"Hat of the Week": Vintage Trims and Liars on eBay

Olive Straw Cloche

This week's "Hat of the Week" is an olive toyo straw cloche. As usual, the sale is until next Monday with no coupon code needed. Not as usual, this hat is the biggest discount I've yet offered: 40%. But it will go back to full price as of Monday.

And this week I want to talk about supplies, supplies-hoarding and vintage trims.

What's "new" on this hat? The body (made of toyo straw), the head size ribbon, the brand label and thread. Everything else, all of the trims are vintage.

I started buying and collecting vintage trims only about 3 years ago, and I have learned a lot in the process.

Vintage supplies come in two main forms. New old stock — also called NOS or deadstock — is old/vintage/antique but has never been used (therefore "new"). Reclaimed or rescued vintage components were used for another project, perhaps a dress or a hat, and later removed.

You would assume that NOS is in better condition than reclaimed. That's not always the case. "New" vintage materials can have damage from moths, dust, mold, etc. They can have foxing (the brown spots you see on old paper). Ribbons on the roll used to be sold with paper in between each layer. That might seem like a good thing, but the acid from the paper can cause the ribbon to weaken or deteriorate. That's especially important to know for listings where the ribbon hasn't been unrolled to check its condition or verify yardage.

Three types of vintage trim.

This week's hat has three types of vintage trim, so I thought it would be a good week to talk about vintage supplies.

First up, the band: I'm pretty sure this trim was reclaimed, because it had stray threads along the edges that indicated it had been sewn onto something else. (I bought this from ShopOlga on Etsy.) It was a pretty short piece, just 25". Some of the pale parts were a little dingy, so I gave it a wash before using it. And there are a couple of flaws in the weave, which I think are due to weaving errors (though possibly age).

It's a fascinating geometric pattern. The seller listed it as 1920s to 1930s, which I have no reason to doubt.

So here's the first caveat about vintage or antique trims: Lots of sellers try to suck you in by labeling something as older than it is. Sometimes there are clues such as "antique-colored" or "vintage style." And sometimes they'll straight-up lie. That's why it's good to take advantage of buyer protection on eBay or Etsy.

Part of the reason I know this ribbon is genuine vintage is because it has a high metal content. That means the bronze threads are actually metal! Modern metallic ribbons are just metal-colored, not made with metal. And you can tell (same as with steel beads vs. glass beads) just by the feel. Real metal is heavy. 

Photo by TheButlersCottage

My favorite part of this hat is the pompom. I bought this set of five NOS pompoms on Etsy a couple years ago. The one at top left had a couple of spots I wasn't able to get out, so I used that one on a personal hat. The others are just beautiful and fabulous and fun! They don't make supplies like this anymore. It is fluffy and soft.

Finally, the ribbon used to bind the brim and make a small bow under the pompom. On the positive side, it matches the metal trim perfectly, and the texture is a perfect complement to the paper straw. On the downside, here was an example of a seller being quite inaccurate in a description. I refuse to pass the deception along, so I don't call it silk, rayon, satin or millinery ribbon. It is genuinely vintage and came on the original roll. 

I bought this trim more than two years ago. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have purchased it. I have become much better at identifying ribbon styles and quality from listing photos rather than just believing the description. Or I might have returned it for being "not as described." It was labeled as: 160" NOS Antique Silk Satin Rayon Copper/Gold Millinery Ribbon Spool. It was 160" of NOS ribbon on a spool. The color wasn't copper, but it was what I was expecting from the photos. Antique? Maybe. More likely vintage. (Vintage items are 20 years old or older. Antique means at least 100 years old.)

I don't know whether the seller was just ignorant and using certain words because she thought they rightly applied or whether she intentionally lied to make her item sound better. (In any case, I am the one who made the choice not to return it, so I can't blame her totally.)

This is not a satin ribbon. Satin does not mean shiny fabric, contrary to what many people think. It is a certain type of weave. This ribbon is a twill weave. It is also not a millinery ribbon, and that's probably the most misleading part of the description. This was most likely originally used and sold as gift wrap ribbon or floral ribbon or for other disposable purposes. It feels thin and stiff and papery. It's a lovely brim binding on a straw hat. But it couldn't stand on its own as a trim around the crown.

I don't know what this ribbon is made out of. It might be rayon. It probably isn't silk. Oh, silk! I love real silk, but that's one of the number one things to watch out for in vintage trim auctions/sales. Sellers love to list things as silk, even if they're not silk. Sometimes they'll call an item "silk" in the title and then later just call it "silky." Sometimes they'll say "silk ... made of polyester," which is baffling to me. And then sometimes they'll just sell it as 100% silk, when it's not. (I bought a vintage silk dress on eBay and returned it when it turned out to be acetate.)

As with most of my trims, I bought this bronze ribbon without any specific project in mind. So the inaccuracy didn't derail any grand plans I had for it. And I ended up finding a perfect use for it: accenting the edge of this hat! Despite my grumbling about the inaccuracy of the description, I kept it and discovered a lovely way to use it.

Questions about vintage supplies or my process in making this hat are welcome!

"Hat of the Week": Steel Beads!

Jazzy Gray Felt Fedora

Okay, technically it could more accurately be described as a trilby. But how many people know that word? Not many. It's a fedora to almost everybody. In fact, pork pies are even called fedoras by a lot of people. Well, I'll save the nit-picking for another post. I call this hat both a fedora and a trilby in my description. Anyhow, this hat is 30% off, with no coupon code needed until next Monday.

 I have kind of an obsession with beads. I have well over 100 different styles of beads in my supplies. Most of those are glass seed beads. Some are semiprecious stones. The beads on this hat are something special, though.

The gray beads every few columns are just size 15 (i.e. very small) seed beads. But the other beads are what are called steel cut beads or French steel beads. They are tiny. And, yes, they are made of metal rather than metallic colored glass.

You might see steel beads embroidered onto vintage clothing or shoes. But the most common way to find them is vintage purses. Steel-beaded purses were very popular — especially in the 1910s and 1920s.

Want to put together an authentic Flapper costume? Forget the sequined headband and red fringed dress. Get yourself a beaded purse!

For these beads, I had bought a panel from an old purse. Even the vintage purses that are whole tend to need some repair work. And sometimes they have only remnants. I took this picture of the piece I bought. Gorgeous! But you can see how it's falling apart. And the fuzzies along the top are disintegrating, decaying threads.

I used beads from this panel to decorate the side of this hat. Obviously, I have plenty more left for future projects.

The trim is vintage, too. (Or possibly antique. It's very old.) At first glance it appears black and gray. But it's actually dark navy blue and pale mint green. I think it's silk and cotton, but I'm not certain. It's in lovely condition for its age and just beautiful trim.

Despite all the vintage fanciness, this hat is one of the most casual and wearable ones I've ever made. It can be worn straight or tipped forward or to the back of the head, depending on the style. It looks smashing with jeans and a t-shirt.

If you are interested in steel beads, check out French Steel Bead Shop on Etsy for beads and vintage bead purses.

As always, I welcome comments and questions about vintage supplies or the process of making hats.

"Hat of the Week": I Hate this Hat (but not really)

This week's "Hat of the Week." Mint parasisal straw cloche. 34% off. (I said before, I don't believe in tiny discounts.) No coupon code needed. And here's a bit about it.

Mint Parasisal Straw Cloche

Here's one of my dirty little secrets as a milliner: I don't love straw. I prefer the look of felt, and I much, much prefer working with felt. Felt is easier. It feels good to work with. Straw is tricky! Think of "Chinese" finger traps, how that weaving can cause the tube to change shape and get narrower or wider as it is pushed or pulled. That's what happens with parasisal woven straw at times. Or, if you're not careful, the weave can start to fray and unravel. So, I don't do as much work with straw.

This one, though, is a hat that I'm very happy to have made.

I used to hate pastels. Now, depending on the occasion, I can love them (... or not). But I think spring and summer call for light-colored hats. Mint green is much better for the season than black. But to keep it from being too cutesy and candy-colored, the band is a nice dark-colored contrast.

This is a vintage rayon ribbon I found on Etsy. I love it and wish I had a whole roll of the stuff! I have a weakness for vintage ribbons. Modern ribbons aren't nearly as nice. They tend to be cheap and stiff and made of polyester. Or, if they're quality rayon, silk, etc. they're very expensive.

 

The cloche shape here is a very 1920s style. I like to think it would be a perfect thing to wear to the Jazz Age Lawn Party.

As always, I'm happy to answer any questions about my process, etc.

"Hat of the Week": Experiment with Shapes

Wide Brim Asymmetrical Hat

This week's "Hat of the Week" is a huge 35% off (and with no coupon code needed): A wide-brim hat with an asymmetrical crown in khaki fur felt.

And here's a little about it ...

This is one of those hats that I consider an experiment in form and shape. Even with only a few crown shapes and a few brim shapes, they can be combined in dozens of different ways! Certain shapes I return to again and again. This hat, though, is currently the only time I've combined this particular crown with this brim.

The trim is vintage. I am kind of addicted to vintage trims and to geometric patterns, and this combines both, of course!

Part of the reason I chose this hat this week is because it's a perfect transitional hat between seasons. Here in Vermont, we had a few hot days, and then it turned cool and rainy. I love hats with this size of brim. It's wide enough to give your face some sun protection, but not so wide that it becomes a kite in the slightest breeze. And it can keep the rain off your face, too. I wouldn't recommend wearing it in a drenching downpour, but fur felt holds up pretty well to getting damp.

Another interesting thing about this hat is how it could fit different head sizes. For an average (small to medium) women's head size of 22"-22.5", it will fit fully down on the head in a modern style.

If you've ever looked at vintage photos from the 1930s and '40s, you might have noticed that women's hats often weren't worn down around their foreheads. Instead, they were made to be a bit smaller than head size, so they perched slightly. (Or, for the "toy hat" or "doll hat" style, they perched a lot!) So, for the gal with a 22.5"-24" head size, this hat could be worn in that vintage fashion.

That's all for this "Hat of the Week." But I am happy to answer any questions about this hat, how it was made, etc.

"Hat of the Week" Promotion and Blog Entry

I wanted to offer a sale on some of my hats, but I wanted to do something a little bit more fun and interesting than just discounting everything for a day or a week.

Starting now, there will be a different "Hat of the Week" each week. Every Monday, a new hat will be revealed, discounted between 25% and 50% for one week only. (I am not a fan of 5% or 10% off sales. That's not much in my opinion.) And no coupon code is needed.

Summer Seagrass Cloche

Pink Asymmetrical Cloche

For the first round of this special, I decided to take suggestions for what should be the first. I decided to pick two: the Summer Seagrass Cloche and the Pink Asymmetrical Cloche. And the first-round discount is 30% for each hat.

The other thing I'm going to do with the "Hat of the Week" is talk a little about it — the creative inspiration, the materials, the process, whatever. Good motivation for me to blog more.

Summer Seagrass Cloche

I call this the "perfect" cloche for summer, and it really is. Seagrass has an airy, open weave, so it's really lightweight. And I think seagrass is softer and less scratchy than many other types of straw.

This was blocked by hand over a basic cloche shape, but the front of the brim was turned up and shaped by hand.

Here's something you may not know if you don't make hats: The blocking/shaping — i.e. the majority of what makes a hat a hat — is often the quick and easy part! Other steps, such as binding the brim edge with ribbon, where every stitch is done by hand, is the long and tedious work. When I look at this hat, I remember when I was making it just in advance of a runway fashion show. It was almost done, so I thought it would be ready in time. Hardly! Those last steps take the longest. A big lesson for me as a milliner has been to know that things always take longer than expected.

The end result is worth it, I think. And the bow is probably the most perfectly constructed one I've yet made. The flower sequins and bright orange ribbon are my vision of summer.

Pink Asymmetrical Cloche

As an artist — and I know I'm not alone in this — I struggle with figuring out what my style, my vision and my point of view are. And is it even necessary to have a signature style? Well, that's some artistic angst for another post. 

 What I'm trying to say is that this hat is one of the closest to being a Silverhill Creative Millinery signature. It has an asymmetrical style. And it has a cockade. Both are themes you'll see a lot. Plus a bead accent. If I'm not doing full-on bead embroidery, I often like to use at least one bead. (Embroidery, vintage trims and swirls are also frequent components.)

In the description of this hat, I've noted that the ends of the ribbon have been intentionally left raw (unless the buyer prefers them sealed) so that they'll naturally fray over time to develop a vintage-y look.

That vintage aesthetic is the driving force behind my work as a milliner. I can admire the artistry and architectural feats behind crazy couture millinery. But the styles that really inspire me are simply the hats that women wore in their everyday lives 70, 80 or 90 years ago. The cloche is, of course, a classic 1920s shape. And ribbon cockades or rosettes have been used on hats for many years and through many styles.

For historical inspiration, I sometimes look to hat illustrations/ads or vintage hats on Pinterest.

This isn't meant to be a strict period reproduction. It is a "vintage inspired" style. And it's still an everyday style. No fancy outfit required. It can be worn with jeans. (Though it wouldn't say no to being paired with a 1920s-style dress.)

If you have any questions about the process or these "Hat(s) of the Week," just ask, and I'll be happy to answer.

Etsy Challenges

Several weeks ago, I had the honor of participating in an online chat with the Academy of Handmade and two other milliners: When Your Business Doesn't "Fit" Etsy.

According to Etsy, is this a "bucket hat"
or a "formal hat"?

This was before Etsy made changes to categories, so some of our comments and links are out-dated now. But I think the main points are still relevant. Emily Moe posted her own blog piece today about her continuing thoughts on the subject, and I share the same views.

First and foremost, milliners — and hat-lovers — whether on Etsy or elsewhere have the same primary challenge: to promote hat-wearing as a way of life. To "bring back the hat." Show people that it's socially acceptable to wear hats. Help people who want to wear hats get over their fears.

The second challenge has more to do with Etsy, and that is how to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Sure, the hat-making field is not as over-saturated as the jewelry-making field. But if shoppers look for hats on Etsy, they find at least 10 times as many knitted and crocheted beanies as they do "real" millinery hats. And that doesn't really have anything to do with quality. I've seen gorgeous crocheted hats and disgustingly amateurish felt hats. Then there are the embellishers: people who buy a cheap, mass-produced hat and glue gears (steampunk!) or feathers or ribbon onto it and voilá! — it's all of a sudden "handmade."

The solution to the Etsy problem seems simple. But how to implement it and make it successful, that's the challenge.

Anyhow, my dream, my ideal alternative marketplace website would be:

• 100% Handmade
• Fashion and Accessories 
• Juried
• Successful

Handmade means no resellers, no supplies, no vintage and no assemblages. I think it could cut down on the clutter and overwhelming number of items by being limited to fashion and accessories. There's more than enough clothing, hats, shoes, bags, jewelry, etc. — and enough interest in them — to sustain a full site without also selling coffee mugs, stamped spoons and stationery.

As for the juried requirement, in my dream world that doesn't just weed out poorly made items. Do a search for "wrap bracelet" or "beaded bracelet" on Etsy. Then see how many of them — even ones that are nicely made and well-photographed — look exactly like one another. Or explore how much of Etsy "fashion" is "handmade" by someone with a stock of Hanes t-shirts and an embroidery machine.

And then there's "successful." One of the best things about Etsy — and the reason why I stay — is that it is successful, even if I am not. I know of other sellers who have tried other online selling venues, without getting even a fraction of the views as they get on Etsy. So that's the real trick. Creating an alternative that doesn't just launch, live and die unnoticed.

So that brings me full circle, whether I'm talking about Etsy, another online marketplace, Facebook posts, Instagram, Twitter, or my hats in the real world. ... How do I market myself? How do I get my work seen? How do I grow my business?

I'm starting to take some steps, but it can be intimidating and overwhelming. One of the first things on my list is to improve my display/photos.

Navy blue fedora with cockade

Until next time ... wear a hat!

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.