Cherished clients,
It’s Spring already, haven’t the last few months
flown! The Hat Box enjoyed a very successful Winter Racing
Carnival with many of our clients winning major prizes in
the Fashions on the Field competitions. On Doomben Cup day,
9 of the 10 finalists were clients of ours, with Stacey McEwen
being chosen as runner-up. |
Tattersalls Day at Eagle Farm
saw Natalie Letford rake out 2nd prize, Cassandra Tilse 3rd
prize and Natalie Nasternak, a first time entrant, was the
under 25s winner. Further afield, Angelica Hannan was second-place
getter at Ladies Day during rhe Darwin Cup festivities. Many
of our clients matched their ensembles with our Italian kid
gloves, which judges commented on favourably and said that
in many cases it was what gave them that winning edge.
During the carnival, photographers of Ken Lord, social scribe
from the Sunday Mail, took many photos of Hat Box clients
for his website www.thejuice.com.au.
I have chosen a selection and included them in my “Juice”
advertisement. Check them out by logging on and click on Hot
Shopping. |
The
name “Panama” is a misnomer as the hat doesn’t
actually originate there, but is made exclusively in Equador.
It’s still hand woven there 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.
Weaver Manuel Lopez Espinal
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.
Panama hat in box
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.
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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
Hope to see you “hat hunting” soon.
Ciao
Dale. |
| The following week, the Doomben
10,000 saw Nyomi Gale take out the winning prize in a stunning
Carmel Callinan creation and Priscilla McCullough runner-up
in a fabulous Shirley Howie pillbox.
Model wearing hat by Ann Boyle at Fashion Fridays
Model wearing fascinator by Lee Suckling at Fashion Fridays
Milliners Fashion Fridays Treasury Casino Standing: Meredith
McMaster, Dale, Alex Harper
Seated: Ann Boyle Sandra Robson
|
The shop is looking fabulous
festooned with hats in all of the lovely colours of Spring.
Red, navy and white, as well as black and white polka dots
are some of the fashion trends this season, so our talented
milliners have made creations in these shades as well as a
huge variety of other tones. Get in early for your Melbourne
Cup hat or fascinator and remember, we need a few weeks to
do justice to your specially made order.
In September, the Queensland Turf Club held a lunch for their
Young Members in their new, revamped bar and dining area under
the old St Leger stand. The invited guests certainly enjoyed
the delicious buffet and the environs were very pleasant.
Caught up with fashionplate Lauren Walker and her friend Talia
Giovenco.
With Lauren Walker & Talia Giovenco at QTC Young Members
Lunch at Eagle Farm
The Panama Hat Story
I am now stocking exclusively 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”
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