The Hat Box - Brisbane Arcade

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Cherished clients, HAT BOX MILLINER SCOOPS THE POOL! The New Year has begun eventfully with Hat Box milliner Sandra Robson taking a trifecta at Magic Millions with her prize-winning hats and ensembles for twins Brooke and Kara Wilmot at the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast. Kara took out the major prize in the Fashions on the Field of an Emirates business class trip to Dubai on Wednesday’s Ladies Day, whilst Brooke repeated the hat trick on Magic Millions Day. Then, with 2 overseas trips under their saddle, Brooke repeated her success by winning the Paspaley Best Dressed of the Carnival competition. This second win scored her a Qantas business class flight to London and $35,000 worth of Paspaley pearl jewellery.	Quite a feat for a pair of 21 year olds who have never entered a fashion contest before and congratulations must go to the very talented and creative Sandra Robson who specialises in spectacular hats and race wear. In recent years her creations have won every major Fashions on the Field event during the Winter Racing Carnival in Brisbane and beyond. Likewise, other Hat Box milliners have had successes on the Gold Coast as well. The beautiful Louise Barton was chosen Best Dressed lady at the Hats and High Tea at the Marriott Hotel, wearing a spectacular big black and white hat made for her by Elizabeth R, whilst the lovely Natalie Letford won the Classic Racewear fashions at the Gold Coast Turf Club on Ladies Day in a soft pink and black lace cocktail hat specially created by Meredith McMaster to match her fifties style dress perfectly.	At the Magic Millions Ladies Lunch at the Sheraton Mirage, Phoebe Turkington of Wattle Brae Stud was selected as one of the five finalists in the Paspaley Best Dressed competition. She looked elegant in a Phillip Rhodes cream straw beret, which accompanied her cream and black Collette Dinnigan dress to perfection. Other exciting news for The Hat Box is that I was invited to provide a selection of headwear for Hollywood starlet Tara Reid to wear to the turf club on Magic Millions Day. She chose a feathered fascinator by Tracey Andrews, which was featured on the front page of The Sunday Mail. Tracey is thrilled to bits and is presently working hard on her new winter collection. Off-track events I attended during the week included the Women in Racing breakfast at the Sofitel, Broadbeach, which was well attended with many interesting speakers.	Once again, Jennie Bartels and Baslyn Beel hosted one of the best functions of the week. Most of us, after drinking champagne for breakfast (very decadent), had the stamina to head to the Dome at the Gold Coast Turf Club for Margo Mott’s Ladies Day Lunch. This is always a fun afternoon with fashion parades, entertainers, and even a Lovely Legs competition. Next morning it was off to the Marriott for Hats & High Tea. All of the ladies go to a lot of effort for this function and the headwear and fashion were divine as was the repast. It was more like a banquet than a morning tea and I didn’t need to eat anything for the rest of the day – and besides, I had to fit into my dress for the Sheraton Mirage Ladies Magic Millions Lunch the next day. The Sheraton lunch is always a highlight of my social calendar every year as its glamour all the way. The Magic Millions – what a great way to start each year!
Classic race wear Fashions on the Field Winner, Natalie Letford at the Sofitel	Trifecta twins, Kara & Brooke Wilmot, at the Women in Racing Breakfast	With Lauren Walker at the Sofitel breakfast	Effie Cliff, me and Judy Brine at the Marriott
Sandra Robson, Natalie Letford, me and Fleur Thompson at Hats & High Tea		With Louise Barton, best-dressed lady at Hats & High Tea	Celebrating with a glass or three of Moet with the talented Sandra Robson at the MM Ladies Lunch
Kerrina King and Phoebe Turkington, Paspaley finalist at the Sheraton Mirage	Hollywood starlet Tara Reid puckers up wearing a Tracey Andrews fascinator on Magic Millions Day. Photo courtesy Ross Stevenson	Magic Millions Fashions on the Field finalists

THE PANAMA HAT STORY I now stock the legendary Panama hats, for both men and women and I thought you might like to know a little more about them. Their origins date back through South American history and were worn by the Incas. Panama hats first came to the attention of the world in the early 1900s when workers building the Panama canal	wore them for protection against the burning sun and the U.S President Roosevelt was photographed wearing one while watching construction. From there, the hat was taken to Europe where it immediately became a fashion sensation when the Prince of Wales wore one to the races. The artists Van Gogh and Monet immortalized them. In more recent times, they have been worn by world leaders as diverse as Kruschev and Winston Churchill, movie stars like Clark Gable, who wore the planter style in “Gone with the Wind” and Robert Redford who wouldn’t have looked half as cool without his fedora in “The Great Gatsby”. The name “Panama” is a misnomer as the hat doesn’t actually originate there, but is made exclusively in Equador and	is hand woventhere from the fibre of the Toquilla palm by the Indians of that country in the same traditional way, taught by one generation to the next. These weavers however, have decreased in number in recent years due to Equador’s changing economy and there remains today only a dozen or so weavers capable of making the finest straw hats in the world – the Montecristi superfinos. The quality of a Montecristi (named after the town where they are made) is measured by the fineness of its weave and the rows in its crown. At present, I have one only of these masterpieces, in size 57, woven by the master craftsman, Manuel Lopez Espinal, priced at $500. Other sizes may be ordered but as they are rare there is a waiting period for them. They come with a stamped balsa wood box and are rolled inside when	not in use – perfect for travelling. I also stock a wide range of finos and non finos in a variety of styles: classic fedora, executive, planter, highlander. Colours include: natural, cream and light tan and are all trimmed with the traditional black petersham ribbon which originates from the year 1901, the year that saw the death of Queen Victoria. The ladies’ medium and wide brim styles come in a range of colours, including pastels. Once you’ve purchased your Panama hat, you’ll find it cool, lightweight and long wearing. To maintain its pristine condition and elegant look, it only needs a sponge over with a damp cloth and a little soap from time to time.

CHARLIE BUYS A HAT Recently, The Hat Box was chosen as a location for a short film titled “Charlie’s Hat” starring Charlie Chaplin impersonator, Alastair Tomkins, formerly of Dreamworld.	The film was an entry in the Courier Mail’s annual short film competition and one of the criteria was that the film had to feature a hat. The plot concerns Charlie coming in to a gentleman’s hat shop to buy a new hat. The salesman, becoming increasingly frustrated, shows him every hat in the shop until he finally spies the perfect hat – it’s the one he came in with!	It was filmed on a Sunday when the shop is closed and the Gallery Level of the Brisbane Arcade is quiet. It was interesting to watch and personally illuminating as I didn’t realise that so much time and effort are required to make one ten minute silent film. It was also a lot of fun with the director and the crew breaking up with laughter at the antics and I did not regret giving up my only day off.	Charlie chooses a Hat

In February, Australia’s best milliners will gather in Wagga Wagga for a week long convention to exchange tips, tricks and ideas for the coming winter season and from what I’ve heard it’s going to be a sensational year. Look for photos in my next update. Until then, ciao for now, Dale
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