Philosophy of Style

For lots of people, wearing a hat can be scary. I wrote before about how to wear a hat. It takes confidence. It also takes having a sense of your own style ... which is frankly, kind of hard to do.

My ideal style is a mixture of eclectic and classic. Vintage inspired with a touch of quirkiness.

But in reality, what I wear tends toward warm and comfortable. So I throw on a sweater and a pair of jeans. Let's face it: I live in Vermont where, (a) it's often cold, and I run about 10-20 degrees colder than most people and (b) ... well, not that many people care about fashion. (People regularly wear jeans and sneakers to expensive restaurants.)

One day I was searching #vermontstyle on Instagram. Surprise! There's not much there! But it did lead me to discover Stasia of Thrift Me Pretty. Her philosophy of style so resonated with me. 

I love sequins. I've loved them since I was 4 years old, when I would collect them from the floor at shopping stores and save them in a treasure box. As I grew older and became an "outdoorsy" gal, I broke up with sequins. I didn't think they fit my outdoor-vibe. It wasn't until I was almost 40 that I realized I could LOVE the mountains AND sequins!!! Seems silly, doesn't it? But I hear this kind of stuff ALL THE TIME!! "I can't wear THAT because I'm THIS kind of gal living in THIS community." To heck with that you guys! It's made up and it's pretend. IT'S NOT TRUE. So right now, tell me one thing that you LOVED when you were little that you broke-up with as you grew older?? How does it make you feel to think about that thing? Giddy with excitement? Weak at the knees? Yea, then do it!! Wear it!! BE IT! Shine on, girl!! Don't let any boxes hold you back!! ✨❤️✨❤️✨

A photo posted by Stasia • Stasia's Style School (@stasiasavasuk) on Jan 3, 2016 at 6:28am PST

Stasia is a style coach who focuses a lot on thrift-shop finds. (Hooray for not contributing to "fast fashion"!) But more importantly, she talks a lot about finding a style that's authentic to you. When she posted the above photo, I was saying "YES! This!"

Even on my laziest days, I always throw on a cute hat to finish off the outfit. Sure, you're not going to wear some bejeweled, beplumed extravagant concoction to the mall. But a fedora or cloche or beret goes with almost everything. Even in Vermont, where people "don't have anywhere to wear a hat."

Stasia in a cloche by
Silverhill Creative Millinery.

After I commented on her post, Stasia contacted me about a collaboration. I sent her some hats on loan. This was my first collaboration with a style blogger or style coach. I was a little nervous and a lot excited.

It was a thrilling success. By that, I don't mean that I sold hats to every one of her followers. I didn't. But I did get exactly what I wanted: Someone whose style philosophy compliments mine perfectly demonstrating how a hat can be a casual accessory that adds just the right amount of sass.

She took photos in them and talked about how to wear a hat on her own blog. Look how easily a simple cloche pairs with a denim jacket and a casual dress and boots. It doesn't even look out of place in a snowy Vermont field! (Oh, and extra benefit of cloches: They keep the tips of your ears warm.)

Style is a REFLECTION of who you are on the inside. So tell me, does your style REFLECT your SOUL-FIRE? It's a rhetorical question really, because NO IS NOT AN OPTION. It's time to WEAR YOUR SHINE! Stasia's Style School relaunches NEXT FRIDAY (1/29) to my list and it WILL sell out. I'm closing the doors after the 40th person signs up. I want to truly KNOW you, challenge you, ask you the right questions, shake you up!! And I can't do that with a bajillion people in the group. To learn more about SSS and to ensure your spot, hop on the SSS email list so you're ready the moment the doors open!! The gals on my list get first dibs. Link in profile. PS. I just discovered TODAY that I'm a fedora girl, thanks to @silverhillcreative who actually MADE this hat!! I'm in love. 💗💗💗

A photo posted by Stasia • Stasia's Style School (@stasiasavasuk) on Jan 23, 2016 at 1:05pm PST

I didn't realize until I read her blog post that Stasia was a little intimidated by the fedora ... because the message she sent me said: "In LOVE with the fedora! I've never worn one before, and girl, I've been missing out!!"

I have a sneaking suspicion that if more people gave hats a try, they would discover that they, too, are missing out. ;)

The Elephant in the Room

I think a follow-up to my post "Not Everything Handmade Deserves a Gold Star" is in order.

I knew from the beginning it would be controversial, and that's why I wrote it. I chose certain language ("statistically speaking ... your items suck") to be deliberately incendiary. It's not that I'm really whiny or a bitch. I wanted specifically not to sugarcoat things in any way. My goal was to make people think by taking an overtly negative tone. I wanted to at last speak out and draw attention to the elephant in the room.

The goal of the piece was absolutely not to sell my work by trashing others' items. Resellers or sloppy crafters are not my competition! I have the greatest respect and admiration for my competitors. I interact with them on Facebook, Instagram, Etsy, etc. We cheer each other on; we admire each other's work.

I love the maker movement. But in all the praise for handmade, there's one question very few people are asking: Is it any good?

Someone said I'm too negative and needed to focus on positivity. ... And I don't disagree with her — but I think it makes what I wrote to be all the more relevant.

I love the maker movement. But in all the praise for handmade, there's one question very few people are asking (at least publicly): Is it any good?

Creatives love to receive compliments. And I think most of them like to give compliments. But it can be a bit like the boy who cried wolf. Do it too often and too indiscriminately, and people will start to tune you out.

It's the same reason Instagram marketing advice tells people to write something more individual and thoughtful than "Great pic!" If you compliment someone — "nice work" — and you give that same compliment to 30 other makers, none of them are going to feel flattered. When people compliment someone's work without truly caring about it, I just have to wonder why. I was asked "What's the point of your post?" And that is an excellent question and a very valid point. The answer to that is: What is the point of giving equal praise to everyone regardless of quality of work?

Lots of people complain about the entitlement attitudes we see a lot. I think it's more like American Idol auditions, when people say "But my boyfriend/voice teacher/grandma says I'm great!" Not everybody's work is great, and that's okay. I think it does a disservice to both buyers and sellers to pretend that everything "handmade" is equally great.

The ultimate goal of an artist — in my opinion — should be to grow and improve. You can find heaps of advice on marketing, improving your photos, working on SEO, etc. And do work on those things. But don't stop working on your craft.

I have a saying I like to use: Art is subjective ... except when it's not. Something can be (subjectively) pretty to look at but (objectively) poorly constructed. My first hats — which are in my personal collection, not in my shop — are nice to look at, and I'm still proud of them and still wear them. But I can also show you the flaws.

The overall look of this hat is good. But up close you can see an awkwardly constructed bow. The inside lacks a
head size ribbon, and has ugly visible stitches. In all three photos, you can see shadows of where the stitching that
holds down the folded edge is inelegant and poorly done. Those stitches should be invisible. 

The hat above was the second hat I ever made. I share the flaws openly because it is not for sale, and it's not good enough to sell. But I've learned since then. My craft has improved. I now know how to make my stitches invisible. I am better at constructing hats. Many wise people say it's a waste of time to compare yourselves to others. That's it's absolutely true. I am far, far from being the best hat-maker ever. And I'm also far from being the worst. I do good work. And I am constantly trying to improve. Some people probably don't like my work. That's okay. Other people praise my work maybe more than it deserves. I'm not out to best anyone; I'm out to better myself.

When I say "statistically speaking ... your items suck," it's not about promoting myself through disparaging others. I'm talking about the elephant in the room: the simple fact that not all handmade is good, whether that means it's poorly constructed or copies or lightly embellished resold items. (The word "statistically" is key there. I don't mean that your items in particular suck. I do mean that there are a lot of sad crafted items out there in the world.)

It is important to me that the handmade movement has a good reputation. (And in many circles it does not.) To me, that means praising other artists who are truly worthy of praise. And it also means not celebrating every item just because it's called "handmade."

One person sent me a message saying that it gives sellers false hope to encourage them to focus on SEO, product photos, tags, etc. "when everyone responding knows it is just tragic, fugly craft that no one is ever going to buy." Sometimes, sellers need to improve their products.

And sometimes, we need to talk about what handmade means to each of us.

I know of knitters who spin their own yarn. Their finished products are the ultimate in handmade. But I wouldn't say someone who knits with store-bought yarn has less of a right to the word handmade. That's totally handmade in my book. But what about someone who buys a mass-produced knit accessory and sews a button or bow on? I think Etsy calls that handmade; I'm not sure that I do.

Another person mentioned mugs, which I hadn't thought of. It's a perfect example. You can find artists who make their own pottery mugs, fire them in their own kiln, glaze them, etc. You can also find fine artists who have their original paintings printed onto mugs. And you can find "Sharpie mugs." I'd never heard of Sharpie mugs before. If you get a certain kind of Sharpie, you can draw on a blank mug and bake it to make it permanent. Obviously, even within this category, there is a huge range of quality: from painstakingly reproducing calligraphy to just scrawling on a mug in poor handwriting. A hastily scribbled Sharpie mug simply should not be called just as good as a hand-thrown, hand-glazed mug.

They're all handmade, but they're not all good. If that makes me negative to say so, then so be it. Personally, I think praising quality work — and refusing to praise low-quality work — actually is a positive thing.

But, hey, we're each entitled to our own opinions.

A Different Kind of New Year's Post

I'm not one to make resolutions for the new year. I tried, kind of, in 2014 to pay down debt — and then that plan goes by the wayside with car repairs, car replacement, back storm door replacement, etc. Plus, when I quit smoking for good, the date was June 20. So I know the important changes can come at any time and do come when we are ready to make them.

I had transitioned over to making goals instead of resolutions, specific things I wanted to accomplish in the year ahead. But after a couple years of procrastinating and not accomplishing my goals, I've decided against that route, too.

The new year is really a great time for reflection: What went well last year, and why? What didn't go well? What can I do to improve my happiness and my chances of success?

So, I was all ready to write a New Year's post about those things. And then, two things happened:

1. I got sick. Not sick. A cold. The kind that just makes you feel whiny. Not a serious illness that demands a fighting spirit; a moderate inconvenience that makes you want to stay in bed. It makes broad reflections and long-term plans kind of tricky. At the moment, my biggest focus is that I want this darn head cold to go away. Yes, I do realize how fortunate this makes me. But it's hard for me to go roaring into 2015 with a can-do spirit when I feel headachy, tired and congested. My "start" of 2015 might have to wait a week.

2. I found out that Australian milliner Greer McDonald passed away. (I previously devoted part of a blog entry to her in "Camaraderie, not competition".) I knew that she had been ill, though I don't know any details of what her illness was. She was quite a bit older than I am, but I felt like we were at somewhat similar points on our journeys as milliners. Greer and I interacted on Twitter, Etsy's Milliners of Etsy team, our respective Facebook pages, Instagram, and www.hatacademy.com. I didn't know her well, but in every time we "talked," I adored her. She was enthusiastic about hats and a genuinely nice person. We cheered each other on a couple years ago as we each neared 100 Facebook "likes." I met the milestone first, but then she far surpassed me.

And she was a talented and imaginative milliner. It seemed like she was always experimenting with new techniques and new materials instead of just sticking with the things she had mastered.

Her Facebook page no longer exists. And her Etsy shop had been put on hiatus a while ago (which makes the listings invisible for the most part). But you can still view several of her hats on her Pinterest page: Greer McDonald Millinery. [EDIT: Her Pinterest account is now down, too, sadly.] Here's one of hers I had pinned to my "Hats I Like" board:



I'll put forward my philosophies and plans for 2015 later. In the meantime, I could do worse than follow the example set by Greer — creating with joy, being kind and trying new styles and techniques.

Confessions of a procrastinating blogger...

I hate it when I visit a blog only to find out it hasn't been updated in months (or years!). Kind of like ... oh.

Yes, it has been several months since I've blogged. And it hasn't been for lack of things to say. I enjoy writing, and I have some posts in the back of my head waiting to get out onto the computer screen. I just ... haven't written. And then, of course, I get into a vicious circle where I feel like I can't write a new blog post at 3 a.m. or without addressing my absence first. So this, I guess, is that thoroughly unexciting post.

I've been working away on hats (and theatre), not blogging.

More posts will be coming. Until then, you can check out Silverhill Creative Millinery hats on Pinterest or the Silverhill Creative Millinery etsy shop.

Hats ca. 1877

The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan debuted in 1879, but "by a simple arithmetical process you'll easily discover" ... that the show is set in 1877.

Thus began my research into designing hats for the Stowe Theatre Guild production (in which I also play Kate).

This is the type of thing Pinterest is made for! Forget recipes with gorgeous food photography or home decor ideas; I'm interested in collecting historical research.

I will share photos in another posting. Until then, here is a look at my Pinterest board: ca. 1877

Here's one of the images that inspired the hats I eventually created:

Camaraderie, not competition

My former job centered on competition. The details of it aren't pertinent. Competitiveness, especially when it can lead to catty, back-stabbing behavior, is poisonous. And it is certainly no ally to creativity. I'm not opposed to all competition in general. But I'd much rather have a team spirit and be able to feel happiness in others' success, too.

In my blog description, I say that I blog about other milliners I admire. I haven't done much of that, but it's just because I've procrastinated writing the blogs — not because I don't have a long list of hat-makers I love and not because I don't want to feature them.

I look at it in two ways:

(1) What if I introduce someone to other hats and they like those hats better? What if they buy one of those other hats and not mine? Well, what of it? I can't stop someone else from liking another milliner's hats. And I wouldn't want to! There are more hats out there than I could possibly make. One milliner I like has a very distinct style. At some point, I might make a hat somewhat like hers. But I won't try to make her hats. And her style isn't mine. There's more than enough hat love to go around. If you want her style of hat, you'll go to her. If you want my style of hat, you won't.

(2) More people wearing hats can only be better for all hat makers. Before I was a hat maker, I was a hat-wearer. And I bought mass-produced hats. Mass-produced hats (probably) don't steal market share from couture milliners. If you buy a hat for $50 from a major or semi-major brand, it's not likely that you did that instead of buying a $200 bespoke hat. But if you love your $50 hat and wear a hat every day, then eventually you might want a higher-end hat. And the more people who wear hats, the more they are "in," and the more people who will start to wear hats. (People complaining about why hats can't come back so they can wear them ... that's a full-on rant for another day.)

A few days ago, my Facebook page (Silverhill Creative Millinery) was nearing 100 likes. At the same time, on Twitter, I found out that Greer McDonald Millinery was the same number of "likes" away. So we cheered each other on. And we liked each other's pages.

Today, I posted this tweet:

As we approached 100 FB likes (which I just reached), @greermchats and I cheered each other on. My fave hat of hers: etsy.com/listing/113117…

— Silverhill Creative (@SilverhillHats) February 14, 2013

It feels good for the creative soul.
Isn't that a charming and lovely hat? ... And it's very different from my own work. :)
I linked to her Facebook page above, so you can like her too.

"Fashions fade; style is eternal."

When I think of waste and unnecessary garbage, I think of plastic water bottles. It makes sense. The pollution created by plastic bottles is drilled into the heads of eco-conscious people (and starting to enter the minds of everyone else).

But clothes? Yeah.

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion is a tremendously important book.

I'm happy to say that I was eschewing "cheap fashion" even before this book came out. It wasn't with any world-view, though. It was for two basic reasons: One, I don't really care much for trends and adhering to the latest fashions. Two, I've always preferred longer-lasting, higher-quality clothes.

A few years ago, working with people who were very un-like me, I was talking about how I needed new jeans. "Get them at Wal-Mart or Kmart," one girl suggested. "They're only $10! They fall apart after a month, but then you can just buy another pair for cheap." Huh? "Wait," I said. "Why would I want to buy a pair of jeans that falls apart?"

"Because they're only ten dollars!"

That seems to be one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. And what a waste of $10. If I spend $50-$70 on a pair of jeans, I expect them to last a couple years at least.

Contrast this to a comment a friend made about a vintage 1920s dress that her mother had: "It's made like a tank," she said. "The seams are strong, and this thing is not coming apart." Now that's a fashion I'd like to have! (Of course, my love for '20s & '30s fashions might have a little something to do with it, too.)

Another time, I was in a shoe store and asked the woman about how long a pair of shoes would last (from a brand I didn't know). "Oh, you'll get a season out of them!"When did this become okay? Why is it okay to wear through a piece of clothing or a pair of shoes in less than a year? (It's especially inexcusable now that we all own more than 10 outfits total.)

Check out the "Fast Facts" from Elizabeth Cline's book. Among them are the fact that the average American buys 68 garments and 7 pairs of shoes a year! And don't feel good about giving your old clothes to charity. Only 20% manages to be resold. (The rest is trash.)

A while back, the soles on the heels of expensive boots I owned had worn all the way down (because I wore them every day). I took them in to a cobbler to be re-soled, and — voila! — they were like brand new. Other than the sole, the boots were in excellent shape. If they had been $30 boots, (1) the rest of the boots would be falling apart as well and (2) the cobbler would have told me I could buy a new pair for less than the cost of re-soling the old pair. I can't tell you how good it feels to invest in really quality boots and have them be worth it!

Many hat-makers offer cleaning/re-blocking services and maintenance for their hats. My hats haven't been in the world long enough for that to be an issue. Rest, assured, though, that I will take care of my customers and my hats. My hats are carefully made by hand here in the U.S. — and not mass produced in China. That makes me feel pretty proud. :)

"Fashions fade; style is eternal." — Yves Saint Laurent

Busy busy ... but not blogging

I feel like I've been neglecting my blog. But that's because I've been working on my Etsy shop and busy learning the ropes there. So many Etsy sellers! I've joined teams etc., networking to get my shop noticed.

Here it is:

Silverhill Creative on Etsy
www.etsy.com/shop/SilverhillCreative

Featuring my new favorite hat:

My husband thinks I should keep it for myself, but I'm offering it up for sale. :)

I hope to get a web site going in 2013. For now, though, it's Etsy.

Color, color, color!

Maybe I'm about a month late to the party, but I was just checking out the Spring 2013 colors from Pantone. I love them all! Really, I just love color. I was less than happy working at a job that required me to wear all black all the time (for which I showed up to the interview wearing a fuchsia skirt and a bright, busy, multi-colored top).

I'm not one to be a slave to trends in the least. I make what I like and what my creativity inspires me to do. So I'm not going to pull out these colors just because they're on trend. Still, it's nice to see what the fashion industry is doing so I can coordinate if I want.

Plus, pretty colors. Always fun.

Source: pantone.com via Kristin on Pinterest

And Twitter

And here's the link to my Twitter account:

Follow @SilverhillHats

I am on Pinterest

I dragged my feet for the longest time on joining Pinterest. There are just so many things about the site that are so cheesy to me. But the great thing about it is that you can use it however you want. So there will be no avalanche of recipes or kids' craft ideas from me. Just hats and vintage-y things.