Hormazd Narielwalla's Hat Parade

Hormazd Narielwalla's Hat Parade

There have been many golden eras where a man would consider an outfit incomplete, consider himself naked even, without a hat but now they are rarely even considered in the construction of the everyday outfit. As EJ mentioned in her campaign for hats, 'just look at the street scenes in almost any film made the 50s or earlier to see how commonly the hat used to be worn and how much better it makes almost everyone look.' However, the modern decline of hat wearing amongst men is obvious. I have to confess that despite admiring many hats from afar, I'm yet to fully commit to donning one. There is however, a great deal of inspirational hat donning out there. None more so than the creations of Bernstock Speirs. Inspired by the underground club and music scene, the design duo began creating men’s and women’s headwear which challenged the traditional ideas of millinery. A new generation of hat wearers has since been seduced by their innovative creations. An upcoming exhibition at their Brick Lane store will showcase the work of Style Salvage favourite, Hormazd Narielwalla.

Narielwalla’s fascination with pattern blocks has taken him on a trip up north of the body and drawn inspiration from shapes created for the head. The work features military figures composed of collage, photography and illustration sporting the designers AW10 hat collection. Using hat pattern blocks from Bernstock Speirs’ archive along with uniform drafts extracted from military cutting books and the all important masculine ingredient – facial hair. In his evocative work Narielwalla illustrates a new take on patterns, as they have never been seen. Bernstock Speirs have created a capsule range of hats to accompany the exhibition which will run from 15th of October until the 15th of November. The time for a new era of hat wearing is now my friends.

A Tale of Three Hats

There's nothing like outfitting yourself for outdoorsy adventures to make you feel like a stupid fashion twat. I have tried in vain (literally) to find cute stuff that is also functionalfor my upcoming Yosemite hiking adventure. In talking with my hiking-expert friend Leanne, I learned that "a hat is a must." And so: A search for a hat was born!

I began last Friday, randomly, when I had some time to kill on Smith Street. One of my favorite stores is Exit 9, a gifty-novelty store that also carries Tano bags and some other accessories. They have cute mittens in the winter, and paper party cups with noses on them so when you drink, you can look like you have a hairy old-man schnoz. Lots of fun stuff, see? They also have cool hats. I bought one, since it had a brim and would keep the sun off my face.


San Diego Hat Co. "Lacie" linen buckle hat, $35. I brought it home to my husband, Carl, who replied, "That's not a hiking hat. That is a fashion hat." I considered. Perhaps. Could return, but lost receipt. Argh. Well, I like it. My only concern is that it has kind of an urban-dancer vibe about it? Like maybe Janet Jackson circa Rhythm Nation would approve?

The following day I hit the Brooklyn Flea. It was hot out. Like what-am-I-doing-here-on-this-blacktop hot. And so, when I found the Lento hat rack, I was a sitting duck. I was intrigued by this one hat with a really exaggerated brim that the seller said was supposed to be worn to the back, but that cool Brooklynites have been wearing in the front. It was kind of amazing.


Lento "Maxi" hat, $30. Hand-made, hand-dyed, organic, all that good stuff. And reversible! It seemed like this was definitely "fashion," though, so I went with the more reasonable (and still sun-protectively functional) regular version:


Lento "Medium" hat, $25. (It was $20 at the Flea, in case any locals want to pick one up). I got it in purple. Or gray. Reversible rules! However, as I walked to my next appointment at the beer garden, a slight breeze kept threatening to lift the fucker right off my head. Not cool. Not functional. FASHION. Shit.

So today I finally went to return the hiking boots that I bought at EMS and then found cheaper online, and I noticed their hat section. SCORE!


I found a perfectly cute-enough gray hat, the EMS Chelan II with a UPF (that's SPF for clothes, I think) of 30 and wicking capability. Take that, head sweat! It was $16.80. Done and (PHEW) done!

Now let's hope I can find occasion to wear the other two hats, too....

Discovering Pitti: My Bob

Finding My Bob

There have been many golden eras where a man would consider an outfit incomplete, consider himself naked even, without a hat but now they are rarely even considered in the construction of the everyday outfit. As EJ mentioned in her campaign for hats, 'just look at the street scenes in almost any film made the 50s or earlier to see how commonly the hat used to be worn and how much better it makes almost everyone look.' However, the modern decline of hat wearing amongst men is obvious. I have to confess that despite admiring many hats from afar, I'm yet to fully commit to donning one. However, there is a great deal of inspirational hat donning out there and I stumbled across a wonderful hat brand on the very first morning of Pitti Uomo. My Bob's colourful arrangement of head wear instantly grabbed my attention on the lower level of the main exhibition space. Fortunately, the charismatic owner positively encouraged me to photograph his wonderfully crafted Panama hats while he talked me through his latest collection and how the Belgian brand came to be...

Quite possibly the perfect headwear for a warm Spring/Summer day.

My Bob's story began in 2008 when Geoffroy Moreels decided, thanks to his persuasive friend Hugo Machado, to launch a hat business with the famous panama hats from Ecuador. Moreels, a headdress collector from around the world, was very motivated to promote the spirit of the handmade panama hats. Quickly he convinced a number people about his project and needed to get the hats. He wanted to re style the classic panama hat, to give it a casual yet fun look in order to make it more colourful, sexy even. Now his creations are sold under the smile inducing banner "my bob, use your head!"

An ideal way to shield the sun from your face.

Last weekend John introduced me to the luxurious world of great craftsmanship behind Montecristi Panama hats. I have to concede that I am no expert on what makes a great Panama hat but My Bob's examples are certainly more appealing to my current sartorial aesthetic (not to mention I don't really have a spare $25k). A genuine Panama hat is weaved with "Carludovica Palmata" also called toquilla palm from the fabulous tropical jungle of the Ecuadorian Coast. Harvesters of the toquilla palm split the stem into narrow strands. These are cooked, dried and bleached before being passed to the weavers. They prepare the straw in the lengths they want and weave it to a fine Panama hat. After being woven, the excess straw is being cut. The hat is washed, bleached again and treated before being blocked into a nice shape. The Panama hat is completed with a sweatband and ribbon.

Such a variety of colour of trimmings.

So, despite the name, genuine Panama hats are in fact made in Ecuador, not Panama. The origin of the name is uncertain. However, the Oxford English Dictionary cites a use of the term as early as 1834. When the Spanish conquerors arrived to what nowadays are known as the provinces of Guayas and Manabí on the Ecuadorian coast. They observed native Indians using straw hats which covered their ears and necks. These hats looked like headdresses, similar to those used by the nuns or widows in Europe at the time. It is this similarity that gave the hats the name of "Toquillas" (headdress in Spanish) and resulted in the straw from which they were made to be called "Toquilla Straw". According to legend, the hat became associated with Panama during the construction of the Panama Canal in 1913. During the event Teddy Roosevelt received an Ecuadorian straw hat as a gift. Without knowing the true origin, the American president thanked his guests for the gift mentioning it as a "Panama Hat" and wore such a hat, which increased its popularity. We know today that the "Panama Hat" is made in Ecuador with the secrets for the elaboration of the hat passing from generation to generation. Each hat is unique and totally artisanal! A few seasons in and Moreels has continued to add to his colourful range...

This hat is entirely reversible but I love the baby blue hue of this side.

These examples are a great way to add colour to any Summer outfit.

Just a taster of My Bob's diversity

This collection of hats certainly turned my head at Pitti and I'm sure they'll turn a few of yours but hopefully we'll see a few proudly sitting atop. With the help of passionate hat wearing gentleman such as Geoffroy Moreels of MyBob, the time for a new era of hat wearing is now.

Exciting Fashion Challenge: Hats!

So, in exciting non-recessionary news, my husband just got a freelance job doing graphic design for a polo event on Governor's Island, which means an opportunity to a) look at fancy people dressed up fancy, and b) dress up faux-fancy myself (it's free to the public unless you want to pay for a VIP picnic ticket). The "polo style tips" page emphasizes "hat first; outfit second" and advises a large brim and some sort of flair that "amuses" (yay!). And so, here is a short list of hats I am considering for either buying or inspiration: I may just MacGyver my existing H&M floppy straw hat with some fun gussying-up materials. Any hat I buy has to be extremely cheap, of course, because that's how I roll, i.e. not in hats, unless it's a costuming situation. Which I consider a polo match to be, or, really, any event involving horses. And so, perhaps:


So here's your basic fedora with a cute colored ribbon: French Connection Shamble Hat, $39.99. Of course, this is easily customizable if you DIY it. Colored ribbon plus cheap hat = done.



Sundried hat from Anthropologie, $128. This is one hundred percent DIY-able; just get some raffia and start tying. The only question is where does it fall on the cuteness scale?



You could probably just go to the dollar store and wild out, too, as demonstrated by this Juicy Couture "Pompom Tassels" hat, $88.



Pansy field fedora from Anthropologie, THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT DOLLARS. Seriously. Again, dollar-store doable. And cute!




A white hat would also be cute for summer. Here's a really basic white straw fedora from Tilly's, $12.99. Ribbon and done.



Or...handy with a grommet gun? Try to re-create this seriously cute Eugenia Kim grommeted fedora, $297.



Or add some sparkle with a sequined scarf, like Eugenia Kim did with this "Craig" sequined straw fedora, $315. I don't have to say that you could DIY this, right? Cough cough.

If you don't feel like doing any work and just want to spend a few bucks on a hat, here are some nice inexpensive options:



Forever 21 two-tone fedora, $8.80. (I'd probably still switch out the ribbon though...maybe?)


Aeropostale plaid-print fedora, $7. So sweetly preppy! I might just get this just because. It's seven bucks!



Torrid silver straw fedora, $18. Bling it out!



Tarnish floral overlay fedora, $38. Actually classy. I could totally see my friend Michelle T. rocking this.



Eugenia Kim for Target fedora, $16.99.

Now for the ridiculous:


ASOS bunny-ears fascinator, $33.82. This exists.

Finally, I am all for Betsy's tiny hat idea, which she executed wonderfully. I'd even go so far as to suggest pinning this item to your head if you really hate hats:


Blue and white straw hat, $2.50. (OMG.)

I would not, however, recommend bringing your, um, rat to this event, as the seller notes: "Never leave your rat unattended while dressed. While they can slip out of the outfit if needed, harm could still come to them if you are not there to watch them. Please note that it sometimes takes a few tries before some rats will keep their clothing on." Ain't that the truth!

I'll leave you with this fun fact: Carl will be taking direction at times from a star polo player named Nacho who also models for Polo. His assistant is also named Nacho and will also be contacting Carl. This is not going to lead to any hilarity at all!

Happy Halloween!

Accessories for the Spring I long for

Just as their Autumn/winter accessories left a lasting impression on me...oh I still dream of having my very own feather tie...Lanvin’s Spring/Summer 2009 accessories collection (as shown on Selectism) comes along and all I want to do is press fast forward and skip the day after day of grey and embrace a new, brighter, warmer season. Lucas Ossendrijver's vision of Spring accessories includes a denim shopping bag (refer to our denim post), a sky blue tote which will hopefully soon be mirroring the sky and a collection of textured ties with intricate detailing. Of course, there are new variations of the accessories we have come to expect from the brand which in my mind and many of yours leads the pack, with new hi tops, belts, hats, belts and sandals to marvel at.

One pair of hi tops in particular have caught my eye. The theme of texture created by intricate detailing is continued from the ties and into the pair on the very left, which come in a mouth watering light purple. All in all this is a smart and varied collection and there really should be something for everyone. Of course the price takes them out of my eager reach but that has not stopped me from being inspired to shop around and even think about a little modification project.


I've never been attracted to straw hats before but the Lanvin SS09 show changed all that. I loved how the distressed and beaten up hats were given a new lease of life dressed up in silk ribbons and flowers. Surely this has to be one of the easiest little modification projects around...the search for a battered straw hat will begin shortly. There might be a small chance of looking a little silly in such a hat but I need to give it a go and I want to be more adventurous this Spring. Even if it is a disaster, I will certainly have fun making it and any embellishment detailing can be re-cycled in to a lapel detail. I can't lose and neither can you if you decide to give this a go.

Get the Look: Mrs. Claus

Today I injected a little bit of Santacon into my outfit, enough that my boyfriend was amused enough to grab his camera and record it for posterity. I came into work and have gotten "very festive," "very Christmas-y," and my favorite: "very...Mrs. Claus." So, if YOU would like to take holiday dressing to a borderline-literal level, I recommend pointing your sleigh at the aforementioned Urban Outfitters, where I purchased the piece de resistance of this formidable outfit:



Silence + Noise embroidered buffalo plaid dress, was $68, now $39.99 online, BUT I only paid $19.99 in the store. I went in for holiday cards, I came out with a dress. Btw, no Mrs. Claus is that insanely buff.



Pair it with these Frye "Andrea" belted boots, marked down to $329.99, OR find your own vintage Dexter boots in a giant thrift store in Portland, Oregon, like I did. I mean, you're a CLAUS -- you can travel, and quickly.



Then get these socks from any Target (just not the online one). Arrange them so the fur cuff just peeks out above your boots. Bam! Instant (yet subtle?) Santa boots.



If you want to really push it, get one of those infernal berets that can be slouching atop the heads of every girl south of the north pole these days. This one is the most ridiculous of all, so that's what I'm showing. Urban Outfitters "popcorn" beret, $34.

And away you go!

Advent - Day Thirteen

'ello Guvnor! Today is Dick Van Dyke day. Today is also the day when Style Salvage's partners share a birthday with this loveable but ultimately terrible cockney...Happy Birthday to Rob, Susie and Dick, we love you all!

Here is the man of the moment (back in 1965) on the cover of Showtime after they made him their man of the month following his awesome leading man performance in Mary Poppins.

You beat me to it! Very happy birthday wishes to one and all... and also to Steve Buscemi and Malta. What an auspicious day!

Advent - Day Twelve

Bonjour from Paris. Apologies for not unveiling box number twelve on the Style Salvage Advent Calender but I have been nursing the big daddy of hangovers in my hotel room and I just could not face typing on the worlds smallest keyboards. In the true spirit of Christmas (As a child I remember watching my parents trying to set up my Scaletrix set following a boozy Christmas Eve) I have worked through the pain and present this image from Oily Boy as shown by the Sartorialist and mentioned on Tyler Brule's recent FT.com column...

Advent - Day Eight

Video time again. This time it's Fred and Ginger in the snow singing 'a Fine Romance'. Boys, take note of Fred's winter dressing; he looks wonderful in his bowler hat and black, fur trimmed coat (though please go faux if you want to copy this bit!) complement by pale gloves and scarf. Enjoy!

Bring Back The Hat

Now that I have a bit more time on my hands I'm able to write a lot more than I used to and I'm really enjoying it! As well as inundating you with posts here I've embarked on writing pieces for Fashion156. I wrote the MAN feature in the latest HATS/HEADPIECES issue and within it discussed the decline of hat wearing amongst men (I must admit that I hardly ever wear a hat myself, but this will change over the coming months). Our very first Style Salvage campaign was to get more men wearing hats but not enough has been done so we had to revisit it. There have been many golden eras where a man would consider an outfit incomplete, consider himself naked even, without a hat but now they are rarely even considered in the construction of the everyday outfit. Despite a wealth of inspiration from a number of recent collections (with James Long depicting the hat as an essential facet of the Winter Warrior look during his AW08 collection and Lanvin celebrating distressed straw hats which were reborn with silk ribbons for SS09) this has not been translated into the 'real world'. As always with Fashion156, there is a beautiful editorial containing carefully selected pieces from upcoming designers and these images have inspired me to experiment with head wear even more. Here are my highlights...

Headpieces all by J Smith Esquire

The J Smith Esquire featured headpieces simply steal the show and it is easy to see why Stephen Jones is so excited by the bespoke milliners creations. Following his MA in Millinery at the Royal College Of Art in 2007, Justin Smith continues to develop and push the boundaries of exciting millinery. Since graduating, he has been awarded the iD styling award, the Maria Louisa award at ITS6 and shown at London Fashion Week as part of On/Off. There is no doubt that he approaches hat design quite theatrically, "You can treat hats like sculptures, using any material that you want. I also love that you never wash a hat. So it has its own history that keeps going" remarked Justin in a piece for Interview.

Hat, shirt, harness and tie by Rui Leonardes, Visor by House of Flora

Rui Lonardes is a designer who is constantly questioning gender stereotypes, blurring the boundaries as he goes (typified by his high heels for men) but he is not a designer that ordinarily leaves me salivating, however his creations here do just that. The visor by House of Flora (a fashion label established by designer Flora McLean, who teaches fashion design and promotion at Middlesex University) makes me think that visors could have a place within men's style outside of the golf course...

In short, there is a great deal of inspirational hat donning out there...the time for a new era of hat wearing is now my friends.

Men Represent: Men of wardrobe_remix

A little late, here are my favourite men's outfits submitted to wardrobe_remix in the last few weeks and a very brief summary of what I like best about each of them. Steve's will follow when he's all moved in to his new flat.

Men Represent - Day 1

Thom really set the bar for the week with this one. Hat, jacket and nonchalance are my favourite bits of this outfit.

Messy Layers

Cozy, classy layering. Love the glasses. I'm just love hoodies too.

Red and Black Hellboy

Hint: I'm a sucker for buffalo check. Anyone else being dragged to the new Hellboy film and praying that it's good?

blogging 050

This is a woman's shirt! Fear not gender labels on clothes! (also love the cuffing on the shorts)

Sunday 10 August

The hair! The shades! The ability to wear white envy! (I spill) Did I mention the hair?

Day 1

Great shirt, great hat, great watch.

Wet Tuesday

Love the flash of stripes and the mooooon boots. I love stomping around in those moon boots almost as much as Steve does.

La fleur du mal

Gian killed me with his gloves and shoes combo... not to mention the silk flowers!

P.S. Because Steve is so busy moving all his worldly possessions to a new abode with the lovely SB, this week's Men Represent task will be extended for an extra week... keep those style icons coming!