What’s a birthday party or a dress-up game without a crown?  The most essential part of any king/queen/prince/princess costume is the headgear.  It’s amazing how much a fancy hat can mean: for a monarch, the wearing of a crown represents dignity, honor, victory, immortality – and more.

Crowns come in all shapes and styles: some are more like caps, some are like helmets, others look more like a tiara (also known as a diadem, for those who read the last Harry Potter book) or wreath. It all depends on where it comes from.

Royalty (and nobility) have been wearing crowns since ancient times.  Egyptian pharaohs weren’t allowed to let commoners see their hair, so they wore a variety of elaborate ceremonial headgear, depending on what they were doing: you’d probably recognize the red-and-white (more…)

Once upon a time, scarves were a winter accessory, good for keeping your neck warm and showing off your knitting skills.  But for a long time now, scarves have been a year-round fashion, and it’s time for those of us who are afraid of looking stupid to catch up on the best ways to wear them.  They’re everywhere in the stores (and online!) so you should have no trouble finding some soft, light fabrics in colors and prints that you love.  Start with that: if you have an awesome scarf, you’ll be motivated to find a way to show it off!

Scarves are awesome, as accessories go, because they’re so versatile.  Unlike most hats or necklaces or belts, there are so many different ways to use just one item (more…)