MidCentury Marvels-Coolie Hats

As I've mentioned before on this blog I was first drawn to vintage style dressing because of my passion for hats.  Since hats are a rarity today, but where worn nearly daily by women, and men, up until the early 1960s, hats are a natural segue way to vintage style.  Over the years I've accumulated hats from 1920s-through the 50s and I wear one nearly every day, particularly during the summer months.  I love both the look, and the practical sun protection, a wide brim hat provides.  One mid century summer style I particularly like is the coolie  hat.  It first appeared in casual European and American women's fashions in the 1930s.

The hats are based on a conical Asian style worn on rice paddy fields.  

 Mid century designers must have seen the hats and appropriated them as a stylish, and practical, sun hat.  The hats often had a very wide brim, making them an excellent  choice for beach wear

and many had the useful feature of neckties, preventing the hat from blowing of the wearers head.  This made them perfect for sporty summer activities.

I was particularly drawn to the neck time versions since my vintage hats are for ever blowing off my head (also I am in awe of the style of the girl in the bicycle photo above.)

I started searching for a vintage coolie hat, but my efforts where in vain.  I simply couldn't find any hats in the simple neck tie style I wanted.  So I decided to go the custom route and ask vintage style milliner and blogger, Tanith Rowan, to make me a hat.   I told her I wanted something similar to the photo of the girl on the bicycle with a slightly wider brim and in neutral colors so I could  wear it with a wide  range of summer outfits.   I couldn't be more pleased with the result:

The hat design is simple enough that it works with looks from a range of eras, it could be 30s, 40s, or 50s.  It's just what I wanted and Im sure it will be making may appearances on my head this summer.

You can purchase Tanith's charming hats in her Etsy shop and she is very willing to make custom creations and has excellent customer service and communication.  She is definitely one of the nicest Etsy sellers Ive dealt with.

Happy St Patrick's Day

First thank you so much for Weasley's birthday wishes.  Second, I apologize if I haven't been visiting blogs much this week.  I am way swamped at work with many assessment and reports do on my students.   

But I didn't want to skip a St. Patrick's Day post.  (If only because I saw this picture online and had to share it)

Yesterday, I managed to get some cute shots of our two youngest kids in there "I Can't Hold My Licker" shirts from Dirt Road Dog on etsy.

I also made my favorite St. Pat's Day treat, Guiness cake (though this year I used oatmeal stout and not Guiness) 

It's so good and super easy the recipe is on the NY Times site.


In vintage news I scored what might just be my craziest hat ever, I initially questioned whether I'd have the guts to wear it.  Its a 1940s knit turban from Arthelia's Attic:

And it's about 6 inces high, very Carmen Miranda.  As my husband said it will get some stares.  Which believe it or not I don't love, I dress vintage because its a passion, but Im very shy and don't always like attention.  Anyway the hat is crazy fabulous.  It reminds me of this knit turban worn by a  young Lucille Ball:

It also reminds me of this clip from Sesame Street (yes, I'll be 38 in a week and I still like Sesame Street.)

I  remember seeing this as a little girl and loving it, a sign that I was destined to grow up to be a crazy hat lady.  I definitely don't plan on wearing my hat to the movies, but I am putting together a casual 1940s outfit to wear with it.  Something with denim and gingham.    Best wishes to all!

Vintage Outfit Post-Saying Goodbye to Winter with a 1930s Dress from Sew Vintage Seamstress

As everyone know this winter has been strangely warm.  60 degree days in December meant I could wear my fall and spring dresses in months usually reserved for sweaters and scarves.  I've never liked the cold so in a way I enjoyed it, but I did miss getting use out of some of my vintage winter clothing. Winter in the 1930s and 40s could after all be a very stylish season:

So I was pleased last Saturday when it was a bit chilly and I was able to wear my warmest dress.  It is a 1930s reproduction from Sew Vintage Seamstress and made out of the thickest corduroy so warm, warm, warm!  Sew Vintage Seamstress always works from authentic patterns and I loved the dramatic puffed sleeves and notched neckline on this one:

I feel like there is something almost victorian about those sleeves.

Sew Vintage Seamstress did a gorgeous job and the finished product is perfect:

I really love deep burgundy color and the notch detailing on the collar, perfect for a novelty ice skater brooch! 

I accessorized the dress with a 1930s hat from Adeline's Attic that was one of the first pieces of vintage I ever bought.  I wore it one of my first posts on this blog.

I also wore my thrifted embroidered leather gloves.   They might be 1950s but I'm not sure:

and my American Duchess Oxfords that are just the most comfortable shoes ever, seriously you can walk miles and miles in these.

I love the whole outfit so much I almost hope that next winters a cold one!

Outfit Details

1930s reproduction dress Sew Vintage Seamstress
1930s hat Adeline's Attic 
1940s Ice Follies Brooch Ebay
Gloves thrifted
1930s Reproduction Oxford Shoes American Duchess 
Stockings What Katie Did

Old Lady Ping

Regular readers now that we have a sweet old lady in our house, little Ping who will be 13 in May. 

 Ping is not without her share of health problems, including liver disease, deafness  and arthritis.   Her liver issues are managed with a special diet and supplements but it makes anesthesia a bit risky.  Thats why I agonized and worried over her getting her teeth cleaned a few weeks ago.  My vet and I  put it off as long as possible, but eventually her teeth where so bad that she had loose ones in her mouth and was in pain, so clearly we had to do something.  She went under with my excellent vet and had several extractions and a cleaning.  I'm so glad I did it!   My vet uncovered an actual hole in Ping's palate caused by her bad teeth that he had no idea was there.  This was in a dog who had 3 other dentals and got regular brushings, so obviously Ping is just one of this dog's with bad teeth.  The dental has really improved Ping's over all health.   She's back to her old feisty self, she is even climbing stairs!

After my experience with Ping I'd tell anyone who has an old dog with very bad teeth, don't be too afraid to the dental.  I really wish we had done Ping's sooner.

On another note the hat I'm wearing in these pictures represents a vintage style danger I never foresaw.  

 Driving safety!  I wore it on Sunday while my husband and I where driving with the dogs to go on a walk down town and I had to take it off because it was so large he couldn't see to turn!  

I wonder if this was a regular issues for 1940s drivers.

Remembering A Sunny Hey Day in Princeton

It took awhile, but it has finally gotten really cold in NYC.

Never being a fan of cold weather I can't help but long for warmer days.  That  is why I've decided to share these pictures from a September outing, a time when my blog was on hiatus.  John and I decided to celebrate Fry's first birthday by taking him to Princeton, NJ.   I've always liked Princeton.  The town is lovely and the buildings have a great sense of history.  Plus Einstein was  a resident for years which is neat.  (Incidentally it's pretty cool that Einsten's theory of relativity has basically been proven due to the fact that scientists have heard echoes of two black holes colliding billions of years ago.   I can't pretend to fully understand the video explaining it below, though maybe scientific advisor Bertie could help.  Either way black holes sure are pretty.)

Anyway another cool thing about Princeton is dogs are allowed on campus.  So we got lots of nice pictures of Fry out and about.

Fry wore his ensign Wesley Crusher sweater (I wrote about it here) and I wore a dress from Hey Day vintage.  It is a really fun repro dress in a style called called the Fleur, it's named after a vintage blogger.  It's done in a 1940s wrap dress style,  which means its very comfortable to wear and can accommodate a range of figures.   Dresses like this are proof that vintage style can be comfortable and casual.  Seriously this dress is way more comfortable then a pair of jeans.

The Fleur dress comes in lots of fun prints, I have the holly berry one too.  The one I wore to Princeton is in the All Aboard! print.  A cheery vintage train motif, with a novelty wheel button. 

I love whimsical prints and this one is so much fun.  It reminds me of 1940s and 50s toy trains.   

I accessorized my dress with a 1940s hat I got on sale from Fab Gabs, bakelite bangles, my 1950s poodle purse, American duchess shoes, and a sweater from Old Navy.

It was a lovely day, I can't wait for Spring so that we can have more of them!

Two Big Beautiful Blooming Hats for The First Day Of Spring

Is there a 12-step program for those addicted to big floral vintage hats?  Because if so I clearly need it.  Spring time in particular starts my hat frenzy.   I just added a reproduction 1930s floral tilt hat from Lady Eve's Millinery to my collection.  Aimee made this one special for me based on an authentic vintage hat I saw on Etsy that sold immediately.  I actually think Aimee's version is better.  I couldn't resist trying it on when it arrived on Saturday, even though I was wearing pajamas and a robe.  I can't wait to wear this this spring!

The second hat I've actually had for awhile, I bought it in the fall during one of Etsy shop Fab Gabs sales, but I haven't worn it because its clearly a spring time hat.  Its an authentic 1940s hat with beautiful felt flowers in the prettiest soft blues and pinks.  I can't not smile while wearing it.

Now if only the weather would cooperate. We are expecting snow for the first day of Spring!