Ok folks, Black Friday has come and gone, Cyber Monday is nearly behind us…now it’s time to take the approaching holiday seasons seriously (if you want to, I mean).  I admit that a little snow would make it easier to feel festive right now, but alas we must play the hand we’re dealt.  Bryant Park’s skating rink is open anyway, and latkes are tasty all year-round.

So, whichever holidays you care to celebrate, take advantage of an opportunity to avoid the horrendous lines, out-of-stock merchandise, and crabby shoppers and do your business online instead.   (more…)

‘Tis the season for gratitude, so I’m going to use this post to express thanks.

As you can see, hat and hairstyles have been coming and going throughout the ages.  Every now and then something “retro” or “vintage” comes back into play, but there are plenty of toppers and ‘dos that have faded into the shadows of history – with good reason.  You have to wonder what inspired some of these styles!  But mainly, I’m grateful that people rarely walk around looking like this anymore – and that I’m not expected to follow these trends.

• Rubber bathing caps with fake flower petals: These are not comfortable.  They do not look real.  They do not increase your hydrodynamicism (I totally made up that word, but you know what I mean).  Stick with plain Lycra folks, ok?
• Nightcaps: I know we have modern heating to thank for this one as well, but I’ve seen one too many episodes of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman that featured Horace and Myra in hideous 19th century pj’s, complete with a pompom-ed stocking cap for him and a frilly mob cap for her.  And as someone who covers completely for much of the day, bedtime is my only chance to let my scalp breathe.  When it’s dark, no one can see your greasy/unstyled/frizzy hair anyway, so you might as well let it down. (more…)

A good lather and rinse (followed by conditioner!) is all most people need to keep their hair clean.  Unless you have unusual hair circumstances, everyday oil and dirt buildup aren’t all that hard to deal with; by now I’m sure most of you have a routine down pat.  But every now and then something weird happens to you (or one of your kids or students!), and you’ll find yourself frantically Googling for advice.  This post will cover some basics of dirty-hair emergency management.  If you have any questions or icky hair scenarios, comment and I’ll see what I can find to help.  Be prepared!

The basic toolkit for dealing with unusual substances includes: (more…)

“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey’d monster…” Well, the jealousy I’m thinking about is more of a green-haired monster.  Or a green-scarved monster.

You know what I mean.  Everyone knows someone whose tichel is always tied perfectly, and in a way that would make your face look fat.  Or someone who has a different hat to wear every day of the month, for both seasons.  Someone whose hair is always shiny/bouncy/curly/straight and never flat/dull/frizzy/frumpy – like your own.  You’re torn between worshiping her perfection and wanting to throw a paper bag over her head.

Some women don’t stress about their appearances.  Either they’re confident about their abilities to construct an outfit, or they just don’t care.  But there’s a huge middle of the road where you have women that constantly struggle to pull themselves together. (more…)

My previous post about Native American headgear covered some pretty wide bases, but there’s a whole world of accessories beyond hats, so I just had to share some more highlights.  For example, everyone knows the word “wampum,” but do you really know what it means?  And you may be aware of Southwestern silver-and-turquoise jewelry, but do you know when it was first developed?

Wampum comes from the Narragansett word “wampumpeag,” which means “white strings” – referring to strings of white beads made from a type of whelk shell.   (more…)

It’s almost Thanksgiving once again, and as the black-and-orange decoration disappear from store shelves, they’re quickly being replaced with cornucopias and those big black buckled hats that we spoke of last November.  My previous turkey day post focused on Pilgrim fashion, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to mention some interesting Native American (or First Nations, or American Indian, or whichever term you feel is most descriptive) styles.  There are a LOT of styles to cover (for half a continent’s worth of people, so yeah), but here’s a rundown of the most commonly known, or otherwise really interesting-looking.

As I said last year, those big feathered head-thingies that you typically picture when you think of Native American clothing are war bonnets worn by Plains Indian men (Sioux, Comanche, and Cheyenne are some of the most commonly known Plains tribes), mostly for ceremonial occasions.  Feathers were added to a bonnet in honor of great deeds done in battle; in order to begin making one, a person had to earn ten such honors (more…)