Sur Ma Tête / The Dottie

December 11, 2014December 11, 2014Leave a comment

Dottie is the most recent piece added to my collection. I had been scouring etsy for a long time trying to find a vintage bow headband, and thanks to Victory Mills, I found this darling dear. She’s a layered bow headband made of velvet and silk – the loveliest of lovely fabrics, in my opinion. I’ve decided she’s like my party hat – if any outfit needs a little dressing up, she’s your girl. For some reason bows always feel like the ultimate girly accessory, so I really enjoy how feminine she makes me feel when I put her on.

Name: Dottie
Age: 60-65yrs (1950s)
Talents: she’s the sugar in your tea, her soft exterior makes it near impossible to take your hands off her, she’s like the star on your Christmas tree…the cake topper – the thing that just pulls it all together

Sur Ma Tête / The Winnie

December 5, 20146 Comments

So Winnie isn’t truly vintage (parts of her are), but she is handmade (I figure this series doesn’t have to be limited to vintage, if it’s sur ma tête at any point, then it deserves a wee mention) I did however get her at a vintage/antique shop called Ransack the Universe, here in Toronto. She is made from a vintage men’s tie, and crafted into this exquisite headband, which has a fascinator feel to it and likely the reason I was drawn to it. It’s such a fun piece, although, I often have a terrible time finding an outfit to pair it with. It may be that I don’t own anything that seems to really go with it, color wise. If I want to wear it, I find I end up styling the outfit around the piece, instead of the other way around – all my other hats just go with most things in my closet, but not this demanding baby, no no, she likes to be the star of the show.

Name: Winnie
Age: it’s hard to say, she was reincarnated, so she could be like really old…
Talents: she makes you feel like Blair Waldorf, which is to say you feel ultra gorgeous, dangerously seductive, too rich for your own good, kind of snobby, the most stylish girl in school/life and everyone hates you for it, but you’ll prove you are actually a decent person one day cause you are just a product of your environment and don’t know any better – so Winnie can turn you into a tv show character, the ultimate talent.

Sur Ma Tête / The Florence

November 27, 20142 Comments

This fascinator is my favourite of all my hats (and you probably know that cause I’ve worn it plenty on this blog). Doesn’t it feel like it could have been worn by a bride?! There is something very elegant and ethereal about it that just makes me feel really good when I put it on. It’s covered in cream floral appliques and each top flower has a darling rhinestone. I got Florence from a vintage/antique shop in Ithaca, NY. The name of the shop fails me now, which I’m sad about because the owner was lovely and had some truly amazing vintage pieces in her sweet little shop. I truly believe this was a very special piece to someone at one point, and now it is very dear to me.

Name: Florence
Age: 60-65yrs (1950s)
Talents: she can teleport you to otherworldy places, her air of innocence can make even the naughtiest of people seem like sweet angels, those dreams you have where it’s so good you never want to wake up…they happen because of her
Fascinator: vintage shop in Ithaca,NY
Cardigan: vintage via Carousel Antiques

Sur Ma Tête / The Mildred

November 20, 2014November 20, 20146 Comments

Meet Mildred, a lovely 1940s black pillbox hat covered in feathers, sparkles and a super sexy veil – the temptress of my vintage hat collection. I received this hat from Billowy Vintage, owned by Jessica, one of the many awesome vintage sellers I have met through instagram and etsy. Its the sort of hat I imagine one would wear to a funeral in bygone eras, or something your mistress would wear, or like a really fashionable vampire (yes, I’m still watching Buffy, and I probably won’t stop referencing it until I’m done). My style has changed a lot since I was a teen, so much so that almost nothing I wore then would I wear now (that’s probably the case for a lot of people), but I can imagine my former goth self would have worn this hat. The dark and sexy feel of this hat is the very thing I love about it. It’s unlike any of my other hats, and for that it’s a very dear piece in my collection.

Name: Mildred
Age: 70-75yrs (1940s)
Talents: She’ll make you feel like you’re the only one, her feathers give an air of elegance, under her veil she’ll keep all your secrets, on the most somber of days she’ll brighten it with her sparkles
1940s hat: vintage via Billowy Vintage
Blouse: thrifted

Sur Ma Tête / The Ethel

November 12, 2014November 12, 20144 Comments

Meet Ethel, probably the silliest gal of all my hats. Silly mostly because she sits right atop my head (kind of like a turban) making sure you don’t miss her for even a second – she is in no way understated. Another pillbox hat, which I probably have a thing for. This one is an old girl, and you can tell – there is some staining (as you can see in the second picture below), and the ribbon and twisted straw that has been basket woven together are coming a bit undone in some places, but I love her all the same. I got her at an antique mall in NY State. I saw her just wasting away on top of a shelf and knew if I didn’t take her home, someone probably wouldn’t, although I can’t be sure of that because she’s pretty awesome.

Name: Ethel
Age: 60-65yrs (1950s)
Talents: stands out of the crowd, doesn’t give a shit what nobody thinks, has a darling bow to make her tough exterior a little more sweet, when worn she shares her wisdom from her many years of experience, and just a real hoot!

Dress & hat: vintage via antique mall in NY State