Any Flappers back here?

[Matt Deckard]

Just curious.

 

[Vanessa]

A Chicago one, no less.

 

[magneto]

I am embarrassed to admit it in this august forum, but I am more likely to be found wearing a cloche and nice pair of t-straps than a tilt hat and wedgies =(.
Of all the strange etymologies of 'flapper' (forgive me if this is comon knowledge) a funny one I read recently, is that it came from wearing your galoshes undone.

 

[VivianRegan]

It's almost like we're huddled back in a corner of a smokey joint, sipping orange blossoms and surveying the crowd from "the future!" I'm with you, magneto, on the t-straps and cloches. We'll just mill around here, if no one minds!

 

[Lauren]

I love cloches and T-straps. I was just thinking how I need to make more 20's stuff...

The jazz of the late 20's is fantastic. My favorite age for music right now is the 20's to early 30's.

But do I qualify as a flapper? I dunno. According to the pic of me Wildroot has, I might.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Very dissapointing. We need a flapper outreach program.

 

[jamespowers]

Sort of like these?:

And so are her lungs now.

 

[VivianRegan]

magneto (or anyone else), how do you store your cloches? Do you have hat stands, or set them on your dresser? I have one handmade and two heavy wool numbers that would retain their shape if hung on the wall (but I am wary of doing that). Couldn't find styrofoam heads at Joann... what to do?

 

[magneto]

magneto (or anyone else), how do you store your cloches? Do you have hat stands, or set them on your dresser? .. what to do?

I guess hat stands would be optimal--but right now I'm just keeping mine in plain paper-lined cardboard boxes, with those anti-moth disk things hanging inside and a few dessicant (sp?) packets to keep any damp out. (but I am not a storage expert, follow advise at own risk!) ...Actually I was just reading in another thread here how the worst thing is to put your hats in plastic boxes, so beware of that... For the softer ones I stuff them with a few balls of crumpled paper to keep shape if I won't be wearing it for a while. I welcome any corrections or pointers.
Anything I set on my dresser immediately picks up a patina of cat hair, tea stains, and dust!

(looking at Jamespowers' hat ads). ...and why can't my hair look like that? Whaaaah!

 

[VivianRegan]

Storage is at a premium here in my miniscule home... but I'm with you on the box storage. There are a bunch of archival storage co.'s out there that sell to regular folk, not just libraries and museum. For original items, I'd definitely seek out acid-free boxes.

Mine happen to be repros, so I'd like to keep them nice. How many have you got, magneto? Do you wear one everyday?

 

[Lauren]

I reccomend crumpling up acid free tissue paper and stuffing them inside to keep the shape. I have two which I stored flat, (which I think is how they were stored originally, but they seem to have crease marks as a result. I'm trying to make the grand switch over to all archival materiels, but it does have the possibility of taking up a lot of space (and I'm spending the money I should be spending on storage on other items for my collections!) One of the two hats I returned to the family of the man I borrowed it from (he passed away last year), but I took a picture before I sent it back. I'll have to scrounge to post a pic. We need a Show Us Your Cloches thread...

 

[magneto]

Storage is at a premium here in my miniscule home... but I'm with you on the box storage... How many have you got, magneto? Do you wear one everyday?

I only have 3 nice "classical" cloches, one beige fur felt, one brown not-fur felt, one black wool, but most of my hats are worn cloche-style I guess (brimless, pulled down, i.e. beret/tam). How about you? What kinda lids you like? This is the last hat I bought which I love madly:
http://rubyurl.com/2l7

But back to the 20s! Here is a wonderful source of old cocktail recipes: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/13487
I think I need a 'Gin Squash' at the moment.

 

[VivianRegan]

magneto, that hat from eBay is absolutely cute! I have nothing authentic yet... so hard to find things in wearable condition, in a color I desire, and at a price I can afford (the biggest problem, I guess). So, I look for modern cloches that "pass" as '20s. Recently, it's become easier... that "boho" style that so many girls are wearing has been producing many cloches lately. Some are too '60s... but I just got two wool numbers from Penney's that look so flapper, it's shocking. And I am VERY picky about these things. I looked on their site and couldn't find them, or I'd give the link!

There's a lady in New York City who makes amazing cloches. I bought one from her five years ago (when I lived there): a pale purple, summer, straw cloche. I dig that all her stuff is handmade. They're pricey, but charming. Some day, I'll pick up another (they look so authentic!)

Page four on her site has some of the best choices: http://www.barbarafeinmanmillinery.com/pages/shop.html

And on cocktails, I say, here here! I'm afraid to ask for cool, old-style drinks at bars these days. If it's not a Vodka Redbull, will the bartender know how to make it? Maybe I should frequent classier places...

 

[magneto]

Finding old hats

Vivian, no luck searching the thrift/consignment stores in your area? I heard from a couple folks that the thrift stores in Arizona were pretty good, because 1) high number of senior citizens who tend to, er, perish and their stuff gets dumped en masse at Salvation Army etc, and 2) the dry climate means that textiles/materials actually last longer than they would in a cold wet clime, ergo less vintage stuff that rots away!

Don't apologize for department stores...I found nice old-style cotton PJs, blouses and hankies at Mervyn's...

 

[decodoll]

ADS Hats in San Francisco carry some wonderful cloche hats. Most are still pretty pricey, but I thought you might be interested in taking a look anyhow.

 

[VivianRegan]

Thanks, decodoll... I'm constantly prowling the 'net for great stuff.

I live near Sun City, a BIGTIME retirement community west of Phoenix, and I check out the offerings at thrift stores near there. But right now, I'm noticing a change in merchandise... it's getting harder to find even '50s items... everything's looking very '60s and '70s these days. LOTS of cafftans and wide leather belts, furniture made out of pressboard. The treasure-type finds are rare. I think I may have missed my window. But I'll keep looking, for sure.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[magneto]

ADS Hats in San Francisco carry some wonderful cloche hats. Most are still pretty pricey, but I thought you might be interested in taking a look anyhow.

(groans) Don't remind me about ADS, I can flick a bottlecap and hit their storefront...I just about cried this summer when I went in there looking for a black straw embellished cloche that was not made in the third world and cost less than 15 mortgage payments...

For New Yorkers, I remember seeing a couple of nice cloches last winter at "Larisa" on 7th Ave...you could watch the workers making the hats, I was enchanted.

I keep meaning to say Lauren, I *like* your avatar with the sporty floppy cap and plaid blouse! You look like a cross between Mary Pickford and the "Two-Gun Gertie" character in Roxie Hart (in a nice way of course)!!

 

[decodoll]

You're welcome, Vivian.

Magneto, we must live really close to one another then. I live about 5 blocks from ADS. I didn't realize you were in San Francisco. You might be interested in this cloche blocking workshop at Muse

Accessories : Hat Blocking Workshop - 2 Part Workshop Have you always wanted to learn how to make a 1920's style cloche hat that fits you perfectly? Now you can! In this 6 hour workshop, learn the art of free-form draping. Steam, pinch, fold, or twist a pre-formed felt cone on a wooden hat form, and then hand-stitch it. No sewing machine knowledge is required, just the ability to hand sew. Jasmin Zorlu is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology's Accessory Design program in New York City. She has been perfecting the technique of sculptural free-form hat blocking for almost a decade. Photos here. *Class Fee $130/person (Additional Materials fee of $25 to be collected in class.) Includes: one velour felt hood (composite of rabbit and sheep wool), approximately 1 yd. grosgrain ribbon, one millinery needle, thread and in depth, step-by-step notes on the techniques taught

Saturday & Sunday, November 12th & 13th from 10am-1pm: Register Online Now!

 

[Naama]

Well....... I don't really know if I am a flapper, but I guess I'm pretty close to it

 

[magneto]

You're welcome, Vivian.

Magneto, we must live really close to one another then. I live about 5 blocks from ADS. I didn't realize you were in San Francisco. You might be interested in this cloche blocking workshop at Muse

[apologies for off-topic]
I have a slingshot and I'm in Bernal Heights, land of the San Francisco backyard chicken coop . Darn, I wish I could afford those workshops right now, they look fabulous. Have you been to any of the 'pre-Code' movies they've been showing at the Balboa? I'm going to see 'Beyond the Rocks' (the rediscovered Swanson/Valentino movie) this weekend.
[back on topic]
Yes, I will go wearing a cloche and toting a gin flask.