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…)
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…)
Can you believe July is almost over already? That leaves only one month left of summer! Which, as we all know, is not nearly enough, even for a snow-loving chick like me. I hope everyone has been keeping cool and eating lots of fresh fruit while the eating’s good. With the crazy heat this summer, it’s easy to just stay inside and vegetate, but I’m telling you, that would be a spectacular waste of sunshine and freedom. Even if you can’t take off of work or can’t afford a full-out vacation, you can take a few minutes (ok, or a few hours) to enjoy some of summer’s simplest pleasures.
I used to have a summer job in a petting zoo of sorts, and one of my favorite tasks each year was coming up with perfect names for all the animals. I called the donkeys Alexander and Napoleon. The baby rabbit that kept escaping the hutch was Houdini. I named a goat Mrs. Butler after my high school global studies teacher, and another little goat with a triangle on his head was Bandit – it looked like he was wearing a bandana.
And we had these two crested chickens at one point that I named Elvis and George Washington – Elvis’s puff tipped forward over his eyes, and George Washington’s tipped back. (more…)
In honor of Independence Day this weekend, I’m skipping ahead in our History of Headgear series to the late 1700’s, to take a look at the kind of things people like Martha Washington and Abigail Adams wore. Before you break out your barbecue and sparklers, take a look at some of these styles.
Rich women who had the time and money to bother with elaborate hairstyles went crazy with piled lots of puff on top and curls at the sides – and the fashion was to powder it white for special occasions. (more…)
Now I know why so many cultures throughout time, all over the world, developed customs relating to haircovering and hairstyles for women:to keep their babies from yanking them bald. I have a 4-month-old daughter who recently discovered the joys of grabbing the tender hairs at my neck, kind of behind and below my ears (the part just outside of my tichel too), and giving a nice sharp tug. She even found the end of my ponytail today. OUCH.
But when we go out, she’s kind of like an accessory for me. Before you think that I think my baby is just a necklace, let me explain what I mean. When you wear a really nice scarf or belt or something, people come over and comment on how nice it is. An eye-catching accessory can start a conversation, as well as make you feel like you look good. (more…)
You’re probably thinking of those weird pointy things that you associate with fairy princess costumes. Well, so am I – see the bit about hennins below. Here’s a run-down of some of the styles that were popular in medieval Europe (from around the 12th century through the 16th). Click on the pictures in the gallery to see the whole thing!
Chaperon – no, this does not mean a hat that accompanied children on class trips! The chaperon started out as a hood with an attached cape that pulled over the head (hoods were really poular themselves). Then people started making the tip of the hood longer (called a liripipe or tippet), and around 1300, they started putting them on so that what used to be the neck hole was now around the crown of the head, so that the tail and the cape were hanging down. (more…)
Anyone who covers as a rule ends up with a couple of funny stories to tell about the time they ran out of the house without a hat on, or the time a kid pulled it off in front of the rabbi, or something like that. Just a couple of days ago, my friend’s boyfriend came over while she was babysitting for my daughter. When I got home from work, I was schmoozing with them as I took off my shoes and went into my room to take off my sheitel (wig). Someone said something I wanted to respond to, so I ran out of my room – then I realized a minute or two later that my hair was showing, and ran back for a tichel.
We’ve got some really good haircovering-fail anecdotes on our website that were collected a while back. Here are some of the most exciting of the bunch – and feel free to comment below with your own!
Story #1 Michal, R
“It’s hot in Texas much of the year, so I may not cover during the day if it’s just me and my two young kids at home. I always have a beret ready by the door, just in case someone comes by unexpectedly. Last week, I kept getting after my kids for moving furniture around to climb up to my spray bottle of water (for disciplining the cat and, okay, the kids, too) and my spray bottle of vinegar & water (for cleaning). A package arrived so I took my beret off the table with the spray bottles and slipped it on to get the mail. (more…)
I’d like to preface this post by letting you all know that I took my own advice. Yesterday, I put on a black and white outfit, and was going to use a long hot pink scarf for a headband. But on a whim I tied it around my waist and decided it looked much cooler that way – and it broke up the monotony of the black and white. *Curtsies*
When you think of certain people, you automatically picture them with a hat on. Or when someone mentions a certain hat style, you automatically picture a certain person. Just like Superman and his cape, the man and the costume become inextricably intertwined.
I was going to leave fictional characters like The Man in the Yellow Hat, or Sherlock Holmes and his deerstalker, off this list, but I came across the term “alice band” and decided it was too cute to leave out. So, here’s a short list of people and the headgear that made them great –or the headgear that they made great.
Nefertiti and her “cap crown” – the name of this Egyptian queen immediately calls to mind the famous 3000-year-old limestone bust of her wearing a tall, blue headdress – she’s famous for the beautiful face under it as well. (more…)
When I sat down to write this post, I felt like talking about cookies. I really like cookies. But of course, they have nothing to do with accessories, unless you wear one pinned to your hat or something. But then I started thinking, and rather impressed myself with my own cleverness. Warning: horribly mixed metaphors ahead!
Baking cookies can be a lot like getting dressed. You have your basic staple recipes, like oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip. You know these will always look (I mean taste) good; they always come out the same every time. They’re totally reliable, and pretty much everyone likes them.
This post will be the first in an ongoing series about hair coverings around the world and throughout history. If there are any styles you’re particularly curious about, let me know! I randomly decided to start with snoods, because they go pretty far back.
Basically, a snood is a loose bag that covers some or all of the hair; they can be both functional (ever seen a chef wearing a hairnet?) and decorative. The style goes back to medieval Europe, although they became really popular around the 1500’s.
The first snoods were made of hand-knotted lace and pinned or tied on; they were a pretty, practical way to cover some or all of a person’s hair. Wealthy people decorated theirs with beads or even precious stones. The term “caul” referred to snoods made of solid cloth like linen or silk, rather than net. Crocheting became popular in the 1600’s. Sometimes snoods were worn with other pieces of headgear, such as hats.
I don’t know about you, but if I don’t get out every day, I’ll crack up. I don’t mind rain, I don’t mind snow, I don’t mind heat; what I need is fresh air! And if I can find something enjoyable – or necessary – to do outside rather than inside, I’ll do it. So grab a hat and join me this weekend at one of the following fun outdoor activities!
Do your grocery shopping at a farmer’s market instead of a supermarket. You’ll get better fruits and vegetables for cheaper, and you never know what other funky products you’ll come across!
Hit a festival on the weekend; there are all kinds of hobby and craft events going on in the spring and summer, plus state and county fairs and so on. My personal favorite is a Renaissance Faire; you’ll see people wearing all kinds of cool costumes, so feel free to dress however you want – a Crocheted Snood will fit right in and even be somewhat historically accurate!
Taste in clothing and accessories can vary wildly. I knew a girl in high school who used to wear a stretchy, glittery, long pink skirt with a brown and green and orange floral t-shirt. And I saw a guy yesterday who had on one of those urban kilts – definitely not the mainstream! When it comes to clothing, most people have some sort of limit in their daring side. I recently put my googling skills to the test, and came up with the following…um…unusual headwear. Would you wear any of these on your head?
Hair Sculpture – can you do the ‘do?
Apparently, people wear things like this at the Kentucky Derby.
Marie Antoinette could pull off wearing a ship on top of her wig, but can you?
I once saw a mailman wearing a pith helmet, although I don’t think his had a built-in air conditioner.
Eat it or wear it? I don’t know how long this would last in the sun, but I bet chocolate hats taste as good as chocolate bars!
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?
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