black swan

All hats available at www.dorotheasclosetvintage.com, pics link to site.

spotted

Another follow up to the green and leopard post! Last one today, I promise....I only wish I could keep up with blogging more regularly! JESSICA asked in the comments of that last post if I really had a green and leopard coat like the one pictured and I had to hunt it down in my winter closet to share. I remembered it wrong (confused it with a tan one I have that has leopard down the sides similar to the one in the 40s post)....this one is from the 60s, and has a matching green wool sheath dress with leopard collar beneath AND a leopard trimmed hat!

As you can see....I'm a sucker for a leopard hat (and coat, and collar, and muff....).

~Ang

The House of Halston

I live in an older neighborhood (you're shocked, I know). Houses around here are mainly bungalows built at the turn of and just after the turn of the century.....mine in particular in 1916. Some homes are in good repair, some in serious need of repair. But one house in particular has a bit more of a modern tale to tell.

This is the house of Halston, or so I'm told. The first home of Roy Halston Frowick sits just around the corner from my house here in Des Moines, Iowa...an unlikely start indeed for a man bound for glamour, fame and fortune.

Halston with muse Bianca Jagger & Liza Minelli

JANUARY MAGAZINE does a nice write up and review of the Halston biography (that I clearly must have), "HALSTON", by Steven Bluttal. A fascinating yet tragic character who met an unjust and decidedly non-glamorous end, Halston's work continues to withstand the test of time. Glamorous yet sleek and simple, as impressive on the runway as it was off.

I rarely come across Halston pieces (despite being in the city he began his life in!)....but have recently acquired this beautiful 60s Halston hat. Sculpted felt with curving graceful lines, inspired by the 20s but with the modern edge only Halston could add.

PS, speaking of hats! Just sent a box of vintage hats out to Vogue in NY again for potential use in another photo shoot! Wish me luck....

~Ang

over the top

Its hard to imagine Rosalind Russell in any film without an extensive wardrobe of outrageous and stylish 40s tilt hats. The epitome of 1940s glamour, these sweet little hat perched forward on the head, secured by combs, pins or a strap back beneath hair and were often as whimsical as they were dramatic.

You can imagine our delight at finding this hat recently, just added to the website. Pale shell pink sculpted sisal with 2 lucite accents perched atop in the folds...chenille dotted black veiling. Mint condition!

~Ang

Hattery!

Thanks ever so much to Malie at VINTAGE SHOPPING GUIDE for her blog post about the vintage hats from DOROTHEA'S CLOSET VINTAGE being in the September issue of VOGUE MAGAZINE and her lovely write up about my own line of hats (designed by moi), SUGARLIDS. You can read her blog HERE!

And a couple of the newest lids....

Vintage Vogue

My recent inclusion in the September issue of VOGUE MAGAZINE lead me to several conversations at my boutique with clients who found the photography of the Steven Meisel shoot unusual. I wasn't surprised at all when I saw them, rather, I was impressed at how true to 40's Vogue styling they appeared! Here is a 40s shot (credit to MY VINTAGE VOGUE...

And here is an image from the 2009 Meisel shoot (hat available on the website!)...

Something a little more unusual for a vintage Vogue is an outdoor shoot, like this one from the early 40s...

And the 2009 spin on fresh faced, outdoorsey types, both hats from my site, hat on left still available...

Another great shot, which happens to show a model holding a 1941 Vogue I have here at the house, aquired from Jean's estate!

For more vintage Vogue eye candy, be sure to peruse the MY VINTAGE VOGUE WEBSITE!

~Ang

the 40s are "In", and Dorothea's is IN Vogue Magazine!

The September issue of VOGUE MAGAZINE has hit the stands! Not only does it declare on the cover that the 40's are in (yay!), but to prove it there is a fantastic photo shoot by reknowned photographer Steven Meisel (styled by Grace Coddington) on pages 502-517. With powerhouse design greats like Dolce & Gabanna, Lanvin, Donna Karan and Calvin Klein recreating 40s styles nearly to a t, its amazing the stylists chose to add in some genuine vintage pieces. Nice to see the real deal mingle with the modern interpretation. And they're from none other than DOROTHEA'S CLOSET VINTAGE!.

These 2 hats are both from the website, though the one on the right already sold but the large brimmed black one is top of the page on the 1st hats page at the site. Clothing by Michael Kors & Louis Vuitton....

On model Karen Elson, dress by Calvin Klein, coque feather hat available on the website....

We recenetly worked a 40s look with a modern angle on model Emily Svec here at the shop....

Hat tip to Vogue for using real vintage with a vintage themed shoot and a thank you for the opportunity!

~Ang

2 New Sugarlids Hats!

Finally got time to make a few more hats, added two to the SUGARLIDS site today!

Surrealist lobster hat, 100% upcylced vintage pieces...inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli & Salvador Dali.

And a reworked vintage fox stole complete with head and legs becomes a Victorian inspired fur topper, perfect for dramatic fall & winter wear!

~Ang

Lets Vogue. Hat News!

Cannot contain my excitement any more over this latest turn of events at Dorothea's Closet! I was recently contacted by VOGUE MAGAZINE requesting use of some 40s hats for an upcoming shoot for the August issue. Its a 40s themed shoot being done by none other than STEVEN MEISEL! That. Is. Exciting. Some of his work...

Yes, that is Madonna. And yes, Meisel is THE Meisel that did her SEX BOOK

So hats went, came back today in a pretty keen box...

and then an email saying 2 hats were used (still have to make editing...so we wait...and wait...and hope...) AND an email asking for more hats for an upcoming shoot for the Sept. issue and a shoot with TIM WALKER!

Yeah. Wow. And also wow. Some Walker work...

So its *likely* some hats available on my site will actually be seen in Vogue! And if so....well, wow and right on. And all achieved by mere years of good old fashioned arse-busting, elbow-grease and prayer to random deities! Pretty cool for vintage to get the modern fashion spotlight, right? Yes. So get yourself a Dorothea's Hat!

~Ang

Little Edie at Reno Sweeney...New Hat at Sugarlids!

Yep, one hat. Buying a house and all that owning a home entails along with the Mom thing, the shop and website has made it tough to find any time to create anything but a mess...but I did finally get to do the hat I'd been dreaming of since watching Grey Gardens! At the end of the film, Little Edie realizes a dream when she is invited to perform at a night club in NYC called "Reno Sweeney"...here is a shot of Drew channeling Edie in full (accurate) costume....

And my interpretation, using a 1960s beat up red leotard cut down, an embossed felt side "base" and silk poppies and roses....

Found on etsy at SUGARLIDS!

Ang

Stuff

I'm slammed, crazy overwhelmed. Perhaps I should put a caveat on my site about how shipping *will* be behind and that I can't answer emails quickly because I was a crazy-person and bought a house. Being a single Mom, end of school year events, vacation plans, family stuff, yard stuff, house keeping stuff....seriously, every moment I spend at my shop or on the site feels so scattered I can't keep up. I suck!

But my shining light in the fog is my friend Kim, who blogs as FAST EDDIES RETRO RAGS. She has her own plate full and still manages to do it right and be funny AND witty doing so.

Hat tip, Kim!

PS, I did shoot some good stuff recently, some of which is on my newly created shop on etsy for vintage bridal...WHITE WEDDING. And this awesome 40s beach hat will be on the site tomorrow (if my damn laptop cooperates)....

~Ang

The Revolutionary Costume for Today...New Hat from SugarLids

I made another hat! I'm fascinated by the Beales of Grey Gardens and had an inspiration this morning while thinking about Little Edie's headgear in the film (can't wait to see the upcoming remake, partly because I have clothing from my website in it but because I love the documentary and can't wait to see Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore portray these women!). So I give you the first in what will be a series of headpieces inspired by Little Edie (and maybe one day I'll get ambitious enough to find a big floppy hat to work into a Big Edie look!).

I used a tattered men's wool/mohair blend cardigan sweater and did some sculpting, ruching and manipulating to get it into hat shape (slightly 30s inspired, actually) and left the sleeve to wrap about the neck. Added a brooch a la Little Edie and a hat was born!

~Ang

Introducing....SugarLids!

I'm not spread quiiiite thin enough with the shop, site, Momming and buying a house so I decided to start my own vintage upcycled/vintage inspired hat line....SugarLids! I have tons of vintage millinery supplies (feathers, bases, flowers, lots of netting) from collecting and selling vintage over the years, as well as loads of fabric, ribbons and the like. I've always been enamored by vintage hats (hence 4 pages of hats on the WEBSITE), and after handling them for years I felt fairly comfortable with understanding their construction. I'll be honing my sewing skills and creating a studio within my office once I get moved, but to kick it off I made my first hat today and listed it on etsy, accessible via the website SUGARLIDS.COM.

This first hat is constructed on a modern ring base with vintage ostrich plumes, vintage netting, vintage starched crinoline pieces and a vintage satin rosette. Tilt style inspired by 40s tilt & toy hats, it has an elastic decorative ribbon to go under the hair and hold in place while tilted forward or can be bobby pinned into hair. All hand sewn and designed by me! Watch for more to come!

Yay hats!!

~Ang

Lidsville! Vintage Hats at Dorothea's Closet Vintage

Just added, a whole batch of vintage hats from the early 1900s to the 1960s.

Schiaparelli inspired 20s cloche with braided straw bow....

20s cloche in sheer cello with velvet rose bouquet.....

Early 20s velvet ribbon and rosette hat....

Edwardian pink & black velvet beaded hat....

Amazing black Edwardian hat with huge feather plumes angling from front to back....

Black and gold metallic 30s deco turban.....

Spruce green silk velvet bow topped turban.....

Red silk velvet turban.....

50s red velvet & roses by Miss Sally Victor....

50s shocking pink velvet cap with swirled rhinestone accent....

Black patent velvet 60s clip hat....

Superb 60s maribou cocktail hat......

All hats available on the sitem, pics are clickable links!

~Ang