Of rainbows, my new Tate Millinery hat, and the pairing of black + brown

  Outfit details

Black straw 1940s style platter tilt hat: Tate Millinery
Brown plastic hair barrette: Goody
Gold tone and rhinestone earrings: Either Payless or Claire's
Brown button front shirt: Banana Republic
Vintage style gold tone and rhinestone floral brooch: eBay
Black quadruple brass buckle bet: Forever 21
C. 1950s black pencil skirt: Unknown, had for ages (possibly thrifted)
C. 1960s brown patent faux leather bag: Purchased from a fellow vintage seller
Gold tone metal bangle bracelet: Payless
1950s/60s black gloves with bows: Chameleon CMC
Nude stockings with black seams: eBay
Brown 1940s style round toe pumps: Walmart (via a consignment store)
Lip colour: MAC Party Line (this is a new lippy for me and I love it to bits!)
Nail colour (seen in rainbow photo): Sally Hansen Mauve Over


Photography by Tony Cangiano

(This is the first time I've ever posed with a rainbow for my blog. I was a very happy camper to get this shot!)

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Sometimes, in the midst of all of summer's more free flowing, airy, casual ensembles, one starts craving the hard hitting glamour that so often accompanies the chillier half of the year. When that mood has struck me lately, I've reached instantly for this beguilingly chic 1940s style straw tilt hat, which I was recently sent as a wonderful review gift from the German brand Tate Millinery.

My favourite styles of hat in the whole wide world are tilt and platter, so when the two have the chance to come together in a singular topper like this, I start floating around merrily on the fashion accessory version of cloud nine.

Tate Millinery is helmed by designer Karen Cavallaro and each of her products is lovingly and skillfully made by hand. Today is actually Kate's birthday, so it seemed like an absolutely perfect time to debut this wonderful hat from her line.

Kate very sweetly let me pick any of her hats that my heart desired to receive as a review gift, as the moment I laid eyes on the black and sandy-pale gold coloured 1940s style gem, I was hooked instantly and knew that was the Tate Millinery chapeau for me (thank you so much for it, Karen!).

Classic, ladylike and very versatile, this black straw hat can be worn on the side, top or back of the head; is feather light, and looks the mid-century part to a tee. It's also very airy, comfortable, and well made, thus making it a perfect choice for summer and year round wear in general.

I was honoured to receive this gorgeous hat, which you can purchase from Tate Millinery's online shop for €79.90 (Euros), and knew the moment it arrived, that I was going to style it with the colour palette that you see here in these photos.

Much like I discussed regarding the pairing of black and navy blue together (in this post), one of the oldest and most oft repeated fashion myths is that black and brown can't play nicely and shouldn't be worn in the same outfit.

Balderdash, I say! Not only do the two look wildly sophisticated together, but pairing them can be a great way to breath new life into pieces that you own in both colours. The combination is also handy because while black or brown on its own might not look awesome near your face (depending on your personal colouring), chances are that one of the two will and you can sport that up top, as I've done here with brown, which is more flattering to my skin tone than black, and then the other down on the bottom and/or as accent pieces throughout.

Given the refined design of the hat and the powerful mid-century vibe it telegraphs, I opted for an understated ensemble that I thought would play well with both of those points.

On the day when these photos were taken - which included a gorgeous rainbow over Okanagan Lake, that we were able to quickly pull over on the side of the highway and a snap with, before continuing on to our intended photo shoot location in town, the end of the River Channel Parkway down by Skaha Lake - I reached for one of my all-time favourite button front shirts, a classic brown number from Banana Republic, along with a black vintage pencil skirt, and various accessories in both black and brown.

A somewhat more subdued colour palette than I often sport, I actually truly loved how black and brown brought visual interest to each other and am glad that I refrained from introducing other hues (save for a little bit of brass and gold care of my accessories) into the mix.

Summer is often two warm for a skirt suit outdoors (especially if it's not silk or linen), but a skirt and blouse or button front shirt can look nearly as dressy, yet spare you from wilting faster than a lettuce leaf under the broiler. Thus this is the kind of look I'd reach for if I had a work related meeting, important appointment, wedding, funeral, or other more formal event to attend, but (again) didn't want to bake under the weight of a suit - especially since the beautiful tilt hat helps to more than makeup for the lack of a jacket in terms of elegance here.

I've been wanting to do an outfit post to show how nicely black and brown can get along for ages upon ages now, and am delighted that this gorgeous straw hat from Tate Millinery gave me the opportunity to do so. This is my first product from the brand - who offers a wide range of handmade vintage inspired hats and fascinators - and I love it to no end.

Believe me when I say, this is a hat that I will reach for time and time again, month after month, year after year. It's both beautiful and fun, weighs next to nothing and can be styled in anywhere from a 1930s to an early 1960s direction, just depending on what you partner it with. You don't have to opt for black and brown, but given how splendidly it works with this dark colour duet, why wouldn't you want to do so at least every now and then. I know I'll certainly be continuing to, especially once we get into autumn again.

For now though, thankfully, that point is still a couple of months away and I'm going to keep on enjoying this enchantingly pretty 1940s style Tate Millinery hat with everything from office worthy attire to cocktail frocks to circle skirt, and adore that its neutral colour means that it will play nicely with - if you'll permit a bit of an intentional pun/reference - a rainbow of colours all year round! :)

My holy grail vintage hat as designed by gifted milliner Tanith Rowan

Outfit details

Custom made 1940s style pink and grey felt bird wing tilt hat: Tanith Rowan Designs
Pink glass stone earrings: Claire's (recently - in case you'd like to get a pair for yourself)
1930s black and clear glass bead necklace: Maejean Vintage
Black 1940s style jersey dress: Clothing store in Scarborough, Ontario that closed down years ago
Grey faux patent leather skinny belt: (Possibly) Joe Fresh
Grey 1940s/50s winter coat with embellishments: Sybil Style
1950s pink mesh gloves: Unknown, had for years (possibly eBay)
1950s/60s black clutch purse with chain strap: Gift from a dear vintage loving friend ♥
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
Black faux suede 1940s style shoes: Walmart
Lip colour: MAC Diva


Photography by Tony Cangiano

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It's a safe bet to say that just about every single one of us who wears vintage has certain holy grail items in mind. Those pieces that seem to go above and beyond mere wants or even wishlist entries and into a near mythical realm where even just thinking about their acquisition is enough to make you tremble with joy. For many, many years one such item for me had been a sophisticated late 1930s or 1940s bird winged adorned tilt hat - and all the better if it included my favourite colour ever, pink.

I looked far and wide, but none that fit the bill and my price range ever crossed my path. Enter my good friend, fellow vintage blogger, new mom, and mind-blowingly talented milliner Tanith Rowan. Earlier this year she asked if I would like to collaborate with her and together we could create my dream vintage style hat, which I would then share with all of you here (of course, she did all of the actual creating, I just discussed my fantasy hat specs with her and let her weave her incredible millinery magic).

Using vintage images and photos of vintage hats that were similar to what I had in mind, along with some lovely back and forth (detailed) discussions to really ensure we both had the same style and design of hat in mind, Tanith set to work to create a 1940s looking bird wing adorned tilt hat that, as you can see in these photos, is gorgeous to the point of leaving me at a loss for words.

Instead of using real feathers or whole bird wings, we both wanted to go for the super ethical route and leave all the little winged critters with their appendages, so instead Tanith crafted the "wings" out of felt, which along with velvet is (save for the netting and sturdy elastic strap to hold it in place) what the rest of this beguilingly beautiful pink and grey topper is made from as well.

There is an incredible sense of honour and joy that comes with having a bespoke garment of accessory made for you. In the course of my blog's life, I've had the great pleasure of experiencing it a small handful of times and can tell you that nothing on the fashion front compares to when a gift seamstress, crafter, jeweler, or in this case, milliner, is able to not only realize your vision for a particular piece, but to create something that is even more sublime and special than you could have ever hoped for. This is precisely what Tanith did in creating this awesome 1940s vintage style felt tilt hat for me and I can’t begin to express my thanks and appreciate to her for doing so enough.

It, like all of her work - which you can see anytime in her online shop, Tanith Rowan Designs, as well as on Facebook and Instagram, where she shares many of her fabulous millinery creations - knocks your socks off instantly. Not only is this hat visually stunning and incredibly vintage looking, but it is also exceptionally well made. In fact, that quality of the materials and the degree of skill involved with its creations eclipses that of many actual mid-century hats that I own.

Tanith's love for what she create shines though in each and every hat, fascinator, and headpiece that she designs. Pulling on old school inspiration and her own vivid imagination alike, Tanith's pieces are nothing short of genuine works of wearable art. I feel incredibly fortunate to now call this magnificently lovely vintage style feathered hat my own. It takes pride-of-place in my hat collection and will remain a treasured part of my wardrobe for as long as I live and indeed, should I ever have children or a niece to pass this along to, I know that it will become a family heirloom because it really is that amazing and beautiful.

Now, a hat this special called for a backdrop against which to shoot it that would fit its old school style perfectly. This meant our usual photography location haunts around town such as the lakes, woods, parks and our yard were all out. We both agreed that a vintage building or house was in order, yet as there are incredibly few of these still left in Penticton (that are accessible to the public, in the case of houses, I mean), we didn't have a lot of options.

Thankfully however, one that was ripe for the picking, if you will, not mention just a few blocks over from our own abode, is an elegant early twentieth century home called The Leir House, after the surname of the family for whom it was originally built. This stately stone house hasn't been used as a private dwelling in a long time, instead it is a cultural hub for the community, hosting arts, culture and creativity themed events and classes for the public to partake of. As such, unless a private function like a wedding is taking place there, you're free to pose with it anytime you'd like.

Knowing how scarce vintage buildings are in Penticton, Tony and I had been saving the Leir House's Chronically Vintage debut for a truly exception outfit and thanks to Tanith's gorgeous vintage style chapeau, we felt that this was just the one to do that with.

In some photos, I'm posing with a stone gazebo that's located near the small parking lot at the front of the house, in others I'm in the back yard/garden, and in one I'm sitting on a flight of stairs that run alongside the side of the house. As it is a large home on a bit of property, the Leir house affords one many lovely locations in which to take photos and on a very chilly afternoon recently in November, Tony and I did just that.

I partnered my bespoke vintage style hat with a beautiful c. 1940s grey winter coat (which is making its blog debut here today as well) that I got about three years ago now (its glamorous pink lining and grey outer hue made it a natural pairing for this hat in the same colour families), a simple black jersey dress (that while modern, does look quite 1940s-ish), and an assortment of accessories that colour coordinated well with the hat, coat and dress. The temperature seemed to plummet by the minute, so I was very thankful to have such a sturdy, warm coat (which as it's wool, when I wasn't in front of the camera with, I tucked a black velvet scarf around my neck with, so as to protect my sensitive skin, which is allergic to wool, with - but I wanted to show off the collar of the coat here, so I didn't sport my scarf on camera that day) and a warm felt hat as well to help keep near winter's chill at bay.

As 2014 nears its end, I feel especially blessed to have been able to find one of my vintage holy grails, not in this case from a second hand seller, yard sale or thrift shop, but instead created with love and unending skill by a friend and gifted milliner on the other side of the world (Tanith lives in Australia). This fact, I promise you, makes my new hat all the more special, important and beautiful to me, for I not only played a roll in its creation, but personally know that talented hands that crafted it for me.

Should you be yearning for a custom made hat of your own now (and I know you are!), you can contact Tanith anytime to chat about how she can make your vintage (or otherwise) hat dreams come true.

Modeling my gorgeous new custom made Honey Pot Creations tilt hat on a windy day in Oliver

Outfit details

Vintage inspired custom made mustard yellow tilt hat: Honey Pot Creations

Golden blonde coloured hair net/thin snood: eBay

Faux diamond stud earrings: Probably either Claire’s or eBay (had for years)

1940s brown fur stole: Bought at the 7th annual Rutland Antiques & Collectibles Show

1940s red crepe dress with silver toned bow brooch: Amazing gift from my cousin Sylvia (who also gave me this stellar coral hued 1930s/40s dress)

Ruched c. 1940s mustard yellow gloves: (probably) eBay

Green cross body style handbag: eBay

Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay

Vintage inspired brown t-strap peep toe sandals: Gift from a dear online friend

Lip colour: MAC Russian Red
Photography by Tony Cangiano  

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Much had been with the case with Osoyoos until last spring, the wee little town of Oliver (located between Okanagan Falls and Osoyoos) has been one of those nearby spots that always proved immensely elusive when it came to taking outfit photos there. We'd head off merrily from Penticton towards the furthest reaches of the Southern Okanagan, say something along the lines "Ohhhh, we'll finally get some snaps in Oliver this time!" and low and behold, it wouldn't happen.


Either the weather would be too uncooperative, we'd decide to keep going to Osoyoos and not stop there, we'd need to rush back to Penticton too quickly, the spot where we wanted to shoot would be closed, or some other factor would pop up and we'd head home empty handed on the photo front (or at the very least, ultimately shoot in a different town that day).

Well, not this latest time! No siree, bub! On a day recently that was alive with skin pricklingly cold winter air, we pulled into the parking lot of the main community park in Oliver, unpacked the camera, shivered across a field of winter beaten grass poking out from aging snow to a concrete walkway and bridge, and finally shot some pictures in this wee town.

Taking the staring role on the fashion roster that day was this incredibly lovely bespoke hat that was very kindly made for me as a review gift by skilled UK milliner Alison Daily of Honey Pot Creations.

Alison and I discussed some of the elements of the hat, such as colour and general style before she began work on it, but beyond that, the end result was a surprise right up until the moment it arrived from across the Atlantic Ocean all the way to me here in Penticton. It did so, I should mention, in a very sturdy kraft hat box stamped with Honey Pot Creation's logo all over it and tied up with a lovely yellow satine ribbon, and it is here where I continue to house this splendidly pretty topper between wears.

Inspired directly by the charmingly fantastic tilt hats that were in vogue during the 1930s and 40s, and which now find great favour once again with vintage hat collectors and wearers the world over, this elegant little mustard yellow hat is a skilled work of art.

It features hand stitched ribbon embroidery that creates a gorgeous floral pattern, is immensely study (two wee loops of elastic on the the underside, which I slide bobby pins into to attach it to my hair), and very well constructed. It's also wonderfully lightweight, which makes a great hat for days when one is going to be up and fully dressed for long spells (I'd worn it the previous day as well, in that case for about fourteen hours straight and on the day of this shoot, for at least another ten, and in both cases it was as comfortable as having a cloud perched atop my head all day long).

Alison excels at the art of creating beautiful custom made, vintage reproduction, and vintage inspired hats (as well as vintage reproduction bras, handbags and other assorted lovely, and very fashionable, items that any vintage adoring gal would go weak in the knees for), a point which is evident the moment you visit either her etsy shop or her brand new website, Honey Pot Creations.

As she specializes in custom orders, you won't find a massive array of items listed on either at the moment, but in a way that's intriguing and appealing unto itself, because it highlights the fact that Alison has such a passion for creating one of a kind pieces for her customers around the world all the more (some of which can be seen in her site's photo gallery).

In addition to sharing photos of this gorgeous little tilt hat with you here today, I'm thrilled to let you know that Alison is currently offering all Chronically Vintage readers 20% off their orders from her etsy shop when you use the coupon code MADMARCHSALE between now and March 31, 2014.

A hat this eye-catching and special unto itself already goes a long way towards making an outfit. To help it shine all the more though, I went with a palette of bold, unintentionally traffic light inspired colours, forgoing patterns in favour of the texture that a marvelous 1940s brown fur stole I purchased at last autumn's annual Rutland Antiques & Collectibles Show delivered to my wardrobe for the very reasonable price of $30 (it was in mint condition when I bought it, despite its age, and still is after many wearing throughout this chilly winter).

It was windy that afternoon down in Oliver, let me tell you, but my Honey Pot Creations hat stayed firmly put and even offered a wee bit of much needed warmth as winter's freezing temperatures ate away at both the model (me) and photographer (Tony). The sun that was out (and causing me to squint, though I didn't really realize it at the time) that day was just for show. It was mighty cold, yet, I swear, wearing these warm, almost fiery colours did help in their own way to heat me up a smidge and made for the perfect companion to Alison's incredibly pretty handmade hat.

I really, really adore this chapeau (it's the first primarily mustard yellow hued one I've ever had) and have been wearing it often ever since arrived from the talented hands that made it in the UK, so I'm sure you'll see it again in future outfit posts to come. I feel blessed that the artist behind Honey Pot Creations made this work of millinery art for me, as well as that she's extending such a generous coupon code to all of Chronically Vintage's readers.

Thank you very much for both, Alison, I sincerely appreciate it and can scarcely begin to tell you how much I flat out love this stunning vintage inspired tilt hat.