Are hats Eco-Friendly? Yes, they are if they are made from sinamay, natural straw, feathers and silk flowers. The hats I design and sell are eco-friendly. Using natural materials is better not only for the environment but also for those wearing hats. Synthetic hats are made from materials such as plastic that does not “breathe”. …
I’m always amazed at the constant popularity of vintage fashion. I’ve got a few theories why vintage is always hot. It’s unique. Tired of the same old clothing that everyone can buy at the mall? Go visit a vintage store. You’ll find treasures that no one else has and they will most likely be better…
In a previous article, I wrote about my time at F.I.T. and mentioned that I interned for Patricia Underwood. Here’s a little more about that internship. My internship took place in the summer of 1996. It was hot and I worked most afternoons there. Since it was summer, we were working on fall hats. I…
I didn’t always design hats for the Kentucky Derby. When I first started selling hats, they were mainly children’s hats. While working at a previous job, someone gave me a card mentioning a Kentucky Derby Hat Show at a gallery in Louisville. I contacted that gallery and found out that the manager was a friend…
To design and make hats, one needs a base of knowledge to work from. I was fortunate to have been able to study at Manhattan’s renowned school of fashion, F.I.T. For those of you who don’t know, that’s The Fashion Institute of Technology. F.I.T. was a great place to study hat design and learn from…
In 1861, a racing tradition began on a long stretch of grass unceremoniously scythed down for the occasion. The glamorous and prestigious race, The Melbourne Cup, certainly did not start out with such energy as it holds today. With only bookmakers and their wives in attendance, the Victoria Turf Club broke tradition and ran a 2-mile…
I have had many people approach me about designing “whimsies”. What are whimsies? They are delicate, romantic little headpieces consisting mostly of millinery veiling. They are light and most often associated with the 1950’s fashion. As always, the fashion wheel turns and many ladies are asking about this hat. They are hard to find in…
As a long time hat designer, I’m seeing that the easiest clothes to wear a hat with are neutrals. Anne and I had this conversation earlier today. I was noticing how nice she and Sue looked in our recent Hat Ladies Luncheon photo. Both Sue and Anne were wearing pastel hats with white outfits. The…
The recent passing of Isabella Blow was a sad one. This often decsribed “eccentric” woman, was one of London’s most famous fashion icons. Her fashion sense was like no other, and her love of hats was incomparable. “Where many fashionistas dress head to toe in the latest labels out of vanity, Blow could hardly care…
Many of my clients enjoy wearing hats at horse races. These races obviously include the Kentucky Derby, Royal Ascot, Del Mar and a few others. Over the years, I have designed hats and fascinators for the Travers Stakes, held annually in August at the Saratoga Race Track in New York. Wearing a hat to the…