Hats Off to Sally Victor
What do Queen Elizabeth II, First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt, Bess Truman, and Mamie Eisenhower, Hollywood’s Judy Garland and Elizabeth Taylor, Broadway’s Helen Hayes, and even the Gabor sisters all have in common? They all were crowned in hats designed by Sally Victor. That’s quite an entourage to count among your stable of admirers. Included among luminaries Lilly Daché and Mr. John, as one of America’s leading millinery designers, The New Yorker magazine (1954) described Victor as “a magnificent sculptress of straws and felts.” She was actually credited with reviving the Ecuadorean...
Read MoreEaster Bonnet
“Some hats can only be worn if you’re willing to be jaunty, to set them at an angle and to walk beneath them with a spring in your stride as if you’re only a step away from dancing. They demand a lot of you.” Neil Gaiman, Anansi Boys And who wears a jaunty beret better than the French? For some reason this confetti toss of chapeaus hearkens back to Mary Richards from the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Whether you’re tossing your hat in the ring or straight up in the air like a graduation mortar bard, the message is clear – “Game On. Count Me In. I’m going for it!” “A...
Read MoreTaxes
“Did you ever notice that when you put the words “THE and IRS” together, it spells “THEIRS?” Unknown These images float in the center of a man’s handkerchief sporting a very large white border, which is to be used, I imagine, for catching massive amounts of tears, or mopping up flop sweat during an audit. When asked if he has anything to declare, the oh-so-silly suitor in the right hand corner blathers on in an effort to impress the tax collector. Hoping to be considered a suitable match for the auditor’s daughter, the clueless swain wildly exaggerates his lifestyle....
Read MoreA Stitch in Time
Creation begins with inspiration, with a kernel of an idea, but in order to execute your concept, you need a plan, a blueprint. The same holds true in the world fashion. Even when couturiers claim they work freeform, and simply drape fabric as they’re inspired, (as did Christian Dior) in order for a seamstress to replicate that creation, she’ll need a roadmap. The fresh, crisp image below depicts the trade of the tailor and represents the roadmap. Whenever we examine the underlying structure of a garment, we view with the eye of an architect – studying the master patterns, the foundation...
Read MoreThe Handkerchief Dance
We couldn’t possibly take leave of either Dance, Dance, Dance or the Randy Rooster, without showcasing their connection. La Cueca This national dance of Chile represents the courting between the rooster and the chicken, using, what else? a handkerchief as the ultimate flirtation device. The dance comes from the word clueca, meaning a hen about to lay her eggs. The dancers wave handkerchiefs above their heads which symbolize feathers, and/or the rooster’s comb. Young dancers from Pepe’s Chile …from www.thisischile.cl The connection was spot on to our topics this month, but...
Read MoreLet the Games Begin
“Life is more fun if you play games.” Roald Dahl, My Uncle Oswald “One good thing about freezing sleet and rain” my friend Jane confided “is the family gathers around the fireplace for popcorn and hot cocoa.” I bring out the board games in an effort to compete with ipads and Xbox, and I sometimes succeed. There’s something about snuggling in blankets with sleet beating against the window that makes kids reach for an actual book, playing cards, dominoes or checkers. I love it.” Whether you indulge in a simple game of tick tac toe or roll the dice for backgammon, games are a sure fire...
Read MoreThe Randy Rooster
“Trying to sneak a fast ball past Hank Aaron is like trying to sneak the sunrise past a rooster.” Joe Adcock “Spring forward, fall back” is the memory trick we use for re-setting our clocks in order to capture the gift of daylight savings. Who doesn’t appreciate an extra hour of sunshine in which to frolic and play? Yet we pay a price to shed our hibernating ways, as we begrudgingly crawl from the cozy comfort of our snuggly beds. One steadfast harbinger who can rouse us literally like clockwork? The lusty rooster, trilling and screeching, until we have no choice but to rise. A...
Read MoreSki en Francais
“Thank goodness for the first snow. It was a reminder—no matter how old you became or how much you’d seen, things could still be new if you were willing to believe they still mattered.” Candace Bushnell, Lipstick Jungle From Chamonix to Courcheval, Val d’Isère to Gstaad, the French/Swiss alps offer breathtaking curves to negotiate, both on and off the slopes! We’ve already seen some lovely hankies inspired by brilliant blue skies and bold mountains in Ski Sun Valley. Now we take a turn (pun intended) toward the lighter side of skiing – silliness on the slopes, and who better to lead the...
Read MoreSkiing – from Sun Valley to Snowmass
Slaloming, Shredding, Schussing down the slopes … superb, sublime, splendiferous! This sport of champions didn’t always showcase spandex. Back in the day, the swells wore hand knit sweaters from Austria, wool knickers, and billed caps. At day’s end, zipping back to the lodge for an après ski toddy, one might spy the likes of (L to R) Mrs. Gary Cooper, Jack Hemingway, (Ernest’s eldest son), Ingrid Bergman, Gary Cooper and Clark Gable. When dressing for dinner ladies might sport a remembrance of their day in the form of a handkerchief tucked in a breast pocket or looped over a belt. This...
Read MoreValentine Oh Please
“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” Dr. Seuss Since handkerchiefs have long been a vehicle for flirting, it’s no surprise to find dozens of hankies adorned with images of amour. From richly embroidered roses to images of turtledoves and throbbing hearts, a hankie is the quintessential fashion accessory when it comes to romance. The variety of images is as vast as the legion of lovers of Catherine the Great. Today our tuning forks are trained on a single note – the reluctant ingénue – as we follow...
Read MoreTea
“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” Henry James The Portrait of a Lady Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Sleet and snow, blizzards and cloudbursts envelope and surround us. Yet the flip side to winter’s frosty coin always lands happily heads up when we can take a moment for a cup of tea. It’s the perfect prelude for a snuggle or siesta, a game of backgammon or chess, or burrowing with a best seller by a blazing fire. Perhaps most comforting of all, it’s an elixir for every hour – from purple pre-dawns,...
Read MoreDance, Dance, Dance
“To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking.” Agnes De Mille Whether a Viennese Waltz, Irish Quadrille, Greek Horos, or Argentine Tango, most countries have a national dance. When dignitaries visit, the welcome ceremony often includes a dance presentation as a gesture of hospitality. Dance, along with music, is one of the purest expressions of joy and energy, and one of the easiest to share. With language barriers removed, one can instantly fuse with the life force which fills the room. For the...
Read MoreSmoking
“Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times.” Mark Twain Along with dieting and exercising , another popular New Year’s Resolution is giving up smoking. In decades past, smoking was considered sexy and sophisticated, and later, cool and hip. The Marlboro Man commanded the prairie with swagger and bravado. Holly Golightly flirted and flattered with her gloves up to here, and her cigarette holder out to there. “Strange as it may seem, there is nothing in which a young and beautiful female appears to more advantage than in the art...
Read MoreStolen Kisses
From Shakespeare to Tennyson, Byron to Keats, Sheridan to Swindberg…all authors of passion have something to say about love. When it comes to matters of the heart and romance, we learned in Pucker Up and Under the Mistletoe , that a lady + a handkerchief create a formidable duo. Every girl needs at least one red hankie. A foolproof flirting foil, the crimson hankie doubles as a nimble wing man, attracting admirers from across the room. Our first handkerchief displays a plethora of romantic aphorisms framing the temptress in the center. It’s the perfect contrivance to initiate a conversation...
Read MoreUnder the Mistletoe
It’s mistletoe season once again, and we find this bashful beau blushing – either from shyness or smug satisfaction at his overwhelming success in the smooching department. My, he has been busy. I’ve been told this is an example of a ‘magic’ disappearing handkerchief. Once laundered, the image purportedly washes away, making the hankie utilitarian for everyday use, but why would you want to wash out all the fun? Now that we’ve entered the season of red & green as well as mistletoe, it appears essential for a girl to always have a lipstick at the ready, as well as a lipstick...
Read MoreJoin the Conversation
