In April, I partnered with renowned Holly Hill Inn chef, Quita Michel to host my 2^nd annual Hat Tea event at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington.  We put on a Kentucky Derby hat fashion show and lovely afternoon tea.

This special event was the launching point for my Savannah Spring Hat collection as well my new artisan tea collection, featuring five hand-blended, loose leaf teas.

At the Hat Tea, guests were treated to a shopping experience where they were encouraged to have fun experimenting with all of the elegant and spirited hats in my new collection! 

With so many upcoming Spring events on the calendar, it was a great joy to help ladies find their own personal best look.

We had a tea-tasting station where guests could sample all the hand-blended teas in my new collection. As a native Kentuckian, I’m proud to have partnered with the world-famous Elmwood Inn, located right here in Kentucky, to create this delicious line of artisan teas.

We are all treated to a classic afternoon tea menu, designed, created and thoughtfully presented by Quita Michel and it did not disappoint!

 

 

Pimm’s Cups and Peach Bellini’s were available and the mixologists at Fasig-Tipton also created a wonderful mocktail with my Belle’s Butterfly Fascinator tea, lemonade and honey- delicious and so refreshing!

If you think an afternoon tea is not a substantial source of sustenance…think again!

As a certified Afternoon Tea Etiquette trainer, it was my pleasure to present a talk on Tea Etiquette for my guests.

 

I talked about tea fashion, host gifts and included a presentation with model, Katherine Barr on how to best pair a hat with an outfit that has a print, which is sometimes a challenging endeavor!

 

During Tea Service models weaved their way through the elegantly appointed dining tables, showcasing different hats to inspire ideas and fashion possibilities for everyone… 

Michaela and the entire Holly Hill Inn / Fasig-Tipton staff exceeded expectations, bringing this already elevated experience to the next level with their service and attention to detail.

It was a successful and absolutely splendid afternoon.

I want to thank everyone who joined me for this beautiful day of elegant hats and gorgeous teas and, still much needed, in-person connection.

It was a joy and I plan to continue this annual Hat Tea tradition every April!

In the meantime… wear your hats with confidence and enjoy a meaningful break from stress with a daily cup of tea in the afternoon!

Lots of love,

Polly

 

“Buy straw hats in winter. ”

(idiomatic) of stocks
attributed to financier Russell Sage (1816-1906)

 

Straw Hats in the winter? Well that depends on where they’re worn and, most important, in what colors. As we’ve become convinced of the ill effects of sun exposure, women look for sun protection year round. Sun block is a necessity, plus, there exists a need for attractive wide brimmed hats in autumn/ winter hues. Last year, Polly dedicated a segment of her collection to what we call “transitional straws”, that is, hats made of parisisal straw designed in colors and materials which complement cool weather fashion. The transitional straws have been popular with horse racing fans. Here are a few of the front runners.

Elmhurst blazes with the vibrant colors of an Autumn Day.

Epigram adds rich mocha tones to basic black. An excellent accessory for a camel hair coat or with earth toned tweeds.

Indulgence, in crisp black and white with an unexpected twist in peacock blue is divine with a hounds tooth check or to relieve black or gray ensembles.

Any of the transitional straw designs will add spark to your fall and winter wardrobe, all the while, affording extra sun protection.

by Jan Masters Yon

 

 

“Flowers have a language of their own, and it is this bright particular language that we would teach our readers. How charmingly a young gentleman can speak to a young lady, and with what eloquent silence in this delightful language. How delicately she can respond, the beautiful little flowers telling her tale in perfumed words; what a delicate story the myrtle or the rose tells! How unhappy that which basil, or yellow rose reveals, while ivy is the most faithful of all.”

Collier’s Cyclopedia of Commercial and Social Information and Treasury of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge, compiled by Nugent Robinson. P.F. Collier, 1882

Chronologically speaking, Lexington is about half way between April showers and May flowers. While I have the poet’s “host of golden daffodils” as well as forsythia, the japonica is fabulous as usual; where I see the widest array flowers is on the hats that are flying out of Polly’s studio. It’s clear the winner of the Kentucky Derby will not be the only one at Churchill draped in roses. You might say there’s been a sort of Run on The Roses this year.

As you know, the red rose is the flower associated with Derby, but did you know, according to the Victorians, a red rose, in fact all flowers, have something to say? For instance, the magnolia proclaims nobility, the camellia, speaks of unpretending excellence. The hydrangea, a flower Polly often uses to ornament hats can mean either heartlessness or “thank you for understanding”.

While the cabbage rose is the Ambassador of Love, a yellow rose signals jealousy, a  pale pink rose expresses joy of life, the red rose we associate with the Derby simply means “love”. For a complete list of the language of flowers, visit this site: https://www.flowermeaning.com/

Learn a few phrases of conversational flora then, as you watch the Derby you can admire the fabulous garden of hats, and read them as well.

As for me, I haven’t yet decided which hat I’ll be wearing Derby Day but I can tell you this, tucked in the veiling or secreted away in the band will be a spring of Bells of Ireland, for Bells of Ireland whisper “luck”.

by Jan Masters Yon