March 7th Today, I am...

...this exquisite headpiece!

I am a Philip Treacy hat, made for Alexander McQueen's (a British fashion designer who commited suicide in 2010) 2008 Autumn/Winter Ready to Wear collection. Philip Treacy is an Irish designer, mainly for hats and shoes. He has designed hats for Alexander McQueen, including his white collection for Givenchy Haute Couture, for Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, and for Valentino, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan. He was awarded the title of British Accessory Designer of the Year at the on five occasions during the early 1990s. He was also awarded an honorary OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to the British fashion industry by Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Treacy designed the headdress worn by the Duchess of Cornwall for the couple's wedding and 36 of the hats worn at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, including the infamous headpiece sported by Princess Beatrice (second picture below). He has also made his mark in the movie and music world designing hats for films including the Harry Potter series as well Sarah Jessica Parker's whimsical headpiece for the film première of Sex and the City. His statement making pieces are the headwear of choice for the likes of Lady Gaga, Madonna, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Elizabeth Hurley.

other Philip Treacy hats:

interesting hats facts:

* London black taxies are made tall so that a gentleman can ride in them without taking off a top hat
* in the middle of 19th century baseball umpires wore top hats during the game
* white tall chef hats traditionally have 100 pleats to represent hundreds of ways an egg can be prepared
* Elizabeth I had a law according to which every person older than 7 years had to wear a cap on Sundays and holydays
* it is said that when John Hetherington wore one of the first top hats in 1797 in the streets, he was arrested for scaring the people
* process of making felt involved use of mercury which is toxic and prolonged exposure use can cause damage in nervous system, tremors and dementia; from that originates phrase “Mad as a hatter”
* in 1920s there was an odd custom in America that it was common that if people wore straw hats after the 15 September they were beaten up
* there is still a law in Kentucky that forbids a ma to buy a ten gallon hat if his wife is not present to assist in choosing a model

(all facts found at History of Hats)

March 1st Today, I am...

...this beautifully delicate doll!

My name is Cinderella (seems like I get a lot of Cinderellas lately!), one of many from the Enchanted Dolls collection, created by Marina Bychkova. "Marina Bychkova is a Russian-Canadian figurative artist and a founder of Enchanted Doll - luxury toy label of exquisite, porcelain dolls./.../ Enchanted Dolls are elegantly sculpted and articulated works of art. Strikingly nude, engraved or adorned in opulent sculptural costumes of precious metals, gemstones, and rare found objects, each doll intricately conveys an aspect of our humanity. Unique and delicate, their forms evoke a strong emotional response, haunting us with their vulnerability. All at once innocent and sexual, Enchanted Dolls depict highly stylized images of femininity, while at the same time reflecting on life’s playful naiveté." You can find all the other beautiful creatures at this site: Marina Bychkova! Btw, they cost several thousand dollars!

other Enchanted Dolls:

 interesting dolls facts:

* first toy advertised on the television was Mr. Potato Head (with an actual potato for his head!)
* one Barbie is sold somewhere in the world every three seconds; her full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts
* reborn dolls are so realistic they have been mistaken for real children; there are known cases that the police smashed a window of the vehicle because they thought that an unconscious baby was in the vehicle when instead was a reborn doll
* modern European dolls were at first made to represent adults. Childlike dolls did not appear until 1850
* there are workshops, called “doll hospitals” specialized for repair and restoration of dolls; oldest is in Lisbon, Portugal (founded in 1830)
* European dolls had brown eyes until the Victorian era when Queen Victoria inspired blue eyes
* Mattel, manufacturer of Barbie, sued MCA Records, for whom band “Aqua” recorded song "Barbie Girl" because they allegedly violated the Barbie trademark. Mattel lost
* in 1963, Barbie came with an accessory book titled “How to Lose Weight” on the back of which was printed “Don’t eat”; in 1965, same book came together with accessory scales which were permanently set to 110lbs (55kg)

(facts found at: History of Dolls)

February 27th Today, I am...

...this incredibly gorgeous corset!

My name is "The Crown Princess", a "richly embroided couture outfit, consisting of an underbust corset panty, a matching neck corset and strapless bra." You can find and purchase me at Royalblack. "The corset pieces are made from sheer strong mesh and are elaborately decorated with synthetic leather cutwork, silver beads and Swarovski crystals." All the corsets are handmade in Vienna by a designer and master tailoress, Barbara Pesendorfer. What makes them so special, are the "perfect fit, exquisite fabrics and workmanship at highest stage meet sensual classiness, aesthetic extravagance and timeless silhouettes." You can find all sorts of different collections, such as Glorious Empire, Royal Black Reloaded collection, Enchanted Garden, Festival collection and Various Couture Designs.

other Royal Black corsets:

interesting corset facts:

* corsets were once a symbol of status; he higher the class of the lady, the heavier the corset and the more confining (this was because a lady of wealth did not need freedom of movement for household chores)
* even girls as young as three wore laced-up corsets in the 1830; it was believed that the corset would hold up a fragile body
* the Guinness Book of Records includes a “smallest waist on a living person” category of 14 and 15 inches
* medical conditions including spinal curving and internal injuries can be helped using a fitted form of corset to immobilise and protect the body; one famous medical corset wearer was Andy Warhol
* women were thought of as the weaker sex, therefore their minds and bodies were weak, so the corset was deemed morally and medically necessary

(facts found at the Corset Memoirs and Victoria's Past)