve tradition, though I was sorry you were not able to stay for the service). As such, I feel obliged to break with you eschewal of black as a staple color for clothing, though of course I agree with you completely with respect to lay dress. I also run on the "big and tall" (ugh) side of the spectrum, measuring in at 6 feet, 5 inches tall. I would love to be able to find a classic sack suit (no darting, no padded shoulders, three button jacket with the lapel rolling to the second button, unpleated trousers with cuffs) in black. Do you have any suggestions? Also, not breaking the bank is an important criterion.
2) Despite a four year sojourn in New Haven for my education, and despite having had two sets of ancestors arrive in this country on the Mayflower (John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, and Thomas Rogers), my family left New England for the South shortly after their arrival. We are southerners. I was wondering whether you had any observations on differences between Northern and Southern prep. The differences I have noticed tend to be differences of degree rather than kind -- for example: a heavier emphasis on socklessness in the South. For me, young men in church -- even, depending on location, after Labor Day -- wearing a navy blazer or seersucker jacket, oxford shirt, bow tie, and penny loafers sans socks, is the quintessence of prep. Also, in winter, it seems to me that a sturdy pair of upland hunting boots (by, e.g., Gokey) or even cowboy boots here in Texas, are common stand-ins where one might see the LL Bean Duck Boot in New England. Thoughts?
God bless.
II. I need your help ASAP! I've been invited to sit in the President's box at the US Open in September. I have no clue what to wear. Gentlemen must wear a coat and tie, and ladies dress up but not too dressy (sort of dressy casual, whatever that means). The weather could be hot, cool (cold for someone that lives in Florida), rainy, or sunny. Please help! I have no idea what to wear and a very short time frame to shop.
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| Khakis and Boat Shoes |
On a side note, I have two pairs of Lands' End Canvas Heritage Straight Fit khakis which have performed well but I am looking for a lighter color for my next pair and alas, they don't have such a color.
Thanks (especially because I know how impossible a request this is!).
IV. Hi Muffy,
I enjoy reading your blog & always appreciate your opinion on the preppy classics. I am needing (wanting) new boat shoes for the Fall. They are my go-to shoe for apple picking & enjoying Fall weekends on the Cape. I have always owned Sperrys, but my most recent pair of A/Os seem to be wearing out rather quickly & aren't as supportive as I remember them to be. So, I am considering Sebagos. I don't think I've owned a pair since elementary school in the 80's, so I don't remember the quality. However, on first glance, they appear sturdier & better made than the ole Sperrys. I was wondering what your thoughts are on the great boat shoe debate?
Thanks in advance for your response. I hope you are enjoying the last days of our treasured New England Summer.
Cheers!
Since some have asked, here is the recipe.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 sticks butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour - I use a mixture of whole wheat, white whole wheat and white flour as well as some bran
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups 1-minute, raw oatmeal
1 cup chocolate bits
Preparation
Heat oven to 350°F, although I set my oven to 375. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and chocolate bit; mix well.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes ( I cook mine for 15 minutes) or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.
17 comments:
My suggestion for the lucky lady who will be sitting in the President's box at the US Open would be a lovely Lilly P dress.
Those oatmeal cookies sound delicious! Stay safe during Hurricane Irene!
I vote for the Sebagos. I have found that in quality they are in every way comparable to Sperry's--only thing to be aware of is Sebago's soles have a different, wider "squeegee" pattern that can pick up dirt. I also like Bean's boat shoes, no-frills but less expensive and functional. They have soles like the Sperry's.
Dear Muffy: Those cookies look sooooo yummy, and the recipe almost identical to ours! Best wishes for a safe passage through the storm--"One hand for you, and one for the Ship!"
II. Google images, see if you can find pictures of what people wear. It isn't too late for a lady to wear a huge sun hat, is it? If it blocks the view of the person behind you, even better.
I. 2. New England has the prep thing down- bright colors, boating inspired details. In the South (Miss.) it's browns and subdued colors. My friends from the Delta who all went to prep school wear Mountain Khakis, things like that- it's function, lots of people in the South still live on farms; it's an interesting mix of preppy and carhartt. If you wore a ribbon belt you'd be laughed out of town.
III. You can find Bill's on sale all the time. See ebay or sierra.
Birddog - interesting observation. I don't have a lot of experience with southern prep, but I would have said the opposite, regarding color - northern prep is more subdued, while southern prep (both clothing and home decor) involves more color. The "pink and green" prep colors come into play in the summer in the north, but only by SOME people. They're rare in other seasons. I would say it's mostly navy, khaki, hunter green, red, burgundy, brown, natural tones most of the time here in the north.
For some reason most female prep blogs seem to be of the southern variety, and they focus on color, and maybe that's why I have the impression I do of southern prep. Then again, I consider most of those to be phony... any prep blog with "pink" or "princess" in the name is automatically idiotic in my book. Extra points lost for having both of those words in one blog name.
Oh, to add... I believe that northern prep (particularly in New England) is also rooted in functionality - plenty of people in the northeast still live on farms, or have hobby farms, or at least own land. Even if that is no longer the case for many people, the fashion, in my opinion, is still rooted in practicality. I don't see a lot of people wearing ribbon belts outside of certain locations where preps summer, and really only DURING the summer. Even then, plenty of people aren't wearing ribbon belts.
Maybe we have a mutual misunderstanding of preps from the other side of the line....
"Khakis,"as they are called, are best found in Europe. American cotton looks like it's layered in plastic. It makes the fabric behave in an unnatural way. It doesn't crease, it has no depth. It looks "wash and wear." It's not traditional. I can spot those pants a mile away on American tourists here in Italy where I live. Italians clothes companies have beautiful classic style cotton pants, with or without pleats, but there are several French labels that are pretty good as well.
Anon: I go to the Harvard Yale game from time to time (dad and wife went to H, mom to Y) and visit inland CT for family. Frankly nothing has jumped out at me as being too terribly different, it was just an observation.
Khakis. I am sure that I will run afoul of various sensibilities, but I have found that Banana Republic, despite their lack of heritage and tradition, etc., etc., makes a very sturdy chino with a refined fabric. I have a pair that still works as dress pants for weddings, etc., although it's at least four years old and is worn weekly.
I would also recommend J. Crew. These companies aren't bona-fide prep but, if you are looking for a well-made pair of chinos for $50-$60, they're a good source (although Crew may be out of this price-range now).
First, I hope this brief note finds you and your family safe and dry from the storm.
In response to the question asked by the Episcopal Clergyman about the sack suit, I to have been cursed by family genes by being big & tall. At 6’1 I’m the shortest one in my family and I’ve often been mistaken for a retired NFL player. (I actually played rugby thru college).
Finding high quality big & tall clothing can be struggle, but that search has been getting easier each passing year.
Men’s suit’s: Although I’m not a fan of Jos Banks for casual wear, I do love their Big & Tall Suits, I’ve worn them every wear from Church to Work to the House of Commons. They fit well and are durable. At the same time when Jos Banks is running a 50% sale, they are very affordable. Ralph Lauren does a good job with big & tall suits, I’ve found very good prices on their suits by ordering them thru Macy’s when they have a sale.
A great place for long ties for such suits is Brooks Brothers. (I still wear some of my father’s long ties from Brooks and they still look as good today as they did 30-40 years ago).
For Blazers, Big & Tall, Ralph Lauren and Orvis do a good job.
For more casual clothing, Lands’ End, Filson, Ralph Lauren, Bill’s Khaki’s, Lands’ End Business do a great job with selections for Big & Tall; and some of these items I’ve had for years.
Lastly, living out West, I have found that Cabella’s big & tall khaki’s are very durable and stylish, very similar to what one would find at lands’ end or LL Bean, a good deal for the money.
I have found that most big & tall stores have very poor quality items, but ordering pieces online directly from the brand merchant works great.
I think the biggest difference in northern vs. southern prep is evident in the women, who wear a lot more color in the south. Lots of navy in the NE, lots of pink in the south. And while women in NE are focused on functionality during outdoor activities, I think the southern girls are equally (if not more) focused on whether or not they look cute. The one exception I have noticed is with the extremely wealthy southern women who live on farms. Their colors are more muted and styles are less flashy and more practical. I have also noticed that the use of color in parts of CT (Darien, for example) is similar to the south, but the styles are still a little more steamlined.
My husband and I were at a wedding once with lots of guests from the Boston area and Virginia. A group picture was being taken and my husband said, "look at the difference in the blondes." I thought it was weird that he noticed, but it was obvious where each woman was from by her hair. The NE women all had what I would describe as white blonde salt bleached hair, usually back or bobbed. They all looked very attractive, outdoorsy, and tasteful. The southern women all had long honey highlighted hair, which was very pretty and feminine. I don't know, but for me that always illustrates the difference.
Muffy,
I hope you made it through the storm safely.
Thinking about you/your family during the recent storm; I live on the Gulf Coast so hurricanes are part of the experience. Please give us a report on your village, local farms, especially the animals and your home we come to know through your blog. An important part of the preppy ethos is volunteering for the greater good so I know you were lending support where needed.
The cookie recipe looks great. Sadly, I'm supposed to avoid butter.
Might margarine work as a replacement ?
Cheers !
--TJ
PS: I was pleased to read that Irene wrought much less havoc than expected, at least within the continental US.
I do hope everyone here fared well.
Southern Prep: Sockless men for most of the calendar year. Women, in general, pay more attention to being and looking feminine and attractive. Their clothing is classic, but they also believe in being pretty and always well groomed. This includes wearing make-up and paying attention to the color and condition of their hair. In NE I see a lot of blond done poorly. Frazzled hair and too much summer tan. The occasional Northern Prep may look downdy and more "handsome" than pretty. Southern girls always care about how they look and pay very close attention to good manners. Southern girls seem to love, love, love being homemakers/mothers/community volunteers, where Northern Preps seem to be more into their careers? Just my observation, btw!
Margaret, Virginia
Hi! I'm sitting in the USTA Pres Box on Friday and wearing a Lilly Pulitzer dress and bringing light shrug for the luncheon. Casual, comfortable sandals. Sunhat.
On the Southern VS. Northern Prep, Muffy is the prime example of a Northern Prep.
Being from the South myself and my whole family including myself going to private schools, I think I can somehow grasp the concept :)
In my view, there are very few "true" preps in the South. Although many blogs from women in the South claim to be preppy, they use it as label and not a lifestyle.
Many of the Southern Preps down here come from the North East.
Men/Boys: Sock-less Sperry Top Siders are the universal shoe. You'll see a lot of dark khaki, navy, Kelly green and orange/red shorts with white and navy polos.
Most of the sporting down here on the Southern Gulf Coast, where most Southern Preps are located, are sailing, soccer, lacrosse, kayaking, competitive swim, and just recently- running!
Women: Lots of Lily, and many variations of colors and styles of mens clothes. Either really short bobbed or really long haircuts. Little to no makeup, despite it's "debutante" reputation ;) Sperrys, Eliza B, L.L Bean and Lands End footwear.
Girls: Lots of Lily skirts; Vera Bradley; Long hair; same sports as men; running shorts have become very popular; Tevas are very popular (especially since my school was on the beach); Sperrys, Eliza B, and loafers for footwear. Little to no makeup and jewelry.
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