The Sewist

I sew, knit and crochet hats. (Not all at the same time. Whaddaya think I am - a machine?)

Thursday, November 30, 2006

So It's
Not Red...



At least it covers the head in a furry warm playful way and it captures the feel of the extra furry hat on the cover of Selvedge. And best of all - bidding starts at $9.99 and ends in a few days from now. It could be in your cold hands by next week when you really need it. I've got two 1960s hats like this - they kind of remind of those worn by Julie Christie and Geraldine Chaplin in Dr. Zhivago. They're really fantastic for those days you don't want to wash your hair because these chapeaux resemble extensions, infinitely more cool, cheaper than the variety concocted by Jessica Simpson and her hair stylist Ken Paves. Personally I wouldn't want to mess with clipping one of those synthetic thingies to my head, not now in cold Windy Chicago. You'd lose those locks attempting to cross the street. "Whoa - there goes my hair!" Can you imagine someone chasing after an extension in a snow flurry? Eew. Talk about better things to do.
No, this kind of hat is a much better way to create Big Hair ala Diana Ross in Mahogany. It will not keep your face dry on those horizontal sleet days, I'm afraid. It will simply keep your head heated, and people will smile at you all day. You'll look like a kid ready to climb a snow mountain, especially if you're wearing a puffy jacket.
If you must keep your face dry (Really, what's a little moisture? Heck, it's free unlike those pricey products that promise the same on the shelves at Walgreens and CVS.) you're
going to have learn how to wind your scarf around your neck artfully to keep your blush and mascara from melting off. I've tried, and the Wind still tries to make off with my scarf. One day, when it's not too frigid, I'm just going to make Old Lady Winter happy. I'm sure she's got a collection of outergarments somewhere on the planet, don't you think? Tell me about your favorite winter hat.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Off
With
Your Head!



I couldn't help but notice how perilously close that golf club is to the beret woman's head. I mean, does she not see it? Or at least sense that there's a dangerous metal thing behind her noggin? Something so threatening that even her brown beret with its oversized dead palm frond will not protect her from it? I've often thought that hats have magical powers, but I don't even think the felt in this chapeau will save this woman. It won't even soften the blow when she gets thwacked! by the girl in the beanie and short-sleeved ruby red jacket with white top stitching. Perhaps if this young chick would just put the golf club down perhaps these two can be friends. The younger one can learn something from the slightly older, and more stylishly bold older fashionista. It's like Meryl Streep teaching Lindsay Lohan a thing or two and vice versa. Or if you dial back a decade or two: Ginger Rogers giving Audrey Hepburn some dancing pointers. But back to this McCall pattern: you'd think that wearing hats would level the playing field between these two females. I mean how serious can you be about life if you're looking like a Brownie in your beanie and a war vet in a tight-fitting cap with that outrageous leaf embellishment that can be seen a mile away? I mean, come on, ladies! You two could at least start a millinery guild. When you see women wearing hats are they competitive or friendly? Tell me. I want to know. Dish those war stories!

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Hat
Check.


I love how the guy in the fedora above looks like he's sunburned, perhaps when he wasn't wearing a hat? I thought the whole point of wearing something on your head was to protect your skin from those evil ultraviolet rays. That's how chapeaux have been promoted for centuries. And for those of you who are Gone with the Wind fans, you'll remember how Scarlett O'Hara was scolded for going outside without something covering her head. Why, she'd get freckles! A tan back in the 19th century was something scandalous. You didn't covet one otherwise folks would be talking about you, whispering untruths behind your back.
It's interesting how 100 years later, a bronzed look is still desirable even if it's sprayed on the local Mystic Tan salon. And hats? I'd say few wear them now to keep silly sunbeams at bay, although that could change with global warming. I think big, cotton or straw floppy hats ala Jessica Simpson's or Sienna Miller's will become a summer mainstay for all ages. You won't even want to venture onto a beach without one. Men included. And the pale look will once again become au courant. So that guy in the 40s ad above? He's a charming reminder of days past, don't you think?

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Netscape

Netting. Sometimes known as net. Always the stuff of dreams, romance, love and laugher, I am fascinated by the different types of this netlike fabric that were available back in the 1930s and before: windowpane, chenille dots, double diamonds, Russian Veiling (the chenille-dot variety) and much more. There wasn't just basic black then, contrary to what you might think. If you wanted purple net you could choose plum, grape, lavender, pansy, violet, etc. When I go hunting for netting today at a local bridal shop, I'm surprised at the multitude of hues available, but I can only imagine the rainbow of colours and types of net on the shelf back in the millinery heyday.
Asides from this eBay find, where else can you find vintage netting? Try garage sales, vintage shows and antique shops. I have to warn you: this stuff is brittle. One millinery friend tells me that was true even back in the 1950s. One gush of wind and whoosh! You had a rent in your netting. So be prepared for Father Nature to flirt with your hat, particularly the netting. But don't let that stop you from buying it and using it to embellish your chapeau! Tell me how you've adorned your hats with netting.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Cute Cap,
Lovely Locks


This photograph was snapped last week at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's annual craft sale. I'm not sure what this girl was hawking, because I was so dazzled by her outfit, particularly her hair and hat. I can't decide if she spent a lot of time with the curling iron and then plopped on her Urban Outfitters cap or she simply whipped out her Rebecca De Mornay Risky Business look on the fly. I mean those curls look too perfect. This cannot be bed hair, can it? I'm not sure if she would look as stylish if she left her locks straight. I'm from the School of Thought that you should fix your hair even if you're wearing your hat. I know, I know - a hat is for bad hair days. It is. But some chapeaux, particularly cocktail hats, look 110 percent better if you wash your hair, comb it and curl it or put it in a bun first. Then you clamp on the hat just so. You begin to look fashionable! Even cool and mysterious! And dare I say it - put together? Like you actually pondered for more than seven minutes about what you were going to wear. It's much more fun to take your time getting ready for a big event than to rush through it in Superwoman style. Don't you think half the fun in prepping for a party is in getting dressed?

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Capping It
Off


What's there not to adore about this cap? It's so capriciously fun, funky and flirty, a three-in-one package, something that's not hard to like in my multi-tasking world. Of course, it's faux fur, a very good thing because you don't want PETA after you. Who needs that when the planet already has more than its share of groups that will be offended by just about anything you wear? You could wear cotton underwear made in China, but there are groups who are displeased with the work practices in that country. Ditto leather shoes. Really the only safe attire to don these days is something you made or vintage clothes like Alicia Silverstone. But I don't advocate going naked only because it can get mighty cold out out there, and that's bound to make another organization unhappy. Be better to be warm in a cap like this, which at the very least will win you fans everywhere you go. I especially advocate wearing it while you stand in grocery-store lines during this holiday season. It might get you to the cash register quicker. What do you think? Do you get special treatment when you wear a hat?

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Hats for
the whole
family


With Thanksgiving a few glorious days aways, my thoughts turn to family. Siblings hugging, kissing and laughing. Cousins snuggling up to each other, watching TV. Parents holding hands and gazing into each other eyes.
Not! If there's a day that seems to stir dread and hope all at once, it's Thanksgiving. It's a lot more than potatoes mashed a certain way and with this particular gravy, I think it's the thought of spending hours with family members and friends we don't see that often.
Which is why I propose this pattern to solve your problems. If everyone wears a hat on the day we're supposed to give thanks, we'd all be forced to take life a little less seriously. I think I'd wear the duck hat for starters. I wonder if that would get my nieces and nephews thinking of the turkey that was slaughtered on our behalf. Oops. But the dinosaur hat could be a good alternative. Tarbosaurus is not on the menu, as far as I know. Neither is Troodon (now doesn't that sound like a name out of The Lord of Rings?). So I think my dino chapeau would be a safe bet. Now if I could get the rest of my relatives to wear hats on this day of thanks, I'd be all set. With those hats we'd morph into a bunch of huggy and hilarious Italians, instead of the dysfunctional Polish-Germans we are. What do you think? Can hats solve problems? Heal relationships? Get you a job? I'm going off on a tangent, here. Help!

Friday, November 17, 2006

Not Gwyneth

No, I'm not Gwyneth Paltrow, but many, many people tell me I look like her. I don't even know who she is. Is she a painter, a debutante or a movie starlet? Whoever she is, I'm very flattered. I mean I've lived a fairly anonymous life. I was born somewhere near Dresden, Germany before the War. I modeled all sorts of hats in a shop window. It was so much fun to see all the passerby, the ladies who would pause, fix their make-up in the reflection of the glass, and then hurry on by. I particularly loved to watch couples walking past. I couldn't hear them talking, but usually the woman would say something like, "Ooh, that's a pretty hat." The man would say, "You should try it on and see how it looks." They'd come inside. The shop owner, Heidi, would gingerly slip off the hat of my head. The man would watch the woman trying it on. Sometimes, I think the man would fall in love with the hat more than the woman! More than often than not the woman would say, "I really can't afford it now. Not now. The war is on." The couple would leave, and the man would come back later and buy the hat. Sometimes, he'd even slip Heidi some cash before he and his lady friend left the store. I always thought that was so sweet.
I lived many years that way in the storefront window, until one day the lights were turned off for days on end. I didn't know what was going on. I was frightened. Suddenly, someone came in - it wasn't Heidi or any of her assistants - packed me off in a box. I didn't like that at all. I was smothered in tissue paper for eons. I hated it! From then on I was occasionally unwrapped. I'd hear, "How old-fashioned. I didn't know mother had this" or "Maybe we can use this for shooting practice." I heard a big Squwack! after that and I was hastily mummified again. Thank God! Someone resurrected me again years later and I lived perched on top of a bookshelf in a bedroom with a huge picture hat surrounded by thousands of color photographs of this short-haired strawberry blonde with huge blue eyes and the saddest expression ever. Even when she smiled she looked melancholy. I think was famous, but I don't believe she was German. She wasn't stoic enough for that. I gather she was British. Really beautiful, but so tragic looking. She looked so regal in the huge hats that I saw her wear. Those pictures stayed on the wall for a long time, fading until one day they were ripped off the wall. I heard the Lady on the Wall had died. How horrible. A far greater tragedy for me than her because I had nothing to gaze at during my long days on the shelf. It made me yearn for my career in Heidi's storefront window. I was going to recount how folk started telling me I resemble this woman Gwyneth Paltrow, but I think I'll save that for another day, if you don't mind. I want to savor and relive the memory alone a while longer.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Putting on
My Top Hat...


Doesn't this woman look natty? Just so sharp. Like she's off to a job interview. Or perhaps to a local dress shop, which she owns and she's only modeling for Le Petit Echo de la Mode because it was on her to-do list right there somewhere before crocheting a queen-sized bedroom blanket using a ultra-small hook and after baking a loaf of pain with freshly-ground flour. But whatever she's doing, she projects Authority from top of her navy crown down to whatever shoes she's wearing (I'm guessing red platform wedgies with rosy floral clip-ons). Now if I dressed like this today, someone might think I got lost on my way to an audition for an extra in a 1940s murder mystery or a back up dancer for a local production of Chicago. Truly though today I would wear this hat with a denim ensemble - a polkadotty red Built By Wendy blouse, a stretchy blue ruffle-front pencil skirt and my Martinez Valero cherry platform sandals. And some funky tights in a black mesh or a deep blue cable knit. People might still think I'm an actress hellbent on being in character before the big show. But who cares? Life is one big production. You got to live your life like you're on the big screen. Don't wait for someone else do it. Don't you agree? (By the way, if you're interested in buying this particular issue of Le Petit, click here.)

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

On Your
Reference Shelf.


You know how when you want to make a hat there's no reference book in sight? Well, this tome could begin to solve your problems. So when you're tired of watching Entertainment Tonight or Bewitched reruns, you've got this. Even if you have no intention whatsoever of making something for your head, it's inspiration or maybe it's a bowl of laughs. I mean, the author's name is Wanda. How seriously can you take a book written by a woman with that name? All I can think of is the movie A Fish Called Wanda. I wonder too if there's a difference between millinery made at Home (as suggested by the title) and those hats made at School or in the Factory. It doesn't matter to me just as long as I glean some tips on how to make some cool hat trim. Or how to shape a hat so like it looks like it something Barbra Streisand would have worn in the 1960s or early 70s. That kind of thing. But you know what this book won't have? Modern sources of stuff. Like where to get hoods, wiring, Russian veiling etc. You can't even find that at Michael's, Jo-Ann or Hancock Fabrics. You need to Hunt on the Web for that. Or ask for assistance from people who've taken millinery classes. I have some knowledge of hat-making since I've taken at least one class on the topic and I've written about it for newspapers. So if you've got a question ask away. Right here!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Hats,
Circa 1942


I love looking at the 1940s McCall (no 's - that would come later) sewing patterns simply because of the hats. They're just drawn so well, with such detail, and rich color. They look so real that I sometimes feel I could wet my finger, touch the picture, and poof! A hat would appear in my hands. Like magic! Even the Mr. Ash the Magician couldn't do as well. Take this pattern for example. I think the saucy sailor hat on the model who's copping an attitude (upper left corner) would be great on the Fourth of July. The demure brown one? Appropriate for Thankgiving or meeting the family for the 11th time (you don't want them to take you for granted - so wear a hat to show 'em you're not predictable). The floral number in the lower right? Wear that one to Hala Kahiki or anywhere you need someone to serve you a drink and shower you with compliments. I have to say I feel sorry for the brunette in the fuschia bolero jacket. I love her bold Hawaii-themed dress and her chunky necklace, but she's going to get lost without something smashing (I'm not talking a plate either - although I've had that happen to me) on her head. What do you think?

Monday, November 13, 2006

Hatboxes Galore

You could never find these at the Container Store. Or at Ikea. Sometimes, they can be found at the thrift store. But these particular round containers are dreamy because they're see through. You don't have to open them to see what's inside. Looking for your navy fedora? Here you go! Or your Kentucky Derby picture hat? It's in that hat box. I wish I could say I have a few clear plastic round containers such as these. I don't. I think I'll put these on my wish list, and dream that someone gives me them to me. I've gotten at least one box that way. I walked into an antique resale shoppe where one of the owners, a good friend, was cleaning out inventory. "You want this?" she said. I gleefully accepted my prize, what I call the three-story hatbox because you can stack your headgear inside. Perfect for when you need to wear a different chapeau every day while you're traveling. It's three feet tall, very sturdy, and covered with durable drapery fabric. Here's the best part: it zips up! No messing around with a lid that refuses to stay put because the hats want to come out and play. The only thing I have to worry about is making sure that fragile brims and netting don't get in the way whilst I'm zipping. Do you have anything like this in your closet?

Sunday, November 12, 2006

You Crocheted That?


I don't think I've ever seen a 40s hat quite like this. No, I have to go through every drawer in my brain. There's no little torn piece of napkin that says "knitted World War II crocheted hat/1940s." Not even a Post-It note to that effect. Maybe there were lots of toppers like this back then but they were eaten by the Moths of the Universe, the same critters that munched on the delightful Art Deco sweater sets, and 1950s cashmere shawls? It's just a thought.
In any event, I am in utter and complete awe of the sophisication and innocence of this hat. It's knitted with the same fiber that was used for socks and mittens, but it's intended to be worn to a fancy-schmancy bar or church. But who knows? Perhaps there were a pair of matching socks or at least gloves. It's something the practical knitter would make! Even alone, this is the kind of hat that couture milliners adore: it's completely handmade. Not a machine stitch in sight! I also manages to surprise the observer. From the back it appears completely off-white, like a well-loved living-room-couch pillow. Really a yawner. But if you get in front, there's that astonishing pie slice of rainbow hues under the flap. It's like, "We don't live in a black-and-world world after all!" Just the most optimistic thing you could make with a poly-blend yarn, don't you think? The hat designer, Louisa Hayes Hand Made, did a fantastic job. What do you think of this hat? Fugly or something you would wear on a dare?

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Not Buckethead

It's difficult to say which of these Patricia Underwood hats I like. It's kind of like asking me to pick between Godiva and Ghirardelli chocolates. I mean they're all good. I feel the same way about pizza. Even Domino's can taste delicious at times, even though I much prefer Giordano's any day. As far as these chapeau go, I have to say I like the hat in the lower right corner, just ditch the turban on it. I also like the royal blue hat, which really almost looks like a fancied-up baseball cap. Ditto its kissing grey cousin in the upper right corner. I think any of these toppers would be easy enough to create, even the one with the velvet. Got to have the right buckram for the brim though. It's all about the buckram. A couple of gals have already made the bucket-style topper: here's a review and an in-depth walk-through on how to make that brim. As much as I like both versions, I rather stitch up something for my head on a crochet hook. If I can't make it while I'm being jostled on a train or lurched to and fro on a bus, I almost rather not make it all.
What do you prefer - crafting while you're on the move or at home?

Friday, November 10, 2006

Another View


This is from Donatella (who I'm assuming is not designer Donatella Versace, but one can never be certain). This hat just screams Auntie Em from the Wizard of Oz, doesn't it? It would have to be something she wore before the twister blew into town, because she would have certainly have lost this beauty to the winds along with her house and Dorothy. I adore how the flowers threaten to tumble off the front, perhaps make a flying leap into the hat wearer's soup or tea. Can you imagine if the daisy flopped into a mug of chamomile tea? "Your tea is mighty fresh!" an observer might say. (Chamomile tea is made up of teeny dried flowers). Even if the botanicals stay put, they're kind of weighty, so they'd probably pull your head down slightly, so you'd walk about looking like you're deep in thought or at the very least avoiding the sidewalk cracks (you don't want to break your mother's back, remember?).
Whilst this particular topper is vintage 1930s or 40s, it would be easy enough to make. I'm thinking it's essentially a swath of straw ruched and then stitched to the crown. See that circle of ribbon in the picture of the upside-down hat? That's petersham, it keeps the straw from hurting your pretty skin should the two meet while that hat's having fun on your head. Petersham is not grosgrain ribbon. Chief difference? Petersham has a sawtooth edge and can be easily shaped (kind of like a Cirque Du Soleil performer); grosgrain has a straight edge and wants to be straight no matter what (not unlike a 5-year-old boy who insists sitting in the front of the bus even if it's crowded). I'll write more about grosgrain vs. petersham another day.

Thursday, November 09, 2006


I Get Questions,
Questions


I don't really. I feel like I'm in the Internet version of the show Lost. Except there's no around at all. There's not even a volleyball to divert me, which is what at least Tom Hanks had in the movie Castaway. Oh well, talking to myself works. Since no one has yet to send me questions, I thought I'd make up a few with some answers. I'm going to channel my six-year-old niece Vanessa, who'd make a good reporter for the New York Times or the Wahington Post or the Kiddie News.
Q. Why do write so much about hats now?
A. Um, I honestly don't know. They're easy, and I can think of stuff off the top of my head, pun intended. Besides, I wanted to do something different. There are lot of blogs out there about chopping down bitter apple trees, screen writing, even roasting chestnuts on a closed fire, so I figured it'd be hilarious to write about the one piece of apparel that so many of us take for granted: hats. Think about it, if you didn't wear a hat, you'd be cold. Or you might be hot. Although if you didn't wear one in the summer, you'd definitely have no need for a UV-free tanning session at Palm Beach Tan. Mother Nature would take care of that for you for free.
Q. Why don't you have a picture of yourself on your blog?
A. I like to be mysterious. Life is more hilarious when people don't know too much about you. See how everyone and their half-brother seem to have every intimate detail of Dominque Moceanu's life memorized? It's scandalous. Ask the random person on the street what Dominque's Social Security number and I'm sure they'll have it in their Blackberry. Me? I just like to hide under a hand-made chapeau and have the paparazzi chase after me wondering who I am. It's fodder for fabulous dinner-time conversation in any event. Beats talking about how the market today was up or down or sideways!
Q. I got to go to the bathroom. Can I ask you more questions later?
A. Most certainly. I can't promise you I'll still be here when you return. I've got to save the world from hatlessness. It's a chronic condition, very serious. Something's got to be done besides passing out Red Sox or Cubs caps at baseball games. I think we need a Superhero of sorts to jump in when the situation warrants it. Oh, you really got to go. Hurry along. I'll chat with you later.
(By the way, for those of who care, the hat above is a new addition to Vintage Martini.)

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Is It
Worth It?



Is this pattern worth 125 smackeroos? We're not talking kisses, though some days I feel I could use more than a hundred of those, even a few of them are little sloppy and wet. No we're talking good ole U.S. dollars. I like this pattern. I really do. If you could knock off a few digits on that pricetag, I'd get it in a heartbeat or two. As it is, I think I'll just stare at it, use the magnifying glass on my 21st century typewriter and adding machine to zoom in the "materials suitable" section. Alas, I cannot read the fine print even with it enlarged 3000 percent. Can you? Here's my uneducated guess on what textiles work for these cute toppers: boucle, pique, velvet and anything with a wee bit of stretch to make it fit a 22-inch noggin. But you know what I really think? This pattern wouldn't be hard to knock off. Start by cutting out your own muslin, if you will, out of cheap fabric. Play with it, sew it, until it somewhat resembles the picture. Do some more fidding around and you're done. Or buy a Vogue hat pattern. Work your magic on that. The brimmed chapeau in the lower corner just has a poochy crown. The ones higher up are essentially squares, I swear, tacked and embellished strategically for flair. (Hey, I've got the beginnings of a poem!) What do you think?

Tuesday, November 07, 2006


In the Hood

These are hoods, not hats. What's the dif, you might ask? Well, you use a hood to fashion a hat. You could wear one of these vintage straw things on your head as is, but you'd look like you're wearing a bucket, and you'd get jokes all day about being a Buckethead. At least you wouldn't get hoodwinked. (Pun intended). Why settle for jokes when you can have compliments just as easily? Here's the deal. You take one of these hoods from Judith M Millinery (I don't how they got that moniker. I'll have to have my Superhero assistant look into that and get back to you) and plop it onto a hatblock. Heat some water in a tea kettle like you're going to make some Chai. Get that kettle singing for its supper to the point where there's enough steam pouring out of the spout to power a locomotive. Carefully carry the tea pot over to your hatblock. Have the two shake hands, so to speak. We don't want any water or tears spilled at what should be a happy occasion! Point the kettle onto the hood for a few minutes until the straw is soft and pliable. Put the kettle down (a few sips of the Chai might be good at this point). While the straw is malleable, start moving and pinning it into the Chapeau of Your Dreams! If it's a fedora you desire, you know what to do! A cocktail hat? Mush it in that direction. If you don't like what you see? Pour on more steam and reshape.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Not On Your
Nightstand


I first saw this magazine a few years ago while I was taking a millinery class at the School of the Art Institute. I loved it from the moment I eyed the table of contents. Every page was filled with stories about hats! I was so excited I could barely pin a needle straight into my hat block. I wanted a subscription to this periodical. I envisioned it as my monthly ticket to happiness, or at least hours upon hours of reading pleasure, absorbing and memorizing every last chapeau on each page....until I saw the price - 45 pounds a year (sorry I don't have my the currency exchange converter mechanism on my supercomputer enabled tonight. But I know 45 pounds is a lot of U.S. dollars). Then I thought, "Oh. I think I can be happy reading this at the library!" Though to this day I have to find it at my local library. I think The Hat Magazine is out of their price range too. Besides, The Hat Magazine might look a little odd next to Happy Housekeeping and Homeowners' Digest (I made those titles up). But wouldn't a magazine like this be such fun to read 12 times a year? It beats the bell-bottomed pants off of Lucky and InStyle Magazines. Here's what I really like about this British import: the focus is all on what's your head (maybe a little bit on what it's inside too). If The Hat Magazine is a hoot to read, I can only imagine how hilarious it must be to work there. I can see it now: "Honore, I think we've a got a newshole on page 13. Think you can go out and shoot some photos of the ladies wearing hats at Thrumpleton's Ball?" Or "Holy batman! I think we need some copy next to that pic of what's- her-name wearing Philip Treacy's new cocktail hat. Think you could interview Philip ASAP?" Then I can picture all the editors and the staff writers atwitter in their doll hats, looking a bit like the behatted Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday or The Women. They don't even take their hats off to go to the bathroom or type up their stories. How cool is that?

Friday, November 03, 2006

Buy It Now?

I'm not sure what gets me more about this image the glass-blue eyes or the tilt hat or the mannequin. Or just maybe it's all three that has my index finger on my errant right hand ready to the "Buy It Now" button on this pretty 1940s tilt hat (which resembles the Tilt-A-Whirl hat I wrote about the other day.) Sure, it's only pegged at $129.99, but what pleasure you would get from this impulse purchase. It's not like a diamond ring where people would say, "Oh, that's nice. My daughter (niece/god-daughter/step-mother) has one just like yours." No, this hat would get you so many compliments each time you'd wear it you could pay off a mortgage or two if kudos had monetary value. What's even better is how much fun you would have wearing this hat. Ultimately, that's what is most important. What if nobody says anything all day? (As was the case on Halloween, when I wore my saucy 1950s silk shantung flower print cocktail hat. I still had fun wearing it, even if no one chirped, "How pretty. Where did you get it?"). I guess it all boils down to your audience. Do you wear hats for yourself, women or men? Here's a poll. If you've got another response, just leave me a comment. Thanks.

Do you wear hats for...
yourself?
women?
men?
your pet?
Free polls from Pollhost.com



Thursday, November 02, 2006

Warm and Happy

This is the kind of hat-and-scarf combo that would have kept me warm today. I daresay this model has a pair of matching mittens or gloves, but it's hard to tell in this photo since it's cropped right where the scarf ends. But scarves and hats feel utterly pointless unless there's something on the hands on a day so cold that even the squirrels stayed home. It doesn't matter if the gloves complements the rest of the outfit. They could be from snatched from the lost-and-found or holey beyond embarrassment. When it's really cold all that matters is that those precious 10 digits get covered up and prevent an El Nino-sized draft from coming up your jacket sleeve. Now that I look at this picture some more closely I'm certain this girl's hands are covered or that picture was snapped on a fairly warm day. Or she wouldn't be smiling. The only happy people outside during the winter are the ones who are warm. Don't you think?
(By the way, if you're interested in the scarf/hat set, scoot on over to Lily Chin's Signature Collection. This is a new knitting pattern from her Expressions book, published in June, long before this season's onslaught of 30 degree Fahrenheit weather.