How to Wear a Vintage Shawl, courtesy of Hermes

Feel very fortunate to be, temporarily, in a part of the world where I could consider wearing a shawl to dinner rather than a parka. Too bad I forgot to pack one. If I had, I would take advantage of this page from an old Hermes giveaway catalogue on how to tie one of their meter-square scarves. Last time I asked, the catalogue was out of print, which is too bad, because the instructions obviously apply to any great vintage shawl--of silk, wool challis, chiffon, or some other fine fabric.


The instructions here couldn't be simpler: fold the scarf/shawl in half, knot the two upper corners together, put arms through and wear as a capelet. Perfect for keeping shoulders and back out of the chill, while leaving arms and decolletage glamourously uncovered. Thank you Hermes, and please reprint that catalogue; I'd pay for it.

Netscape

I mentioned the great allure of veils a few entries back, and am returning to the subject, mainly as an excuse to run this photo by Willy Maywald, illustrating a Jacques Fath hat from 1951. Exquisite, no? It’s also the perfect illustration of how a net veil should sit on the face, with the lovely angles at work in the net given full play against the curves of the face.

Let’s backtrack a second, and talk about how a net veil should not sit on the face. This was made clear by a certain British A-lister who recently opted to wear a veiled hat to a photocall, and frankly, it let her down. (I won’t say who it was, because this isn’t that sort of blog, but if I did you wouldn’t be at all surprised).

Anyway, her veil was bunched and matted and generally misbehaving. It looked vintage, in the worst sense, meaning old and crumpled. To look incredible, a veil needs to be arranged so that it sits in full but not overstretched extension, with no holes, snags, or ratty bits ruining the gorgeously graphic shadow it will cast. In other words, exactly like this.

Hot Plaits

This image has been driving me mad for weeks now. Not on account of the dress, which is gorgeous, in a Nikki Beach glamazon kind of way. Or the pose, which is sheer poetry, kudos to the model and photographer.

It’s the the braid filler thingies. Those hair ornaments with all the claws (click on image to see closer). I’m fairly sure that they are traditional Indian hair jewelry, and I’m certain I’ve seen their like in high fashion before, in some 60s Vogue shot of Marisa Berenson or Veruschka or some other Diana Vreeland go-to girl. But after Googling my fingers to the bone I can’t come up with an exact name or image match. Roberto Cavalli, who is the king of if-ya-got-it-flaunt-it school of design, is accessorizing in a most mysterioso kind of way. If any reader has any idea what they are and where they're from, I'd be so obliged if you'd let me know.

Working the Angles

Single-shoulder dresses and tops are a significant style trend for the summer to come. This is an eyecatching, dramatic look—-but if you’re not convinced about this kind of exposure for day, here’s an idea.

Take the inherent dynamism of a diagonal slash and shift it down, via a tunic with a strongly slanting hem. It will instantly convert a workaday top into something rather more interesting. How to do it? Either knot at one hip, or go the extra mile and cut a past-it long top (or mini) to shape, hemming the raw edge down underneath. Knotting is easier, cutting and sewing will look less beachy.

Pictured here is a girl-on-the-street showing just how fantastic a look this can be. Check out the lovely proportions of top/capris/flats, the structural tote in a punchy color, the cool sunnies, and the slash of red at her lips. It’s such a simple look, but how chic, all the more so because it looks effortless.

Clan Obama

I swore that I wouldn't get caught up in the Michelle Obama fashion hagiography that's currently inflaming the British dress press, but she's gone and done something provocative . . . a red cape aflutter . . . in this case the fabric is emblazoned with an Argyle pattern.

In her much-hailed talk at a London school, Obama wore a sweater bearing the familiar pattern of diamonds criss-crossed with diagonal lines. Americans associate this with classic East Coast prepdom but, like most things WASP, the pattern dates to the Olde Worlde, not strictly Anglo-Saxon but Celtic.

The origins of the Argyle pattern, according to the excellent summary on Squidoo, saw the burly-calfed members of the Campbell clan of the Argyle region of northern Scotland cutting apart their tartan and using it as foot coverings. (If you've ever been anywhere near Scotland in any month of the year except middays in July you'll understand this impulse exactly.) Eventually, socks came to be knit in a similar pattern. As the centuries passed, golfers fresh from tramping through the Scottish rough disseminated the Argyle diamonds on on a wider scale; the president of Brooks Brothers adopted it as a fitting motif for the tribals of Wall Street, and currently, England's newly revivified Pringle is doing its damndest to make Argyle look cool.

On Michelle, it seems less cool than a nod to the poor girls across the land who must wear patterns like this (or even blander) on a day-in-day-out basis as part of the mandatory public school uniform. Kind of an "ich bin eine British Schoolgirl" move. Yes, the speech was great. But she's communicating brilliantly with her clothing as well . . .

On the Cuff

Women who are in responsible positions and/or conservative professions have limited options when it comes to jewelry. A statement necklace may work -- or not -- depending on the culture; pearls are a safe option but can be boring; brooches and pins risk looking too retro.

But there's one item of jewelry that's almost always safe to wear, in as wild a style as your suit-smothered heart desires. What prevents them from drawing notice is that they're small, and live in the hinterlands down the arm. Cuff links!

No, they're not just for boys, although the blokes down the trading desk know well the stealthy, anarchic (as it goes) potential of these little gems.

But for you, they don't have to be at all masculine. Silk knots, gorgeous enamel, diamond-sparkly, and yes, even Monopoly Scotties are a possibility. It's possible to find nice nice nice cuff links in any charity shop/thrift store in the land.

It's harder to find the dress shirts to go with them. English shirtmakers like Pink routinely issue link-friendly styles, but probably the best option is eBay. In America, keyword "french cuff", in the UK, "double cuff". Happy hunting!

La Bolsa Loca

Gwyneth, Gwyneth, Gwyneth. Yes it must be exhausting schlepping the organic pesto, the straightening serum and self-tanner, the yoga mat--the bag is so capacious little Apple would also fit, with room to spare. A huge bag just begs for a huge payload. No wonder you need a nice lie-down.

A modest suggestion. Why not trade in the massive hold-all for a lovely ladylike bag like this one, currently up on eBay? So much prettier on the arm, and no risk of developing biceps like a certain good friend . . .