One Thing Connects To Another

First off, I don't buy anything unless I like it. And even then, it has to somehow fit what I already have. So if I'm intrigued or distracted by an item, I try to visualize how it might fit with what's in my closet, how it might be styled. One item connects to another and then to another. Over time, a look or style emerges. My style. 


That is how the outfit came to be that I wore recently to a meeting of Missouri Retired Teachers. I started with five base items: the beret, gloves, leggings, bag and boots.

A quick shot and away I went-I was late and it was cold!

The gloves and beret came along years ago. The black beret has been in my closet so long, I have forgotten the when and where purchasing details--but I knew it was safely there.

When I ran across the fur-edged, leather gloves on eBay about six years ago, I knew they would fit  nicely with things I already owned. 

The story is the same with my B Makowsky bag which has been with me for about four years. I like this bag a lot. However, I probably won't be getting too many more B's: the quality just isn't there with the newer ones, plus the company no longer seems to stand behind their product.

If I think something is a bit on the short side, I add leggings. When I was younger, I wore my share of tights. I remember the days of donning a mini skirt and having a matching turtle neck and tights. Did anyone else sport this look back in the day?

The last basic element would be the Ann Klein faux fur topped booties. Rarely these days do I visit Marshalls, TJ Maxx or Ross (unlike ten or so years ago) but I may occasionally drop in. These booties were found at the Ross store in Joplin, MO. I really was taken by them but they weren't cheap. And I just had trouble visualizing how useful they would be with what I had. 

After three days, I could not get them out of my mind. If I can't stop thinking about something, it is best to just give in, go get it and have faith it is going to work out. I had to be back in Joplin later that week, and they were still there! Sometimes, I lose out on an item taking this approach but I just usually don't go for impulse purchases.

For me, these were five great accessories. Still  they needed an anchor point to work together.

It's a sunny-cold day. That's great because it gives me a chance to wear my Marc Jacob sun glasses that I picked up from The RealReal 
last July. Does anyone else find wonderful things there?

The anchor points were to be found at Good Will and Salvation Army. I have never shied away from telling folks that I shop at these two fine establishments--which could lead into my concerns about the fashion industry and the environment. Let me come back to that later. 

Last winter, at Good Will, I ran across an Ann Taylor Loft grey dress with ribbing below where the natural waist was. I think the top was supposed to be a little blousey and hang over the skirt. After trying it on, I understood why it was donated. The dress didn't flatter a body at all. But I liked the color, general design and I loved the dolman sleeves. It was probably senior discount day, so I didn't pay over $2.50 for a dress that looked as if it was never worn. 

Well, I guess I need to add, for me, impulse purchases are OK if it is senior day at Goodwill! 

I now have something that looks like a matched sweater and skirt. This look was very popular when I was in high school.

What to do about the way it looked? I first tried to put a belt with it as in this photo below and still wasn't happy. 

Last week, I had the answer. I just tucked and tacked the ribbed band in place and now it is a faux two-piece look that would flatter any figure. It took just a little time, some thread and a needle.

I just didn't like the way the dress looked in this shot.

The next to the last item for this look is the Diane Von Furstenburg purple and grey herringbone patterned wool jacket with the faux fur collar and raglan sleeves. When I found this one, at Salvation Army, I knew it would look great with my fur topped boots! The purple adds a color that is rarely seen in my closet and the grey anchors it to all my neutral colors--a nice twist.

Shopping at Salvation Army takes a good eye and a lot of patience. Whereas, Good Will is arranged by color, Salvation Army is arranged by item style and you just have to keep looking. Another  difference, is that Good Will charges the same price for similar styles without consideration of brands. An Armani Exchange silk tunic will be the same price as something from Walmart (and yes, I did find this silk tunic). Salvation Army, on the other hand, knows who the designers are. If it is something by a designer such as Calvin Klein, expect to pay extra (it was and I did).

Taming the scarf a bit with a modern art pin allowed me to experiment with an asymmetrical look.

I wanted a black scarf to go with this look. Last year, I picked up some stretch black velvet at JoAnn's with the intention of making some kind of head wrap--which never happened. I took the velvet and backed it with some black silk from my stash. To me, this scarf goes well.

Art accessories are important to me. This is especially true when it comes to my jewelry. Featured on the left is my newest necklace Sticks and Stones by Cydney Ross. I'm wearing it in today's shots, but its not very visible. Cydney is a Kansas City jewelry designer who uses porcelain in her pieces. The pin on the right was purchased at Agora Arts in Decorah, Iowa, years ago. 

My Changing Purchasing Philosophy

During the last four years, I have changed how and from whom I source my garments. My thoughts on buying habits changed when I read Elizabeth L. Cline's book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost Of Cheap Fashion. I just really liked this book and highly recommend it. (see my review ). (By the way, it now is available for less than ten dollars, which includes shipping, from Amazon's used book section.)

After reading Overdressed, I have settled into a general pattern of shopping:

1. thrift shops, consignment shops and eBay-this gives me extra money to spend on #3.
2. making it myself-this is no longer about saving money like it use to be in the 60s and 70s. It is about having something unique and being creative.
3. Midwestern designers-my designers more than likely create their own designs. Purchasing their products is one of the best ways I know to support Made In The USA
4. and finally, smaller local boutiques, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and online stores such as ASOS and Mango, etc. 

There will always be exceptions. There will be days that I will pick up a pair of socks at Walmart or maybe see a cool pair of jeans at Cato. But those times far and few. I honestly try not to buy "fast fashion".

Looking out for things to augment my style is like cleaning my kitchen because it never ends. I set limits, know what I need, and occasionally make one of those instant decision purchases. 

 I do weed or either pass things along to my daughters if we both think it would be useful to them and, if not, its donation time to the DAV. I realize I have not mentioned sourcing bags and shoes. That needs to be left for another time.

The Polished Accessory

I know this has been a long post but I wanted to share this new gorgeous a-england polish. Look at that scattered holo! This is  one of the most beautiful vampy burgundy's I have ever seen and it's In Robe and Crown from Adina's new collection Tennyson's Romance. I picked it up during Color4Nails Black Friday Sale.

That's all I have for today so...

Adieu until the next time and in the meantime...
Happy Styling!

This week, I am linking up with Patti's Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday HERE,  Cherie's  Style Nudge's Shoe and Tell HERE, Catherine's Not Dressed As Lamb's I will Wear What I like HERE, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish Turning Heads Tuesday HERE, Living On Cloud Nine's Style Perspectives HERE, Shopping My Closet's Style Me Wednesday HERE, The Pleated Poppy's What I Wore HERE, High Altitude Style's Link-Up HERE, Fashion Should Be Fun's Fun Friday Fashion Link Up HERE, Nancy's Fashion Style's Fancy Friday , Color and Grace's Fashion Link-Up HERE,  Rachel's (Rachel The Hat) The Passion For Fashion Link-up HERE and Style Crone's Hat Attack HERE.


Photo credit for this week goes to Michael for my portraits and myself for the nail photo.

My New Amina Marie and a Short History of the Fedora

Welcome back!

I am very excited to show my new hat by Amina Marie Millinery. Having one of Amina's hats has been a dream-come-true ever since I first saw Amina in June of 2015 at a pop-up event at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City.

A close up of my new hat along with the texture on my wrap. I designed this top in a way that I could show one of my vintage Mother of Pearl belt buckles.

This hat's design is inspired by the traditional Fedora. Amina and I worked together to make this one just for me. It is a fur felt hat with a 1.75 inch brim and a 5 inch crown, which differs a bit from the traditional Fedora (see research toward end of this post).

Living close to Kansas City, I was able to go in for fittings to make sure it was perfect. Of course, it touts that gorgeous black and creme ribbon band that is an Amina exclusive.

Can you tell I am happy? It was such a joy to work with Amina in planning my hat. 

The height of the my hat's crown was something I chose. I think the extra height makes the look more elegant and (clever girl) it makes me look taller! My hat could have been just a single color but what's the fun in that? 

This is not the first time I have talked about Amina Marie Millinery on this blog. I covered her new studio opening HERE and love the photo I was able to get of her, Heidi Hermann and Whitney Manny during the benefit for Rightfully Sewn during Kansas City Fashion Week last March. HERE. 
 

It was hard to pick what to wear with my new hat. Black and grey is one of my favorite combos. It was important for me to pick something that I designed and made to wear for this first showing. I say "first showing", because I'm thinking this hat will be on here a few more times. 

My wrap is a cape/poncho hybrid that I knitted in what I call the Rows of Many Colors technique. This idea is great for those left-overs in the yarn stash. I don't know if I am alone in this problem, but when I see just one beautiful skein of yarn at an incredible price it usually comes home with me (I have gotten better mainly because I just don't look anymore--well not too often).

I have knitted a few pieces in this technique, mainly scarfs and shawls, which can make a dramatic statement depending on the combinations of yarns. If you want to see more of what I have done, please go HERE where I have written an article just about this technique along with basic instructions. 

Boot season's here, finally! So I break out my grey suede Rebecca Minkoffs. This is the third season for these and they get the wear. My daughter Michelle has even borrowed them. I love the detail on the heels. 

I ended up using two different bags today because I just couldn't make up my mind. The small black Urban Oxide cross body has been with me for a dozen years. With its small size and interesting texture, it has always been my go to when I want something modern and manageable. On the other hand, the three tone B Makowsky is just a great statement-but oh is it heavy!

The Loft knitted dress/top was thrifted and that huge belt if from Blue Fly. That sums up the important pieces. Now comes the research that I did on the Fedora.

A Brief History of the Fedora

What I believe could have been the original Fedora as it was in the late 19th Century. This hat is from the Metropolitan Museum of Arts costume collection and was designed by French designer Mme. Mandel in 1885. I found it in their archives HERE.

In 1882, the French playwright Sardou wrote the play Fédora about the Russian princess, Fédora Romanoff. The title role went to the premier American actress of the time, Sarah Bernhardt.  

Sarah Bernhardt

 
In the play, Ms. Bernhardt sported a new hat design, a soft brimmed hat with a center crease. If the nineteenth century had a red carpet celebrity list, Sarah Bernhardt would had been at the top. Her new hat, the Fedora, soon became popular with women.

Sarah Bernhardt playing Russian princess, Fédora Romanoff in
Fédora, however not wearing what I consider a Fedora

Men followed the trend around 1924, after Prince Edward of Britain added the Fedora to his wardrobe. As the cliché says, the rest is history. 

Prince Edward VIII sporting a Fedora.

The Fedora quickly rose to the top of the ranks as far as men's headgear and as the photos show below it was popular and still popular with women.

Classic ladies who could rock a Fedora: Marlena Dietrich, Ingrid Bergman and Katherine Hepburn

A modern interpretation of the Fedora by Beyoncé

What Is The Fedora?

There are many hats today that are loosely termed a Fedora. What makes a hat a Fedora and not a Trilby, Homburg, or Panama?. 

Three iconic Fedoras-Humphry Bogart, Cary Grant and Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford)

The Fedora typically has a crown of at least 4.5 inches and a brim of 2.5 inches. The crown is indented and the front is pinched. Also, the brim of a Fedora is fairly level and the wearer has a certain freedom in shaping it to their own taste.
 
Two Close Cousins of a Fedora.

Trilby

Many times a Trilby is termed a Fedora but a Trilby has a slightly shorter crown and a much narrower brim. Generally, the back of the Trilby's brim is turned up and the front part is turned down (unlike the Fedora which is fairly level). I also think the band on a Trilby is narrower. In my opinion, this is to balance the shorter brim.

I cannot have a hat post without John Hamm-On the left he is sporting a Fedora and on the right he is showing a good example of a Trilby.

Homburg

A Homburg is a felt hat characterized by a single dent running down the center of the crown (known as a "gutter crown"), a stiff brim shaped in a "kettle curl" and a bound edge trim. Homburgs are made from stiff wool or fur felt and have a grosgrain hatband and brim trim. Some may feature a feather.

Men in Homburgs-From left to right: Rudolph Valentino, Steve Buscemi (in Boardwalk Empire) and Winston Churchill

I'm tying up this post and will have to say this has been one of my favorite ones (but I'm sure I say that a lot). Everyone knows I love my Kansas City designers and I love research and especially fashion research. This article has been fun and I hope you have enjoyed it.

So hats off to the Fedora, one of my favorite looks.

My Fedoras from left to right: my white straw summer Stetson, my Dad's black felt Fedora with a new band that I made from some silk scraps and a grey straw Fedora by Mudd I picked up on sale at Kohls this Spring.

Just for good measure, I am ending with a diagram of the Fedora and all its parts. 

Good-by for now, take care and I will say adieu. I will see you next week and in the meantime, Happy Styling!



This week, I am linking up with Judith of Style Crone's Hat Attack HERE, Patti's Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday HERE,  Cherie's  Style Nudge's Shoe and Tell HERE, Catherine's Not Dressed As Lamb's I will Wear What I like HERE, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish Turning Heads Tuesday HERE, Living On Cloud Nine's Style Perspectives HERE, Shopping My Closet's Style Me Wednesday HERE, The Pleated Poppy's What I Wore HERE, High Altitude Style's Link-Up HERE, Fashion Should Be Fun's Fun Friday Fashion Link Up HERE, Shelbee's Edge of the Week Link Up HERE, Over 50 Feeling 40 Hit Your Style HERE and Rachel's (Rachel The Hat) The Passion For Fashion Link-up HERE and Nancy's Fashion Style Friday's Fancy Link-up HERE.