Fabric Flowers

Here's the first batch of fabric flowers for this year's straw hats.

Made with vintage stamens in the centers, and hand-shaped silk taffeta petals.

Coming soon on straw top hats!

Customer Question: How to Foil Hat Head

I'm currently working on a full size top hat (a story for a future post!) for customer Rick in Canada for his upcoming wedding. He sent in a question about how to wear his new hat that is of general interest to gentlemen: how to reduce the incidence of 'hat head'.

'Hat head' is what happens your hair gets messed up into a weird shape under your hat, and holds that shape when you remove the hat. It might take one of many forms, including flattened hair, a line pressed into the hair where the sweatband has gripped it, or a cone of hair that's formed by the hat pushing the hair upward.

Luckily, ladies don't have to deal as much with hat head, as discussed in this previous post.

But for the guys, it can be a concern, especially at events like weddings where you'd like to look your best, but where etiquette requires that you remove your hat and put it back on throughout the day. Everyday hat wearer John Martinko offers some ideas for minimizing this hair-mussing phenomena. Here's a photo of John wearing one of his many House of Nines Design hats at Tiki Oasis 2012.

• Avoid greasy hair products like pomade, hair mud, or styling cream. It will flatten the hair down when a hat is put over it, and leave shiny spots where the hat has touched it, making the hair look even flatter. 

• Never put a hat on a wet head. Clean hair is less likely to develop hat head, but make sure your hair is dry before putting your hat on, or it will dry under the hat extra flattened.

• Short hair with some stiffening product in it is the most foolproof.  If you keep your hair short, there's less of it to flatten. Stiffening products like little bit of gel or hairspray can make hair more resilient and less likely to smash down under a hat, and more likely to spring back to shape when you take the hat off. If you wear hats often and have longer hair, consider switching to a thickening shampoo and conditioner that will give your hair some extra body.

• Don't move the hat around on your head while you're wearing it. This will disarrange the hair and give you something similar to bed hair. When you take the hat off or put it back on, do it in a simple motion that doesn't spin, scrunch your hair up or smoosh it around as you do it.

• Remove the hat occasionally to give your hair some air. If you feel like your head is getting sweaty, remove the hat to let your head cool down before replacing it. Run your hand through your hair to fluff it up, and/or think about carrying a pocket comb for quick touch-ups before photo time. John says that he usually follows the basic rules of guy hat etiquette that say that you should remove your hat when seated to eat, and when you're inside, like when sitting at your desk at work, and this offers plenty of hat-breaks to keep his hair aerated.

• Adjust the hat size. Consider wearing a hat that is slightly small. John prefers his hats to be sized about 1/4" smaller than his actual size, putting the hat in contact with less of his hair. But you have to wear a small hat a little bit high on the head (preferably at a jaunty angle for style)- if you're wearing a small hat pulled down tight onto your head, that will mash your hair even more than normal. On the other hand, a too-loose hat will shift around on your head when worn, mangling your hair underneath. Mass market hats that are too tight or too loose are common problem. Unlike off-the-rack hats that come in a limited range of sizes, a custom hat from House of Nines can be made to the precise measurements that are right for you.

• Get the correct hat shape for you. Everyone's head is uniquely shaped. Although most people have a head shape that's close enough to the standard oval hats are usually made to, many people have heads that are hard to fit- peanut-like shapes, lightbulb-like shapes, rounder than average heads, or long and narrow heads, etc. etc. etc. Here at House of Nines, we've seen them all. There's nothing wrong with this natural variation, of course, but it may make fitting into a hat a bit more challenging. This is especially true for men's hats, which are usually stiffer than ladies' so correct fit is even more of an issue. Just like with shoes, the size may be correct but if the shape is wrong, a hat may be uncomfortable. This may cause you to move the hat around as you wear it, trying to find a comfortable position, and it may cause there to be areas where the hat presses more tightly on your head than others, flattening your hair in those spots. Custom hats can be made not just to your head size, but also to your exact head shape. See this article about our custom shaping service.

• Wear a hat appropriate for the weather. A warm felt hat may make your head sweat on a warm day, matting your hair down under it. Try a straw hat with a leather sweatband on warm days, or a straw hat with a fabric ribbon sweatband for the hottest climates.

Have any other tips for avoiding hat hair? Let us know.

Thanks also to Gail Colombo and Aaron Noble for contributing some tips for this post.

More Photos: Ladies Vintage Inspired Styles

As you've probably noticed by now, most of our styles are at least somewhat vintage-inspired. But the following hat styles were made with authentic vintage blocks from the 1930s through the 1950s. The shapes of these styles are often more complex and interesting than more modern hat styles, so we're happy to share new photos with you from a variety of angles so you can get a better idea of what they look like.

Our late 1930s / early 1940s-inspired 'Inga' is on-trend with the current fashion for big-brimmed, floppy hats, yet has a bit more structure and cleaner lines than your average hippie hat. This soft ladies hat is made from lush fur felt, self-trimmed with top-stitched felt band, mother of pearl buckle, and a hand-curled feather. The brim is wide (about 13" in diameter), with a jaunty flip up at the back, providing lots of sun protection in front. The shape is like something a film noir femme fatale would wear, down over the eyes for a mysterious look, but casual enough for daywear. Comes fitted with a ribbon sweatband.

Available in silver gray.

Or in deep amethyst.

The 'Inga' also looks fabulous in black!

The 'Pixel' is a cute 1950s-inspired style, similar to the Pixie hats that were popular at the time. This hat is made from fur felt and vintage veiling, with a hand-shaped crown and a rolled cuff brim. The veiling is held in place with small silver vintage hat pins; hat pins may vary slightly from hat to hat. Due to the hand-shaping of the crown, each hat will look slightly different and be a one-of-a-kind item. Comes fitted with a ribbon sweatband.

Available in a sunny golden yellow, trimmed with berry colored veiling.

Or in deep lipstick red with peacock teal veiling.

All of these styles and more are for sale now in our Etsy shop.

Other color combinations are available. Interested in discussing a custom piece? Contact us for more info.

Last Sale Ends 3/31/2013

If you've had your eye on any of the discounted hats in our Etsy shop or in store at Dark Garden, better snatch them quick. The sale only runs through the end of March, and then everything either gets pulled from the shelves or goes back to full price. We won't be marking down products like this again, so it's your last chance for that discount!

More Photos: 'Dee' Ladies Fedora

Here are more new views of hats from our ladies line.

The 'Dee' fedora is made from lush fur felt and trimmed with vintage ribbon. The shape is a classic fedora, with enough brim width to provide sun protection in front and a jaunty flip up at the back. Comes fitted with a ribbon sweatband.

Shown here in classic black with black ribbon trim.

 In sunny golden yellow trimmed in apple green.

 And in burgundy with scarlet red trim.

All these and more styles available now in our Etsy shop.

This hat could also be made for ladies in other colors, or for men with a leather sweatband, from different materials and trim. Interested? Contact us to inquire about a custom order.

New Photos: 'Bergman' Ladies Hat

Over the next week or so we'll be releasing a number of new photos of some existing styles. First up is the 'Bergman'.

This ladies hat is made from velvety velour-finish fur felt in black, trimmed in vintage ribbon and an intricate cockade. It's like a small, feminine porkpie or fedora, and was made with authentic vintage hat blocks from the 1930s or 1940s; this style was popular with Hollywood starlets around that time. The shape is very like a hat worn by Ingrid Bergman in the classic movie 'Casablanca'.

It's an easy style to wear because the felt is soft and comfortable, but the hat is slightly mini and perches on the head a little bit, so you can still have a hairstyle that shows. It's held in place on the head by two thin elastics that hide under your hair in the back to secure it.

Shown here in basic black with black trim.

This next one is in burgundy felt with teal gray ribbon trim.

A popular color combination this spring has been this bright teal felt with apply green trim.

 And the last one is in a warm brandy brown with steel gray trim.

All of these color combinations are available for sale now in our Etsy shop.

Jill Tracy: Belle of The Edwardian Ball

"I revel in this nightmare but I keep waking up too soon..." Haunted By the Thought of You

One of our favorite customers is musical evocateur and Belle of The Edwardian Ball, Jill Tracy.  Dubbed "the cult darling of the Underworld" by LA Weekly and "the femme fatale for the thinking man" by The San Francisco Chronicle, Jill's music evokes another time and place. A place that could be inside a beautiful dream or, more likely, a glamorous nightmare.  

Jill Tracy wears 'Viola' mini top hat in tiger-print melousine at  DNA Lounge (photo courtesy of Audrey Penven)

Jill's musical gifts are matched only by her fantastic sense of style and we are delighted she often wears a House of Nines original on stage when she performs.  We are very excited to announce that she will soon start carrying some House of Nines exclusive styles at her online retail shop!

 Photo by filmmaker Jeremy Carr from "Portrait of a Nightmare"

Jill has been performing at The Edwardian Ball since its inception 13 years ago and her name has become synonymous with this ever-growing event for lovers of Edward Gorey, ballroom dancers, the Steam Punk set, and Edwardian-bedecked revelers.  Jill's haunting songs and stories set the mood for this annual music and art festival.

Jill Tracy wearing a custom 'Wellington' mini top hat at The Edwardian Ball (photo by Samuel Coniglio)

Jill is the first musician in history to receive a grant from the famed Mütter Museum in Philadelphia. The medical history museum contains a collection of medical oddities and antique medical equipment and Jill's new project for 2013 will be based on their collection. 

Jill Tracy performs a Musical Seance with violinist Paul Mercer at The Conservatory of Flowers (photo courtesy of Audrey Penven)

 Recently, Jill has continued with her series of concerts at The Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. Working with San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, Jill Tracy has created an unusual after-dark series focusing on a variety of alluring subjects (poisoning, alchemy, ghosts and violins, perfumes) while allowing audiences to tour the wondrous Victorian Greenhouse at night. 

Jill Tracy photo by Michael Garlington

Jill Tracy is also returning to the studio with the legendary David J (Bauhaus), and her song "The Colour of the Flame" will be released as a 7" collector's vinyl shared with Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten/ Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) for Swedish publishers Malört Förlag.

Jill Tracy performs in a custom 'Postillion' mini hat at The Edwardian Ball. (Photo courtesy of Audrey Penven)

For more information visit her official website at www.jilltracy.com.  Please follow Jill on Facebook and Twitter.