Have you ever wondered where the names of different clothing styles come from?  Ok, some are pretty obvious, like bell-bottoms or straw hat.  But who decided that a sweater that fastens down the front should be called a cardigan?  Or that snood would be a good name for the crocheted thingy that women were tucking their hair into?

So, I put on my Googling gloves once again, and dug up some info on the origins of the names of different hat styles.  I bet you didn’t realize that some of them are derived from the names of people or places.

Take the fedora for instance; this brimmed hat that I described in a recent post was actually named after a woman – well, a character really.  (more…)

Yesterday was one of those ridiculous days where everything went…not exactly wrong, I guess more like quirky.  The cap to my funky day was walking out with my husband and baby to get some ice cream, and leaving the keys in our apartment.  We had no way to get back in, no way to get the stroller out of the car – and my friend who keeps our spare was at Pilates class.  So we spent about an hour wandering around outside with the baby in arms, laughing at our absurd situation.

It got me thinking about how much certain items become parts of ourselves, so that without them we feel totally lost, like a little kid whose blankie is in the washing machine.  (more…)

Remember the back-to-school shopping scramble?  Maybe you’re in the midst of it right now.  My family used to go to Kmart and buy every folder, package of looseleaf paper, and pencil case in sight.  Then my grandmother would take us to get new shoes.  Do you remember when you only owned two pairs of shoes?  When you only needed two pairs of shoes?  And picking your outfit for the first day of school was nearly as huge a drama as what to take for lunch?

I didn’t have a school uniform, but most people I know did.  They ranged from a simple black skirt and white shirt to some seriously hideous plaid pleated things.  It would have been nice not to have to worry about looking trendy, but I would have looked awful in most uniforms anyway, so I’m not sure if it would have been worth it to have one.

But for those of you who do have to wear the same thing every day – or whose kids do – here’s a list of ways to jazz up even the dreariest school uniform without being called to the principal’s office for infractions every other day.

• Socks and tights are pretty obvious, because they’re cheap and come in so many crazy colors and styles.  Did you know that legwarmers are back in style though?   (more…)

You’re going out for the night.  To a wedding, a party, the theater.  You’ve got the perfect dress, awesome shoes, and a new pair of earrings.  But what about your hair?

Sure, you can always just blow it out, straighten it, flip the ends up a little.  Let your curls down for once.  But when the sun beats down during the outdoor ceremony, will you wish you had put it up off your neck?  Will you yearn for the bride’s elegant updo? Or when the dancing starts will you suddenly discover just how sticky your lipstick is – because your hair keeps blowing onto your mouth?  Maybe you’ll realize that a plain black dress (hee hee) looks awesome – but also kind of boring.

There’s an answer to all of these questions.  Elegant hair accessories are easy to find, easy to coordinate with your outfit, and just might make you more comfortable – plus, you’ll look even more put-together than you already do.  Here are some ideas for dressing up your do for special occasions.

• Headbands are probably one of the simplest ways to get fancy – they come in shimmering, bejeweled, velvet, feathered, and dozens of other exciting styles.  If you wear a headband-fall, try one of our satin or studded wraps! (more…)

A Muslim woman who works as a hostess at a Disneyland restaurant alleged Wednesday the theme park would not allow her to appear in front of customers while wearing her head scarf.

Imane Boudlal, 26, appeared outside the resort’s Grand Californian Hotel after filing a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

She said when she wore the hijab to work Sunday, her supervisors told her to remove it, work where customers couldn’t see her, or go home.

Boudlal, who wore the scarf in observance of Ramadan, chose to go home but reported to work for the next two days and was told the same thing. (more…)

With all our talk about hats and hair accessories for women, you might know a guy or two who wants to get it on the fun.  Or you might just be really fashion-conscious, so you know that menswear-inspired hats are really in now – for women.  Either way, you need to know what’s what in the world of men’s hats.  Here’s a rundown of what guys – and girls – are wearing on their heads these days. Actually, men have been wearing most of these styles for a good hundred years.  These are all classics!

• Fedora – Everyone knows fedoras.  They’re defined by the fact that they’re creased down the length of the crown, and pinched in the front on both sides.  Fedoras can be made of straw, but are most commonly felt.  Ironically, they started out as a fashion for women in the late 1800’s; they became a runaway hit for men in the 1920’s. (more…)

In my last post, I discussed the most important things to know about having very long hair.  This time, I’d like to talk about the flip side of that situation; what to do when your hair is cut short, and you’re waiting for it to grow out again.

Everyone has been through this at some point; you told the hairdresser to take off just an inch and a half to even it out, but when she finally whips the cape off your shoulders, it looks like half a foot is gone and you can’t get it into a ponytail anymore.  Or you chopped bangs, only to find out after the fact that they looked really stupid. And then you spent a couple of months desperately trying to hide the disaster until it grew out enough for you to pretend that it never really happened.

Whatever.  We’ve all been there, and we’ll all be there again at some point.  But next time it happens, you’ll be prepared!

• If your hair was very long and is now significantly shorter, you probably won’t need as much shampoo as you’re used to.   (more…)

This is the beginning of a two-part series about what to do with hair that is being grown out – whether you’re letting it get extra-long, or you’re waiting for it to not be too short.  Feel free to share your own tips or experiences by commenting!

Between my younger sister and my best friend, I believe they have donated a total of seven feet of hair to Locks of Love and similar organizations that make custom wigs for children suffering from medical hair loss.  They’ve both grown their hair to incredible lengths several times over.  So when I decided to do this blog post about how to care for extremely long hair, I went to them first.  Here are their tips – plus a few others that I discovered along the way – about dealing with crazy-long hair.  The better care you take, the more show-stopping you’ll look, so pay attention!

• Braids are your best friend.  They’re the best way to keep your hair neat, and they really show off spectacular length to the best advantage. (more…)

The Tudor dynasty reigned in England from 1485 to 1603.  Famous Tudors that you may recall included Henry VIII, who had six wives (of which he divorced two and killed two), and his daughters Mary (aka Bloody Mary) and Elizabeth (who hasn’t heard of Queen Elizabeth?).  This was a time when kings and queens and their hangers-on did their best to show everyone how important they were by dressing the part.  Their clothing was rich and opulent, and involved large quantities of expensive fabrics and trimming.  Big ruffs around the neck, huge skirts, lots of brocade and velvet – and lots of perfume to hide the stench from all the sweat that they rarely washed off. (more…)