Social Stylists » hats

Do They Dress Differently There?

SocialStylists — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:41:37 +0000

Back from a week in Paris where I spent a good deal of time just people watching and looking at what the Parisians were wearing. I enjoy street fashion more than runway fashion because it varies from region to region. The people in a particular area put their own spin on what designers are producing. I think it’s an expression of the mood of people.

Here’s what stood out for me this past week in Paris as different from what I see daily in the US:

Catherine Malandrino at Shopbop

1. Coats with belts that didn’t look like the belt came with the coat. In some cases, it couldn’t possibly. I even saw a few down-feather coats (ala North Face) belted. Sometimes it looked great, sometimes not so much. Some women chose to match their belt to the rest of the outfit, making the coat look like it was paired with the outfit.
2. Speaking of matching the accessories, there was a serious matchy-matchy thing going on in Paris. The hats matched the coats, or the shoes matched the bag, etc. It looked like they were headed to a time past when your grandmother’s rules applied.
3. As far as boots went, there was a noticeable absence of over-the-knee boots. Most of the boots were the riding style – low heel, tall boots. Functional and ready for the serious walking done in the city.
4. So on to functionality. Everything seemed to be more practical these days. Gone were stilettos and large handheld designer bags. Returning were flat shoes or low heels, shoulder bags or messenger bags and – gasp – the backpack (note: I do not like the back pack look on anyone that is not a full-time student).

Black Patent Furla Bag with Tan Accents

5. The colors were interesting, nothing bright but not too much black either. Most accessories were brown – sandal or saddle. The browns were blended with grays and blacks. There didn’t seem to be any concern of mixing the neutrals with the primaries.
6. The biggest surprise was the amount of leather I saw being worn in the daytime. Leather pants and leather leggings. And on everyday people. I even saw a few men in leather pants and these were businessmen not hipsters.

So which of these trends will take hold in the US?
Will we start to accessorize outerwear with our own accessories or stick to the belt that came with the coat? Will we return to matching our hats, shoes, and gloves? Will we become more comfortable blending browns with blacks? Will Americans grab on to the leather trend? I have seen a few women in the US look fabulous in leather, but it still usually reserved for the very fashionable.
We are already onboard with riding boots and we are warming up to the messenger bag. As for the others, some trends translate and some don’t – they are like expressions that way. It’s up to us to determine.
But that’s what makes us unique, non?

Knit It

SocialStylists — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:01:43 +0000

Used to be when someone talked about knits, we all yawned thinking oh yeah, another oversized sweater to hide the extra holiday pounds. Change that attitude because now knits are hip.

Jessica Simpson Knit Triangle Scarf

While the battle of the knits brews tomorrow when Althea Harper and (Meana) Irina Shabayeva face off over who did the better collection, there is more to knits this season than just what the gals at Project Runway cooked up for us. Think beyond the basic scarf or sweater. Knits are showing up everywhere this season – from the snood to sweater dresses to hats and gloves - everything comes is a knit form this year.

Shopbop Basic Knit Gloves

So what is the allure of knits this year?

Maybe its because knits give off the feeling of luxury even in the bargain price range. Wool knits don’t have to be expensive to feel it. Of course, you can always amp it up with cashmere.

Maybe it’s because the past few years have been ridiculously cold, and the warm knits are a must. After all, isn’t it so much nicer to see someone in a warm knit dress and tall flat boots in the winter than someone with bare legs and 4-inch heels that we are supposed to believe is completely immune to the elements?

Maybe it’s a backlash to all the poorly made items we’ve seen crop up in the past few years. Something about a knit just says there was care put in to making it. Think of Althea Harper’s tweet

Yes! I knit all those pieces!!xxRT @Sbsterling When Althea says I spent a lot of time knitting does she mean she knit those pieces herself?

Maybe it’s the relaxed attitude knits give off. Its hard to be stuffy without so much structure.

Whatever it is, we are loving knits this year.

And if you are reading this and wondered, “What’s a snood???” Check Nicky’s Rag Tales for the dish.

To top it off…

SocialStylists — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:03:39 +0000

In the past hats were a must have for women and men alike; an accessory that ladies wore to complete their look and men wore in addition to their suits. They then became pieces that were used for mainly function to protect from weather, and of course the baseball hat to show loyalty to favorite sports teams. For a while fashion hats were less prevalent in mainstream fashion, but now I feel are making a grand comeback…and I’m personally really excited about it!

Forme Millinery

Recent discovery, Formé Millinery, was created by Couture Milliner, Jenny Pfanenstiel. With her passion for hats and her endless creativity she made hats a go to accessory for completing a look and making it truly fabulous.

After her hats caught my eye at Accessoiree, and entertained me for quite some time, Jenny (Couture Milliner) told me all about her inspiration and the process for creating her fantastic vintage hats and I was hooked.

Forme Millinery

Today Formé Millinery creates hats by steaming and blocking felt and straw over old wooden hat blocks as a true couture milliner. Jenny also adds vintage embellishments and materials to her hats as well as hand stitching to create a truly unique one of a kind masterpiece. From great broad brimmed hats and winter hats to the greatest cocktail hats, this accessory really puts a look…over the top.

Couture Milliner
773.719.7307
formefashion@usa.net