I CAN'T SEEM TO STOP COLLECTING THEM!! AT PRESENT, I OWN ABOUT 75 HATS FROM THE 1920'S UP TO 1960. THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE PERIOD REPRODUCTIONS I'VE MADE FOR THE THEATER.
I JUST AQUIRED ANOTHER LITTLE SWEETIE YESTERDAY AT A CHURCH THRIFT SHOP IN GREENVILLE, RI, FOR $1.00!! IT'S CA. 1950'S,VERY "I LOVE LUCY", IN YELLOW WITH CREAM STRAW. A JULIETTE STYLE CAP, WITH UNDULATING WAVEY EDGES, AND A REMNANT OF YELLOW POINT D' ESPIRIT NETTING, IN NEED OF SOME RESTORATION. I USE PERIOD TRIMMINGS FOR AUTHENTICITY WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
I HAVE BEEN AN AVID COLLECTOR OF ALL THINGS VINTAGE FOR 40 YEARS! YEAH, THAT MAKES ME REALLY OLDE!
MY FAVORITE HAT IS A CA. 1959 BUBBLE TOQUE WITH THE ORIGINAL LABEL INTACT BY CHRISTIAN DIOR, NEW YORK, PARIS, LONDON. IT IS WORTH ABOUT $225.00, WHICH IN MY OPINION IS PEANUTS, CONSIDERING THAT WE'LL NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN.
I'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME RESEARCHING CLOCHES AGAIN, FROM THE 20'S, PAYING CLOSER ATTENTION TO TRIMMINGS, AND FABRICS. I'VE STARTED PERFECTING A PATTERN FOR MY NEXT COLLECTION FOR FALL, OF CLOCHES USING WOOLS, VELVETS, VELVETEENS, AND TAPESTRY FABRICS, AND LARGE VINTAGE BUCKLES AND BUTTONS FOR TRIMMING. ALL WILL BE LINED, AND ONE OF A KIND. THE PERIOD STYLE LININGS WILL BE CO-ORDINATED WITH THE OUTER FABRIC CHOICES FOR REAL PIZZAZZ!! I WILL BE ACCEPTING CUSTOM COLOR ORDERS, AND SPECIFIC HEAD MEASUREMENTS FOR A PROPER FIT. I'LL BEGIN UPLOADING A SNEAK PREVIEW OF SOME OF THEM IN MY ETSY SHOP THIS WEEK!! STAY TUNED TO WWW.ORSINIMEDICI1951.ETSY.COM!!!!
DID YOU KNOW THAT HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, THE CLOCHE HAS SURVIVIED THE CHANGES OF FASHION FOR OVER 80 YEARS?!!
THE BASIC SHAPE HAS SEEN COUNTLESS EVOLUTIONS, AND VARIATIONS MORE THAN ANY OTHER STYLE OF HAT! MAYBE THAT'S WHY I LOVE IT SO. AND IF YOU'RE NOT A HAT PERSON BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU DON'T LOOK GOOD IN HATS, WELL, MAYBE IT'S TIME TO TRY ON A CLOCHE!!
A CLOCHE FRAMES THE FACE IN A VERY FLATTERING WAY, NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE FACE YOU HAVE. THEY ARE ESPECIALLY BEAUTIFUL WITH A SMALL BRIM, MAYBE SOME VIOLETS ON AUBERGINE VELVET, OR A LARGE ART DECO BUCKLE ON MENSWEAR HERRINGBONE WOOL. JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE WINTER WHITE WOOL, CREWEL EMBROIDERED LITTLE NUMBER I'M WORKING ON AS WE SPEAK!!
SO, I HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED MY LITTLE MANIA ON "LE HOMAGE DU CHAPEAUX"!!!
DID YOU KNOW THAT COCO CHANEL GOT HER START AS A MILLINER IN PARIS?
MORE ON THAT IN MY NEXT BI-WEEKLY BLOG!
TALK SOON,
ELSIE COLLINS/THISTLE COTTAGE STUDIO @
WWW.ORSINIMEDICI1951.ETSY.COM
PS--NEXT TIME I'LL SHOW YOU THAT LITTLE "I LOVE LUCY" SWEETIE IT JUST PICKED UP, AND MAYBE A FEW OTHER TASTY TREATS WHILE I'M AT IT!!
UPDATE: JUNE 15th, THE CHARCOAL AND AUBERGINE SCROLL TAPESTRY CLOCHE SOLD IN MY ETSY SHOP JUST HOURS AFTER I UPLOADED IT TO A LADY IN AUSTRALIA, WHERE IT IS COMING INTO WINTER!! IT WAS A ONE OF A KIND, BUT AS I SAID, THERE WILL BE MANY MORE CLOCHES TO COME, SO STAY TUNED TO THIS BLOG AND MY ETSY SHOP FOR NEW HAT ALERTS!!
so if you're crazy about hats does that make you mad as a hatter? :)
ReplyDeleteps. Coco Channel was a pretty amazing woman. I'm not too crazy about what her design studio is selling recently but their older stuff is dead stylish. You've got to love anyone who can claim to have invented womens suits and costume jewlery not to mention the ever versitile little black dress.