Women’s hats, if they are good hats, always must stir controversy, arouse conversation, occupy the spotlight.
Lilly Daché (c 1898-1989), French born American milliner.
My grandmother used to say to me, “Are you a hat gal?” Well, yes I am! I love hats and I have many. In fact I think at this point the hat is my signature accessory. But not all fit Lilly Daché’s criteria. Some I don purely for practical reasons – shade from the sun or warmth in the cold. Still, even with those hats I go for style and coordinate with my outfits.
Daché immigrated from France to New York City in 1924. She had studied millinery, but she started as a salesperson at Macy’s. Eventually she left Macy’s to work in a hat shop. Later she bought the business with another employee and it grew into a nine story building called The House of Hats. By this time it was the 1930s and every well-dressed woman donned a hat. Daché became known for her glamourous creations, counting among her customers Hollywood stars such as Heady Lamar and Gloria Swanson. She is credited for making the turban a popular choice in the 1940s.
By the 1950s Daché was a household name designing accessories, jewelry, and perfume. She was even on the popular TV show What’s My Line in 1955. Click here to see.
She wrote an autobiography called Talking Through My Hats and she retired in 1968.
How about you ODFL readers – are you hat gals? Or hat guys? Please share in the reply box below.
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged fashion book, fashion designers, fashion history, fashion icons, Hat Gal, hats, Lilly Daché, millinery, Talking Through my Hats, vintage hats, vintage style | 1 Comment »
Ariana Rebello is fashion journalist based in New York City. As a first-generation American of Indian descent, she has been motivated to encourage South Asian representation in fashion. She currently produces her own fashion talk show, I Don’t Have Style Either, on NY2C, a video guide on what’s new and exciting in NYC. Originally from Northern Virginia, Ariana studied music business at Hofstra University with a concentration in PR and accelerated law.
Ariana was kind enough to fill us in on her journey with a Q&A.
What attracted you to fashion journalism?
My interest for journalism started because my dad was a journalist in DC. Aside from that, I would watch shows like Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, and the Drew Barrymore show and be completely mesmerized with the hosts’ charming personality and the deep, and moving conversations they could bring out of their guests. Because of this, I started my own women’s talk show at my college radio station. This show focused specifically on talking about trailblazing women in entertainment and their stories of success. I was connected to NY2C through that show and decided to change paths into fashion. Fashion was an outlet for me to be creative in a way that I loved.
I have enjoyed watching I Don’t Have Style Either. Would you please tell us the premise behind the series?
I Don’t Have Style Either is a show about using fashion and style to personalize yourself and creating an open space for difficult dialogues in the fashion industry. We usually shoot a sit down interview with our guest and then ask the guest to show us the method behind their skills. If it’s a model, we are learning to pose for pictures. If it’s a stylist, we are learning how colors and certain patterns work for different people.
What do you look for in a potential interviewee?
I always look for someone I personally admire. I am lucky to say that every one of my guests are people that I consider friends and role models of mine. In the future I will be looking for guests with unconventional origin stories and guests that teach the viewers a skill they can use forever.
A lack of diversity in fashion has always been an issue, but do you think we’ve made any progress in recent years? What changes would you like to see?
I do believe the fashion industry has changed for the better in the last decade, however, there is always more that can be done. Designers such as Claudia Li and Collina Strada have started that conversation through using models of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds to showcase their collections.
When you’re not working and want some fashion fun, what’s your go-to fashion media platform?
I am a tiktok girl until I die. I have so many favorite tiktok creators that influenced me to not only work in fashion journalism, but also to move to the city three years ago. I would say some that inspired me are Davis Burleson, Kit Price, Lacey Tanner and, Arabella Bartelloni.
How would you describe your personal style?
My personal style changes all of the time! I love goth and emo influences from the early 2000’s and I had to force myself not to get a bunch of tattoos and paint my room black. But I also love the classic styles of Jackie Kennedy and Grace of Monaco. And on a Saturday night I just want to wear a super business pantsuit with a sheet mesh top underneath.
A role model of mine told me that you don’t need to pick a niche for personal style, you can wear whatever you want and make your own “core style.” Ariana Core is large t shirts, boy shorts and blazers with high heel boots and ribbons in your hair.
Do you have a favorite South Asian designer? Do you see cultural references in their designs?
I have too many to count. My dream is to one day work with Prabal Gurung. But this year I loved seeing Rahul Mishra’s spring couture collection. He has made it a point to employ over a thousand artisans from Indian craft communities. His collection was based off of the Ghandian philosophies such as cultural sustainability. I can’t wait to see more South Asian designers during the second season of South Asian New York Fashion Week.
What’s up for you style-wise this summer?
Though the summer is a time to relax, there is a lot to do. I have been in Europe all spring and I have adored it, but there is nothing better than NYC in the summer. This summer will be the time for one piece swimsuits, new balances in the office, and vests of every color, texture and size.
I’m with you on vests! I think they have been an underappreciated accessory, but to add color, interest, and sometimes a little needed warmth in air-conditioning, vests are an excellent choice for summer.
Thank you, Ariana! Enjoy your summer style and I look forward to seeing you on I Don’t Have Style Either.
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized | Tagged Ariana Rebello, fashion designers, fashion journalism, fashion news, I Don't Have Style Either, NY2C, South Asian New York Fashion Week | Leave a Comment »
Pausing to honor the individuals who lost their lives while serving in the U.S. military.
Posted in Events, Uncategorized | Tagged Memorial Day | Leave a Comment »
In her white ensemble, she looks every bit the ageless fashion icon. Her straight skirt, falling to mid-calf, ends in a precise fringe, its sharp lines contrasting with her softly knitted bustier. A scarf tossed insouciantly around her neck completes the look. Its navy borders and the matching ribbon in her upswept hair add a touch of sophisticated color. You won’t find this Barbie in the toy department … She and her one-of-a-kind outfit live in an office at MIT … Research scientist Svetlana Boriskina uses Barbie to model her vision of future apparel.
Virginia Postrel – American journalist and independent scholar. This quote is from her book, The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World, published by Basic Books in 2020.
Postrel refers to Boriskina’s work creating fabrics that will keep humans as cool as if they were naked. Clothing traps the heat that our bodies are constantly releasing, which is great in cold weather but not on hot days. (And with Climate Change the world is only getting warmer.) What if a fabric (made of altered fibers) allowed the body’s heat to move right through it? “Your clothes could let you feel as cool as you’d be without them while protecting you from sunburn and stares.”
This story is from Chapter 7, titled Innovators, and just one of many fascinating things to learn about the past, present, and future of textiles. A book rich in information covering the history of fiber, thread, weaving, dyeing, trading, buying, and what the future may hold, The Fabric of Civilization reminds us just how important textiles are in our daily lives.
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged fashion history, fashion news, fashionable quotes, history of textiles, textile books, The Fabric of Civilization, Virginia Postrel | 2 Comments »
Cześć! That means “Hey” (as in Hi or Hello) in Polish. I just learned that from Kasia Maslowski, founder of Kasia Lip Balms.
Kasia and I met at Second Fridays Art Walk in Norman, OK where she was a vendor selling her line of lip balms. I have a thing for lipsticks and lip balms; Kasia’s fun and colorful display caught my eye so I headed over. Kasia is friendly and outgoing, so we easily chatted about her product and bonded over the curse of cold sores.
Originally from Austin, Texas Kasia now lives in Tulsa, OK (a fabulous Art Deco city, BTW) where she works full time as a process engineer for Kimberly-Clark. She launched her business in 2019, but she says she started taking it more seriously in 2022.
What inspired you to start making lip balm?
I was working for Johnson and Johnson back in 2015 and met two powerhouse women engineers who had previously worked at Neutrogena (owned by Johnson and Johnson) in LA. I thought to myself, what a DREAM it would be to work as a CHEMICAL ENGINEER in skincare! I quickly inquired about them finding me a job with Neutrogena but though they tried, there was something like a “hiring freeze” happening at the time and they couldn’t get me in. Still intrigued by the idea, however, I thought to myself, how am I going to get this same kind of Research and Development experience? I’ll start a skincare line myself! And thus Kasia Lip Balms was born a few years later.
I appreciate that your ingredients are vegan and all natural. How did you choose what to use?
I like to use products from other small businesses so I’ve tried to stick with ingredients that may be a little more expensive but that provide extra quality to my products.
I also really like your fun packaging – where did you get the inspiration for the graphics?
I find a lot of inspiration from Trader Joe’s and LaCroix sparking water. These brands are not afraid to just go there and express some serious color pop. The color pop I infuse in my packaging is also a full expression of my personality!
Let’s talk cold sores, because they are a reality for some of us. You use the amino acid Lysine in some of your lip balms. Is Lysine the primary ingredient in those balms? Please tell us how you came upon Lysine as an answer to battling cold sores.
Yes, so as an engineer (and an entrepreneur), you want to solve a problem with your business. Getting cold sores had always been a part of my life and always made me feel a little self-conscious. The main product I used was Abreva which was quite expensive, didn’t smell great, and honestly didn’t always work. So my mission for busting into the skincare industry was to come up with an all natural alternative to Abreva that made people feel confident and something that looked FUN!
What do you like the most about your business?
I love people and face to face sales. It gives me the chance to connect with others and share my story.
What do you want customers to know about Kasia Lip Balms?
Most skincare brands you see on the market have a French or Spanish translation or affiliation. Mine has a Polish twist, as a tribute to my family and my ancestors who motivate me always to persevere.
I love a good twist and a sense of originality. That’s what makes you stand out! Thank you, Kasia for chatting with ODFL.
Kasia Lip Balms come in several fruit flavors and are made with coconut oil, Shea nut oil and beeswax, which comes from cruelty-free beehives in Austin.
- Orange, Peaches ‘n Cream, Coconut, and Rich Coconut have SPF
- Watermelon and Citrus Twist are ultra moisturizing
- Cherry and Blueberry have Lysine for cold sores.
I purchased a trio pack – Watermelon, Citrus, and Cherry. I’ve used the Citrus several times a day since. It’s smooth and glossy and it gives a tingle of mint on my lips. I like to swipe it on as a base and then add a touch of lipstick for color. The citrus scent is light and the yellow tube is just plain fun! Hey, Leo Di Caprio knows what I’m sayin’. While in Tulsa filming Killers of the Flower Moon he popped into a local shop and picked up a tube of Kasia Lip Balm. Smart guy!
The whole line of Kasia Lip Balms is available online.
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized | Tagged Kasia Lip Balms, Kasia Maslowski, Killers of the Flower Moon, Leonardo Di Caprio, lip balms, Lysine in lip balm, Norman OK, Second Fridays Art Walk Norman | 3 Comments »
I used to give my mother manicures. I tried to make it fun by laying out a white linen towel and a pretty bowl of warm soapy water. She had her own manicure set, which I used and I always put on her favorite Michael Feinstein CD for uplifting background music.
Mom had beautiful hands and long tapered nails that were as hard as nails! She used to call them her tools and she’d say to me, “Don’t cut too short, I need those.” After I trimmed and filed her nails I’d push back her cuticles, but I hardly needed to do that. I was always so envious of her perfect and NOT dry cuticles. Mine were such a struggle to keep nice.
For years I looked for a good cuticle product – Burt’s Bees, Sally Hansen, coconut oil, baby oil – you name it I tried it and nothing worked. Miraculously I finally found Nail and Cuticle Oil made by my favorite all natural vegan beauty product company, 100% Pure. When I heard that they had just come out with a cuticle oil I was anxious to try it and I’m so glad that I did.
I think the magic ingredient is the extract from a Mediterranean plant known as Blue Tansy, which has anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties. Combined with jojoba oil and vitamin E this is a winning combination for healthy nails and cuticles.
As part of my morning and evening routine, I swipe a little oil over each nail with the handy brush provided and massage into my cuticles. The scent is light and sweet and the oil itself is a pale green. Now my nails and cuticles are always in excellent shape just like my mom’s were.
(This is not a paid endorsement.)
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized | Tagged 100 % Pure, 100% Pure Cuticle Oil, cuticle oil, Fashionable Favorite Things, Mom style, vegan beauty products | Leave a Comment »
I’m a big fan of fashion memoirs because each individual’s story provides a different and unique take on fashion and style. So, I’ve been looking forward to reading stylist Patricia Field’s memoir (written with Rebecca Paley), Pat in the City: My Life of Fashion, Style and Breaking All the Rules (Dey Street Books).
Pat in the City does not disappoint. Field is known for styling the fashions on hit TV shows Sex and The City and Emily in Paris, among others, and creating iconic looks such as the tutu-as-skirt.
Born and raised in New York, Field, now 81, is of Greek decent. She was the eldest daughter of immigrant parents who ran their own dry cleaning business. A rebel from the start, Field created her own style early in life, combining her mother’s preferred Pringle cashmere sweaters with a Burberry (popped collar) trench coat and boots. “My style, inside and out, was not girly girl but cool and fierce,” she explains. This was the beginning of her penchant for mixing contrasting looks, something that later would set her apart in the world of costuming.
In eleven chapters Pat in the City takes the reader through Field’s childhood (surrounded by her three unmarried aunts) to her first retail shops where in the 70s and 80s she created a haven for club kids and drag queens. Each of her first commercial costuming successes – Sex in the City, The Devil Wears Prada, and Emily in Paris – get their own chapters filled with behind-the-scene tidbits. For example – early on in costume discussions, Sarah Jessica Parker, who played Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the City, declared that she would not wear hose, no matter the season or the weather. Field explains that historically for women hose were essential. Even as late at 1998 when SATC premiered, women, in the workforce especially, were expected to cover their legs. SJP saying no hose, was remarkable. (Later Meryl Streep, who played Amanda Priestly in The Devil wears Prada went the opposite direction announcing that bare legs were not for her and she would be wearing hose.)
I learned a lot about Field that surprised me. I didn’t know that she was nominated for an Oscar for her costuming work on The Devil Wears Prada and that she designed a line for Payless Shoes. I didn’t know that she has closed all her retail stores and now runs her own fashion gallery called ARTFashion in Manhattan.
Another pleasant surprise is the book itself, which is quite stylish and heavy with more than 250 coated pages. There are many colorful illustrations, photos, and photo collages. The images of Field, her family, and other people in her life help complete the story for the reader, plus they’re just fun to look at.
I really enjoyed Pat in the City and I recommend it, particularly to fans of her work, but also for anyone who is interested in costuming, fashion, and style.
(Thank you Dey Street Books for providing a review copy to ODFL.)
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged book review, costume design, fashion history, fashion in Sex and the City, fashion news, Pat in the City, Patricia Field, stylists, vintage fashion, vintage style | Leave a Comment »
I’m disappointed with the trend of sweatpants and sneakers. I mean, come on! I feel it’s not that interesting. Now everyone’s walking around looking like that. It shows no sense of originality. Yes, it’s comfortable. I like sweatpants when I’m in my apartment. But I wouldn’t go out in Paris in a pair of sweatpants. And that happened to me in Paris! When I first went there to do “Emily,” I sent (creator) Darren Star, “I’m in here in Paris. I’m going to check out the French chic.” I do my little routine, go outside. They’re all in sneakers, jeans and sweatpants! I’m like, This is depressing. I want the French chic, damn it!
Patricia Field – American costume designer/stylist.
How sad is that? Paris, historically the city of elegant style, is now awash in sweats and jeans.
This quote is from Pat in the City: My Life of Fashion, Style, and Breaking All the Rules (Dey Street Books).
Check back tomorrow for my review of this fascinating fashion memoir.
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged fashion book, fashion book review, fashion designers, fashion history, fashion icons, fashion memoir, fashion news, fashionable quotes, Pat in the City, Patricia Field, stylists, vintage fashion, vintage style | Leave a Comment »
Tail of the Yak on Ashby Avenue in Berkeley has announced that they will close in June. After 51 years I guess it’s time – nothing lasts forever, but still, it’s sad.
Tail of the Yak is a small gift store offering items like embroidered ribbon, paper lanterns, handmade fruit-shaped paper surprise balls, linens, glassware, candles, cards, journals, and other delightful things. Much of the merchandise is imported from around the world including Mexico, Ukraine, India, and Japan. One of the biggest draws to the shop is a large glass display case of antique jewelry – Georgian, Victorian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco. Rings, earrings, beads, and brooches galore!
Co-owners Alice Erb and Lauren McIntosh have curated the shop to reflect their unique aesthetic, which has become well known and much admired. Cross their threshold into a charming world where the wood floor creaks with every step, signs are printed in calligraphy by hand, and cooing doves greet you from their grand antique birdcage.
My mother introduced me to The Yak, as it is affectionately known, when I was still in high school. Later when I was working at the nearby shop, Primavera, I used to pop into The Yak and peruse the antique jewelry, none of which I could afford at the time. But there was one turquoise and coral ring that I fell in love with and so I put it on layaway, feeling guilty as I was supposed to be saving up for a move out of state. I made that move just fine minus a couple hundred dollars, and I still have the ring!
The Yak reminds me of my mother because we often went there together. For many years it was a destination on either my birthday or hers. Lunch and then The Yak where we looked at the jewelry, picked up beeswax candles and other small treats. When I visit there now by myself, I sense her presence next to me.
There are fewer and fewer stores like The Yak. The modern world is edging out such places of magic and charm. What will be left? Amazon. Walmart. Target. Corporate big box stores with no soul. So it’s important to support the shops that are still here – Lacis, Stone Mountain and Daughter for fabric and notions, Bills Trading Post for Native American jewelry, Elmwood Stationers, are a few I can think of in the East Bay.
The Yak is still here too, until the end of June.
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Mom's Closet, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged Alice Erb, antique jewelry, Berkeley style, Elmwood shops, Lauren McIntosh, Tail of the Yak | Leave a Comment »
Speaking of her good friend Karl Lagerfeld’s fashions Anna Wintour says:
… uniform, a kind of armor and a way of holding certain moods and memories close. His fashion does for me what fashion should. It makes me feel more confident in being myself.
Anna Wintour – British born editor-in-chief of American Vogue.
This quote is from the New York Times article Anna and Karl, a Love Story in Clothes by Vanessa Friedman, April 27, 2023.
Tonight, May 1st, is the fashion event of the year – The Met Gala, where over 400 invited guests will gather at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and strut their couture fashions up the red carpet. In control of the gala since 1995 is Anna Wintour, who chooses the theme, the food, the décor, and most importantly who gets invited. (Project Runway’s Tim Gunn has been banned for insulting Anna and the entire Kardashian clan wasn’t invited this year perhaps because of sister Kim’s controversial dress stunt in 2022.)
A fundraiser for the Costume Institute housed at the museum, tickets cost $35,000 each and tables start at $300,000, but don’t think that that kind of cash says you can invite who you want to your table. Ah, no! Anna decides who dines with whom.
The Costume Institute fundraiser dates back to 1948 when fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert organized a midnight supper, which soon became the party of the year but strictly for socialites. When in 1973 former fashion editor Diana Vreeland took over, the event began to expand. But it’s really Anna who has created the celebrity circus that it is today; and with the circus come the big bucks. Last year’s gala raised over 17 million dollars.
Each gala theme reflects the current fashion exhibition. This year’s theme is a tribute to late German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019) and the exhibition, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty runs from May 5 – July 16, 2023.
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged Anna Wintour, fashion designers, fashion exhibits, fashion history, fashion icons, fashion news, fashionable quotes, Karl Lagerfeld, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, Met Gala, Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, vintage fashion | Leave a Comment »
OverDressed for Life 