The Hat Affair Loves... Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn is a legendary style icon. Her relationship with designer Givenchy created some of the most memorable moments on screen. The opening of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' springs to mind with Audrey in her LBD and diamonds.

It may surprise you when I say that the costumes I love the most are in 'Paris When it Sizzles'. They were timeless with there classic lines and effortless luxury.

This season the 60's have had a come back and elements of Givenchy's design's echo throughout many collections. Why not take a leaf out of Audrey's book and give some of this seasons looks a try...

Audrey Hepburn wearing Givenchy in 'Paris When it Sizzles'
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Click link for source

Roksanda Ilincic sessler colour-block wool-crepe dress

Available at NET-A-PORTER.COM

Dolce & Gabbana cutout floral brocade dress
Available at NET-A-PORTER.COM

Audrey in Givenchy Suit in openning of 'Paris When it Sizzles'
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Simone Rocha wafer-mesh dress
Available at NET-A-PORTER.COM

Audrey Hepburn in Pink Givenchy dress in 'Paris When it Sizzles'
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Jason Wu leather and suede pleated dress

Available at NET-A-PORTER

Audrey Hepburn in White Givenchy dress in 'Paris When it Sizzles'
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Preen by Thornton Bregazzi
flo stretch-sateen jersey dress
Available at NET-A-PORTER.COM

Audrey Hepburn images from various sources (see links)

All other images from NET-A-PORTER.COM

Vintage, ain't all it's cracked up to be...

If you have been following my blog then you should know by now that I collect and make hats. I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you a few photo's I took for the lovey ladies at 'We love Perth', as guest blogger of the month of April. As you can probably gather I love dressing up!

After attending Fashion Talks this month my love of all things vintage has been reignited. I have also been slowly putting together another collection of headpieces, after suffering quite badly of designers block. So if all things go well, you will be seeing some more original creations for my millinery and headpiece label Banks & Bell.

Right now I am gearing up for the Perth Fashion Festival. I can't wait to find out what William St will have to offer this year...

Dreaming of couture...

Charlotte Smith and journalist Meri Fatin

Fashion Talks was a dream come true. Ever since I read Charlotte's book 'Dreaming of Dior', I wanted to know more about her amazing vintage clothing collection and the woman behind it all...

When Charlotte Smith inherited a collection of vintage clothing from her Pennsylvanian Quaker godmother, Doris Darnell, it changed her whole world. "I have a small shop in the Blue Mountains. When the crates arrived they blocked out the sun. It took three months to unpack everything", Charlotte.

What makes the Darnell Collection so unique, is that every garment has a story, a memory of who wore it, where they wore it, who made it, etc, creating a rich and vibrant social history of how women have changed over time.

Detail of Beryl Jents dress

Beryl Jents, Australia, circa late 1960's, silk

Everything in the collection has been donated, accept for pieces bought at auction to add to the story of an exhibition. It is now the largest private vintage clothing collection in Australia and boasts over 5,500 pieces. The collection has pieces from the Victorian era right up to the present day.

It includes three rare dresses dating from the early 1900's by Lucile. There are only 90 left in exsitence. Lucile designer, Lady Duff Gordon was a survivor of The Titanic and was the first designer to have fashion parades with manequins (live models). By 1922 she employed 300 people, with an in house doctor, dentist, a dining room with meals provided and paid maternity leave.

Vionnet Dress 1937

A vintage gem on display on the night was a dress by Vionnet. In the 1920's Vionnet pioneered the bias cut, revolutionising fashion by allowing the fabric to fall on the body to create shape, instead of creating the shape with garment its self. Vionnet was concerned about other designers copying her designs. She kept a photographic record of every garment, using mirrors to allow a camera to caputure all sides at once.
 

The Darnell Collection also includes pieces by Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Pucci, Prada and a whole lot more... I could have sat there all night listening to Charlotte talk about the collection. I got the feeling that what she shared just scratched the surface of the many varied stories that this collection has to offer.

Dior dress 2005 and Chanel suit circa 1960's, wool

For more information on the Darnell Collection

www.darnellcollection.com

Hat Affair Loves...Red Threads

If you have been to the Bindaring Clothing sale in the past and you haven't been to the new Red Threads store in Fremantle, then your missing out. This is no ordinary charity shop. This is the creme de la creme of the pre-loved and vintage clothing world. Each piece has been hand picked for quality and style, so only the best is on offer.

Red Threads has a new promotion on, buy any bag for $30 or more and get a garment free (selected garments only). I am a volunteer at Red Threads and I put together the window display for the promotion, as pictured above. (I just couldn't resist playing around with it on Photoshop.)

Red Threads is located on Market St, Fremantle next to Home Provadore.

Girl Friday...

Ok so this isn't Friday, but today I drew inspiration from the Cary Grant film 'His Girl Friday'. It is also showing off one of my Melbourne buys from the Brunswick St, Vintage store 'Harry Wragg'. More on Harry Wragg to follow...

Outfit: Glasses from Roger Henley, Vintage shirt from Harry Wragg, Cardigan from Alannah Hill, Acorn Necklace from Harry Highpants, Fur Wrap made by me, Vintage Gloves (can't remember where I bought them), Wool skirt Vintage Fiona Andrews from my mums wardrobe, Shoes from Mimco and Vintage Clutch (can't remember where I bought it).

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Ruby red...

I love this 1950's rich ruby red number. You can just picture the previous owner dressed in her beautiful 'new look' dress, with the nipped in waist and full skirt. Her small gloved hands holding a neat purse. Her red lips posed to take a sip from a delicate glass of champagne.

If only the women of today would show such reverence for there appearance. What happened to the time when a simple thing like not wearing thongs to the office was accepted practice (I'm referring to flip flops, for those who aren't Aust). Call me old fashioned, but aren't you supposed to wear a comfortable yet formal shoe to the office, not what you slob around in on your weekends. At present the casual day that used to be once a week has merged with the other four resulting in mishmash of work attire. Office workers don't know whether they're going to the gym or to the pub for a beer?

When did the straight skirt and shirt disappear? I know it's still out there somewhere. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that ladies need to look frumpy. That is the last thing I want. Nor do I want us to conform to the male ideal of the sexy secretary. All I would like to see is a bit more pride taken in our daily work appearance. You never know, the lift in looking the part might just improve your standard of work too.

Peaky

I seem to collect blue and red hats, this is no exception. This 1950's hat is woven into an almost Tudor style peaked headdress (With a veil down the back you could Anne Boleyn).

Lucky for me I have a vintage dress in this exact shade of blue, although too much vintage and your in danger of looking like your in costume.

Will I or won't I...

As you can probably gather I find it difficult to walk past an unusual hat and I sometimes end up with a purchase where I'm not entirely convinced. This is one such purchase. I was attracted by the colour and how striking it is, however the question of whether I would actually wear it, well that is contentious issue.

It is a 1960's turban hat that was made by 'Mr Individual', Melbourne and consists of netting, fake fur and chiffon.

I'll let you make up your mind...

Feathery delights...

These gorgeous trims were given to me by my friend Alice for my birthday (Thanks Ali!). These vintage millinery trims from the 1930's were bought from a collector in Melbourne. They're quite fragile so I'll need to be extra careful. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do with them, but for now I'm just enjoying the possibilities...

Another for the books!

This issue of 'Home Journal from 1961 is from around the same time as the hit series 'Mad Men' now showing on SBS for those who don't have Foxtel. The clothes are simply fabulous and are worth watching the show for, but the workplace dynamics of the early 60s are the real draw card! A must watch if you haven't already. x

A little bit of nonsense...

"Are you going to put on a hat?" "No, I'm going to wear a little bit of nonsense."

This gorgeous green satin cocktail cap dates from the 1950's and looks amazing.The lady I bought it from said that it was known as 'a little bit of nonsense' and I quite like that quirky description.

Sorry about the lack of posts but going to Sydney and Melbourne coupled with a month house sitting with no internet (which I sorely missed I can tell you) meant posting blogs this month has been rather difficult.

I wore it recently to the Perth Fashion Festival along with my ruby red velvet Carla Zampatti Jacket!

Mary Whitehouse Moment...

This hat belonged to my grandmother and dates from the 1960's, think Mary Whitehouse. As an older lady my grandmother had short curly hair and come to think of it resembled her mother, my great grandmother. So I guess we do end up looking like our mothers, which is a scary thought!

A simple straw!

A straw hat can be a simple solution to an otherwise boring outfit. I bought this hat at the craft and antiques fair and I ended up wearing it that day. Worn at a jaunty angle it looks quite chic, you might also recognise it from this months title graphic!

(Sorry I've cut off the edges my background just wasn't quite wide enough. I need a wider backdrop.)

For blue is thy name...

It's been so overcast here, it's been hard to take photo's lately so this hasn't turned out the best (the background is actually white). I bought this a little while ago from the Craft and Antiques fair. It is a little bit dusty but otherwise okay. It was probably made in the 1960's, but that is a guess as there is no label to go from.

My sister wore it to the mad hatters tea party along with an Alana Hill knit and ra ra skirt (all borrowed from me of course). I just thought it was really cute, but it was the stitching that clinched the deal. I have a weakness for stitching!

The emerald goddess...

This hat is made for a show stopping entrance, I keep thinking of 'Hello Dolly' for some reason. Hmm, school musical coming back to haunt me?! It just didn't look right on a white background, so I thought I'd brighten it up with this Victorian Wallpaper, designed by William Morris. Alas it is just wrapping paper, I would love to paper my house with the real thing! You might also notice my lovely hat block currently modeling 'the emerald goddess'. It was another gift from Sally and Ian along with this hat! Thank you both so much! x

Cream from heaven!

This is my new vintage purchase and I simply love it! Made in the 1950's it is typical of the time, with its skull cap so it can sit on a jaunty angle. I think it was probably made by an amateur as the stitching and materials are not of the best quality. However that doesn't make it any less charming. When I wear it I feel like I'm in a Hitchcock film, like Grace Kelly in 'To Catch a Thief'.

Winter's on its way...

It has been rather a chilly day in Perth and I thought I might look to the winter delights that await. Fur and wool hats have always been a favourite of mine. I have three vintage fur hats which I have inherited from my mother and Grandmother. The first is a sheep skin hat from Russia bought in the 1970's while my mum was traveling, the next two are fur. However I'm not sure what animals they came from. The second is also from Russia and the third and last was my Grandmothers.

Pin head...

Hats traditionally needed a hat pin to keep them from falling off your head. They also would have made a formidable weapon! Now hat pins are used more for decoration rather than function.

The top pin is 25.5 cm long, it has a white glass bead and dates from the 1800's. The second is 8cm long, has a green bakelite bead and dates from 1940's -1950's. The next two were made by a local small business, called the Pin Ladies. The fifth is the one I designed and had made for my Limpet hat, it has a sterling silver shank, a pearl, two fake pearls (well real ones that size would cost a small fortune) and a black glass bead.

Sparkle and shine...

This is another vintage hat made in France probably from the 1950's. It would have been worn originally at the back of the head, however I like to wear it on one side. I just fell in love with this hat. It has come in handy for several costume parties, as well as something different for a night out!

I was snapped wearing it recently at the Curtin University Fashion Grad show, you can see at dropstitch.com.au (Blogger Emma Bergmeier is the genius behind the fabulous fashion spreads you see in X-press Magazine!) x

A whiff of nostaliga

There was once a time when one wouldn't be seen dead without a hat. This was when ladies wore white gloves and stockings all year round and rationing was still the norm.

Thank god our parents saw sense so we don't have to wear gloves in 40 degree heat!

However I have a certain amount of nostalgia for the time when wearing a hat was the height of propriety.

This vintage number is a Christian Dior from 1950's - 1960's. It's hard to pin point a date as I haven't seen another one like it. It came from a deceased estate, the lady had lived in France for a time and had a huge collection of beautiful French clothes and accessories. Sadly it is not in the best state, the silk has discoloured. However it still is a joy to wear.