upcycled fashion

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  • Brownie Wise was the ultimate party planner, inventing the idea of home parties to promote Tupperware in the 1950's.  During convention weekend Jubilees lavish gifts and rewards were presented and elaborate treasure hunts were done with prizes buried underground.  This hat, "Brownie Mae", would be what she would choose to wear.  Stylish, commanding and luxurious.  Her  desire for happiness helped recruit thousands of women into a career at a time when a woman's role was conventionally tied to the home. In 1954 she became the first woman to appear on the cover of Business Week magazine.   This hat is handmade felt.  The upcycled sequined silk fabric is fused with raw merino wool in a process of wet felting called nuno felting.  Once the fabric/felt hood is created, it is blocked over a vintage heated block and shaped by hand. The silk velour hat band is dyed to match the peach/red tone of the felt.  This hat is halfway between a regular felt and gossamer in its weight, with the density of the sequins helping to create structure.  Beautiful from every angle, comfortable, and yes...sensible. This hat fits a small-sized head, 21.25-21.5″ in circumference.  If you have any questions about size, please contact me. "No Matter who you are, you alone can give the world something that it can get from no other source" - Brownie Wise.  
  • The thing about felt making is that although you have a vision and you set up what you're making very carefully and skillfully, you never really know how it is going to turn out.  There is a "letting go" of control when feltmaking, and when you reveal what you've  made, I call it a "no whammies" reveal.  A little hope and a prayer each time.  ;) This hat turned out EXACTLY as I'd planned.  I couldn't have placed the print better, as the hood (felt shape) was destined for this vintage turban block.  The felt is light, thin and even, as you would expect with such a topper.  It exudes luxury and is for the woman who is a confident hat-wearer.  This hat WILL turn heads and say to the onlooker that you are a woman who is sure of yourself.  Casual and dressy, this hat can take you from the market to an evening out.
  • Out of stock
    This is a hat for someone who loves being outdoor in the winter.  Ditch the toque for this flower garden that blooms all winter! Wear it to work, a winter snowshoe, or out to an event.  This hat will go everywhere with you and can tuck nicely into a purse if you must store her while you're inside.  Romantic and glamourous, Zoe helps you embrace your wintertime look, whatever that will be!  "Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak." - Rachel Zoe.
  • This gossamer hat is light and very comfortable to wear. It can be the hat you wear to the market or on a brisk hike in the hills. It is unlike most hats and will be noticed, not only for it’s beautiful print and colors, but for its sculpted, casual design. It is a hat that will set you apart from others. As Robin Williams once said:  “You’re only given a little spark of madness.  You mustn’t lose it.”
  • This hat is best described by a song by Tenille Townes - wanting to reclaim her fierce, carefree self, indulging in the beauty and pace of the smaller moments in life. "The girl who didn't care": "I wanna worry a little less, love a little more Barefoot in a dress, dancing on the floor Like I did, back when, when I was younger Making up the songs, playing in my head Didn't matter what anybody said Didn't need to be like all the others Giant dreams and wild hair Yeah, I know she's still in there somewhere The girl who didn't care"

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