When real things happen to imaginary people

The planchette brooch and black veils on the hat should be a clue. And apparently they were, because miracle of miracles, no one asked if I was a caroler*! I did get asked if I was dressed up for a party, but that's a standard comment I get**.

The hat is the silk topper I got in November, with the vintage floof I added. It's so lightweight! I didn't realize top hats could be so light!


*I think holiday carolers are very fun, and I like them. But the many years of strangers assuming top hat = Dickensian caroler has made me eye-rolly about it.

**Another miracle: no one mentioned steampunk, either. Again, I'm fond of steampunk, but dammit, the goths want their top hats back!

The package from Seattle Goodwill arrived today.

The hat inside is an antique top hat. However, looking at their closed auctions, I think they sent me THIS hat, which is not the one I won.

HOWEVER, the hat that arrived today has the same maker's mark listed in the auction for the hat I won, the Knox New York top hat. So I think someone at Goodwill screwed up with photos and labels, and I don't know how they're going to resolve that.

The hat that arrived today? Gorgeous. Fits perfectly. I WANT TO KEEP IT, and add veils and floof to it.

Last night, after getting all dressed up to go to the Henrietta's Eye show at Belfry (if you're in Seattle, go see it!), I finally had to admit the truth: my standard top hat? The heavy wool "caroler/Mad Hatter" style top hat that I wear all the time? It's too heavy for me nowadays, and wearing it causes my neck and shoulders to hurt to the point of headache triggers.

DAMMIT.

Am I giving up top hats? Fuck no. I am, however, stalking a couple antique silk top hats on eBay, because I know from experience that they're much lighter in weight than the wool ones.

So the current plan is get new-to-me silk top hat, spend an evening decorating it, and continue telling the steampunks to get their grimy mitts and goggles off of my hat. ::grin::

(Dear steampunky people, you know I love you. But the proliferation of top hats with goggles GLUED to them makes me twitch just a bit.)

I have been saying for ages that I need a summer version of my usual top hat. After noodling around teh interwebs, I found a place that sold straw versions of my preferred hat shape!

Before:



After an evening of watching a silly movie (2009's Dorian Gray, which is very pretty) while doing a lot of sewing:



All I have left to do is add a hat band and feathers. Yes, my crafting/D.I.Y. urge when it comes to my wardrobe kind of borders on mania, how clever of you to have noticed.

Okay peeps, I am looking for an ivory or cream top hat. NOT white.

A quick browse here: http://www.uniformalwearhouse.com/apages/tuxedoahats.html shows me that the styles I prefer are not available in the color I want (Yes, I'm looking for maybe the Prince Charles Top Hat, the Stubby Carriage Top Hat, or the Victorian Caroler Tall Hats. I am predictable in my tastes.)

Anyway, a top hat that is of an interesting shape, and in ivory. Used or vintage is fine, but I don't want to pay insane prices for it, and (here's the big catch) I need it in under two weeks. Anyone have any leads?

Remember about, oh, three years ago (has it been that long?!), when I was full of geebling and coveting about the military-styled, very Adam Ant jacket that Roberto Cavalli had designed for H+M? Yeah, I still love it.



The top hat I'm wearing today is an antique mink top hat that the Stroppy One gave me as a present years and years ago. (I added all of the decoration to it.)

(And good lord, what sort of facial expression is *that* in the photo? Ah the perils of cameraphone photography.)

Dear Powers That Be, if you could somehow manage to make either this black-on-black stripy top hat or this black and dark red stripy top hat (clicky-links!) belong to me, that would be WONDERFUL. Please note that they are full-sized top hats, and therefore the Stroppy One has no reason to sigh, roll his eyes, and say "More mini top hats, Jilli? Really?" I covet both of those hats desperately. And you must admit, a stripy top hat is FAR more practical for me than a tiny tricorn with a pirate ship on it.

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Boots! I didn't have my favorite black lace-up granny boots for a while, as they were having the soles and heels rebuilt by my mad cobbler. So I needed functional, yet cute boots. A while ago, ashbet linked to the Stark style boots by Jump; they were slightly taller than ankle boots, zipped up the sides, had cute button details, and had a rubber wedge heel. I liked them, but not enough to pay over $100 for them on Zappos. Then I went and looked on Amazon (clicky-link!), and discovered that certain colors/sizes of that style were on sale for under $40! Well then. So I got them, and marveled at the comfortable-ness of them. Plus, super-cute!

I decided to look at what other styles the Jump brand offered, and discovered the Bjork boots (clicky-link). Flat, with a rubber traction sole, bigger button details on the side, and oooh, the same sort of discount for certain colors/sizes! Yes, you guessed it, I got them too. Both styles work very well with my Victorian Gothic/Steampunk/Pirate-y wardrobe, and good lord, comfy! Soooo comfy!

There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the discounting of the various Jump brand boots. Some sizes and colors are full-price. Sometimes none of them are discounted, and then a few days later they are. But if you're looking for new boots (and are willing to purchase them online), I recommend checking Amazon every week or so to see what the current prices are.

I now no longer need to purchase any more boots. No, I do not. And I'm contemplating selling off some boots that aren't quite what I wanted. Because I need to finance taking the purple pair of Bjork boots to the mad cobbler to have them dyed a more wine shade, and having the white granny boots that I found dyed cupcake pink. (Oh yes. I am going to have pink boots.)

But I DO need more top hats. Yes. There is no question of that.