GUCCI fedora, hat the "IT" ladies fedora for 2011

I nominate Gucci's fedora as the must-have, "IT", ladies hat for fall 2011.

 It is a sexy and flirty profile  with a big brim but not too floppy. Easy for most ladies and and few guys to carry off!!

Pack it, abuse it, sit on it and look KOOL in it.

Nothing worse then trying to figure out how to carry your sun protection hat on vacation. Well, worry no more my lovelies! After 10 summers of running, lugging, spinting and still trying to look KOOL and SEXY on the ferry to the glorius FIRE ISLAND; Callanan resort collection has you covered in a super packable, scrunchy ribbon Fedora for him and her. Stick it in your bag or pocket, pull it out and reshape it to look KOOL pool side. Available at Henri Bendels and Lord and Taylor for about $58.

lunch at Jumping Jacks. One is aways dressed for lunch in a hat!

buy 3 to go with your different looks

what the hell. It's Fire Island inspred. Go for color.

THE 103RD HEADWEAR ASSOCIATION DINNER

THS, the oldest continuous professional association in America, celebrated their annual dinner at the picturesque Boat House in New York's Central Park last night.

Once again, we were blessed with lovely warm spring weather for the event. There was a crowd of about 150 dapper Don's and thoroughly modern Millie's in attendance. I wish I had to time to take all their pictures but here is a sampling.

Mr. Bakul Patel in a snappy Biltmore.

Mr. Wade Collingsworth wearing a Tommy Bahama.

Germany was represented by Stetson Europe.

Mr. MAKINS HATS himself.

MAKINS with Steve from www.hartfordyork.com

Terry, Mark from JJ HATS and the famous Paddy from Jonathan Richards hats. ERIN GO BRAGH!

John Jones of MR Magazine.

Lauren from Accessories Magazine looking very a la mode in her floppy fedora.

Retailer of the year. Mr Shawn Ferry of BYRNIE UTZ HATS SEATTLE.

This guy has hattitude.

Sartorial styling all the way.

Mr. Richard Milano from the state of Texas.

Mr. John Milano, founder of MILANO HAT COMPANY.

A good time was had by all. if you would like to attend the next dinner on March 18, 2012, please contact
www.theheadwearassociation.org

GENTLEMEN DON YOUR NEW HATS

The fashion pendulum never stops. As soon as something is in fashion it is out of fashion and when something is so out-of-fashion, trust me it is back in for an early adopter. Ten years ago only a gentleman of an unquestionable age wore a stingy brim but that was before some hipster in Williamsburg picked one up in a thrift store and started a new hat craze. Stingy brim are now so mass market that early adopters have moved on to big brimmed fedoras that looks very '70 dandy meets the Marlborough man.
Here are some big brims form the European runways fall 2011 collections.

DIOR HOMME.

DIOR HOMME

D SQUARED2

SALVATORE FERRRAGAMO A LA MARLBOROUGH MAN AND DANDY MAN.

Issey Mikaye, a little easier to wear..........

Marni a little behind the trend.

John Galliano, out on a limb by himself. RIP.
Interestingly as hat brim are getting biger shirt cllars are getting smaller. check out the history of collar sizes at WSJ.com/Fashion

l'arbre a cannelle

One of my favorite lunch spots in Paris is L'arbre a Cannelle, a Jewel box of a restaurant, located in Passage des Panoramas.

 Built in 1800, this enclosed passageway is really an early shopping center a la Francaise. It has not changed much in the past 211 years.
I jut love to find a little corner table outside (which is still inside) and people watch.

I usually order magret de canard with roast potatoes and a little salad frissee, washed down with 1/4 craft of red wine. Followed by one of their delicious tartes and a cafe au creme for dessert.
The decorative wall paintings are quite beautiful.

The Passage des Panoramas is a roofed commercial passageway located in the IIe arrondissement, of Paris between the Montmartre boulevard to the North and Saint-Marc street to the south. It is one of the earliest venues of the Parisian philatelic trade, and it was one of the very first covered, airy commercial passageways in the world. Bazaars and souks in the Orient had roofed commercial passageways centuries earlier but the passage of Panoramas innovated in having glazed roofing and, later on, gas lights for illumination. It is thus the precursor to all the city gallerias of the 19th century and the covered suburban and city shopping malls of the 20th century.http://www.facebook.com/callanan.hats




The passage was located from the start in one of the richest sectors of Paris. Over the centuries it has been home to many famous commercial establishments and institutions such as the Académie Julian.



The passage was built in 1799 on the former site of the Montmorency-Luxembourg private hotel. Its name comes from an attraction installed above the original entry: two rotundas where panoramic views representing the landscapes of large cities were projected. The rotundas were destroyed in 1831. In the 1830s, the architect Jean-Louis Victor Grisart renovated the passage and created three additional galleries inside the block of houses: the Saint-Marc gallery parallel with the passage, the gallery of the Varietes which gives access to the entry of the artists of the theatre of the Varietes, and the Feydeau galleries and Montmartre. Stern the famous engraver settled there in 1834, then merchants of postcards and postage stamps, and some restaurants moved in. The part of the passage close to the Montmartre boulevard is richly decorated, while the distant part is more modest. The passage, as it was in 1867, is described in chapter VII of Émile Zola's novel Nana.

SUMMER 2012 COLOR FORECAST

Here are the trend colors for summer 2012, curtsy of cotton inc.
The themes from left to right are HAUNTED, ROAD TRIP, ATLAS, ENERGY AND METAMORPHOSIS.

I really like the road trip pallet. Color in hats can be difficult and customer tend to go neutral when it come to hats but I will certainly be using turqs, yellows and some grey for spring/summer 2011.

PARIS WINDOW SHOPPING FEBRUARY 2011

Window shopping in Paris is still fun because the French still care about merchandising. Unlike most American stores that throw merchandise, often winkled, into their windows; the French use their windows to make a statement about what they feel are strong trends. The window is the soul of a French store.
Presently, micro botanical and assorted patterns are the main trend for both men and women.

shirts for her at FACONABLE.

Shirts for him at FACONABLE.

Clam diggers.

FLORAL RUNNERS AT PRINTEMPS.

TOP IT ALL OFF WITH A FLORAL CLOCHE.

BOTANICAL OVERLOAD? HOW ABOUT MINIATURE HATS.

POLKA DOTS ARE OUT BUT PEA DOTS ARE IN.

MATCH YOUR HAT TO YOUR BLOUSE.

MIX IT UP BUT KEEP IT SMALL.