the dress went perfectly with my gretchen fenston tricorn sailor hat and kate spade sailboat clutch!

DRESS & PETTICOAT: ModCloth | HAT: Gretchen Fenston | SHOES: Converse Outlet | CLUTCH: Kate Spade | GLOVES: Vintage | NECKLACE: Lord & Taylor | PHOTO CREDIT: Josefa Steinhauer via Instagram

I’ve been lucky enough to join up with oft-parade-prize-winning Brooklyn Bombshell Revue lead by choreographer extraordinaire Heather Flock.  Last year, I was so nervous, because I didn’t have a partner to swing dance with in the parade.  I was going to be paired up with some random person!  I would soon discover the Bombshells are all amazing people and I love my dance partner!  Josie is a perfectly petite fly geneticist.  That’s right, I swing dance with a scientist!  Look how adorable she looked at the parade this year!

josie on the front end loader!

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

did i mention my modcloth va va valuminous petticoat was super fun to swoosh around in?

DRESS & PETTICOAT: ModCloth | HAT: Gretchen Fenston | CLUTCH: Kate Spade | GLOVES: Vintage | NECKLACE: Lord & Taylor | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

did i mention that jose is a fly geneticist? get a load of the brains on this
cutie petutie…

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

swing pal voon is skipping down the boardwalk in a gorgeous vintage swimsuit

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

brendan & elyce were our mermaid king & queen!

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

after a job well done, josie and i sure were tired. it was an exhausting, beautiful day. we had a blast!

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

my friend tatyana gershkovich always looks stunning & so authentic at the lawn party!

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

For the first day of the two day weekend event, gal pal Tatyana was good enough to lend me this incredible late 30s/early 40s vintage novelty print dress.  I love it so much I’m having it made for me in more prints!

posing for dave on the outskirts of the event on governor’s island

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | DRESS, HANDBAG & GLOVES: Vintage | SHOES: Poetic License | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

greeting partygoers at gretchen fenston’s millinery booth

HATS: Gretchen Fenston | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

sitting pretty

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

my accessories are ready for their close-up

HANDBAG & GLOVES: Vintage from Pin Up Queens | SHOES: Poetic License | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

For day two, I wore my beloved gramophone print dress from Charlotte Taylor.  It was such a big hit even Elle Magazine took notice!

wistful in wonderland

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | DRESS: Charlotte Taylor | GLOVES, HANDBAG & NECKLACE: Vintage | SHOES: Pink Studio | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

sharing the spotlight by the st. germain truck

PHOTO CREDIT: Mikaila Brown

the fenston models: sarah, gretchen & patricia

HATS: Gretchen Fenston | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

wait! that’s not dave! it’s gramophone aficionado & retro hair stylist to the stars michael haar

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

Gretchen’s booth made a big splash at the event again!  These are just a few of our clients sporting their new Fenstons…

burlesque darling grace gotham loves her gretchen fenston!

HEADPIECE: Gretchen Fenston | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

rebecca kleinberg took home my personal favorite piece of the day! i’m a sucker for cherries…

 HAT: Gretchen Fenston | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

With every exhausted step back to the ferry at the end of the day, Dave and I said our taciturn goodbyes to the summer.  It was a magical whirlwind and all that jazz.

POLAROID CREDITS: David DeNee

While we didn’t have as much play time as usual to pose for the cameras, we not only got some flattering media attention, but we got a few photos in for the blog.  Check it out!

our stylish friends voon and evan picnicking at the lawn party

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

i felt pretty in pink in my first ensemble of the 2-day event

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | DRESS: Vintage from Pin Up Queens | SHOES: Seychelles | GLOVES, HANDBAG, PEARLS: Vintage | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

some of our first happy, dapper customers! isn’t her gretchen fenston headpiece to die for!?

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

i went fruity on day two!

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | DRESS: Vintage from Pin Up Queens | SHOES: Remix | GLOVES & HANDBAG: Vintage | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

gretchen looks striking in this black and white striped frock she fashioned herself!

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

let’s hear it for my dashing dave!

HAT: Goorin Brothers | PHOTO CREDIT: Voon Wai

the whole ensemble

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | DRESS: Vintage | SHOES: Miz Mooz via Zappos | HANDBAG: Borrowed | BROOCH: Vintage via Etsy | GLOVES: Vintage via Etsy | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee via Instagram

gretchen looks ravishing in a vintage ivory suit and hat of her own design

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

rear view of pleat & button detail

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

patricia (left), tatyana (right) and i (center) model fenston millinery

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

rear view of gretchen & her glamourous gals

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

checkmate: tatyana (left), gretchen (right), and roddy (Gretchen’s husband, center) come across a darling young dandy

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

i heart tatyana’s stockings & entire ensemble

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

friend amy winn said a big hello when we bumped into each other on fifth ave!

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

Modeling Gretchen’s hats in the New York City Easter Parade every year has been one of the greatest honors of my life, so much so that Easter is now by far my favorite holiday! Tourists and press photographers come from far and wide to capture the spectacle of stylish, inventive people promenading up and down Fifth Avenue in extraordinary headwear.

As I parade with Gretchen and her friends, people from all over the globe gather around me and tell me how beautiful I am. They ask to take their picture with me. The look in their eyes is all admiration and wonder, but the very next day I would be unlikely to turn their heads at all. That’s the power of a Gretchen Fenston hat.

It’s a real ego boost! As Easter Sunday comes to a close, the high begins to wear off, but one driving question remains…

Whatever will I wear next year!?

POLAROID CREDITS: David DeNee

{ what i wore }

Thanks to Gretchen Fenston, Kate Spade, ModCloth, and the vintage gods, I looked presentable at the Independent Fashion Bloggers Conference last week.  I’m tickled that some of my fellow bloggers shared my style with their followers!

day 1: i ain’t nothing but a houndstooth on my way to the conference

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | COAT: Vintage from jinglekell on eBay | BAG: Kate Spade | TIGHTS: Free People | SHOES: Mojo Moxy | EYEWEAR: SEE | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

day 1: mustard was the color of the day complete with gretchen fenston bonnet

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | DRESS: Kate Spade | BAG: Kate Spade | TIGHTS: Free People | SHOES: Mojo Moxy | CARDIGAN: Knit via Daffy’s | EYEWEAR: SEE | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

day 2: my first modcloth year of dresses pick was a winner on day two of the pro blogger event

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | DRESS: Stop Staring via ModCloth | SHOES: Pink Studio | EYEWEAR: Moscot Vildas | NECKLACE: Vintage, a gift from Courtney Loren Brown | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

day 2: dave’s vintage minolta autocord charmed many a fashionista & photog in attendance

HAT: Gretchen Fenston | DRESS: Stop Staring via ModCloth | BAG: Kate Spade | EYEWEAR: Moscot Vildas | NECKLACE: Vintage, a gift from Courtney Loren Brown | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

{ what I saw }

Check out some of my fellow attendees sporting styles after my own heart:

lilah ramzi of part nouveau in vintage

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

jasmin rodriguez of vintage vandalism in a trashy diva dress i really want!

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

egyptian-american beauty winnie détwa in asos & forever 21

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

emily kammeyer sporting a hat of her own design

 PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

{ who I met }

In the days leading up to the conference, I couldn’t help but worry I was about to enter the fashion lion’s den.  What I found was a room full of kindred spirits, like Victoria of Haute on the Spot with her zeal for designer bargains, Hester Feming with her love of old treasures, and Alexandra Frumberg with her talent for striking portraiture.  From sociology PhD candidate Jennifer Whitmer’s fascination with the social meaning behind what we wear to MAGNIFECO founder Kate Black’s commitment to lessening the impact of it and from Urban Fieldnotes photo-blogger Brent Luvaas’ appreciation of street style to Lipstick and Highwaters maven Tiffany Nakamura’s knack for embodying it, I was surrounded by engaging, curious, like-minded people, many of whom have become fast friends.

tiffany nakamura and i prove that opposites attract at ifbcon 2013

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

{ what I learned }

Inspiration was the real star of IFBcon.  While all the technical business advice was tremendously valuable, I quickly learned that the only way to really grow as a blogger (and perhaps, as a person) is to make creative, original content the number one priority.

“revel in the freedom of just getting started.”

 -Jake Gallagher of Wax Wane 

from the very first panel on the first year of blogging, the entire IFB conference seemed to be designed with my personal success in mind.

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

“step out of your comfort zone & don’t be afraid to fail.” 

-Geri Hirsch of LEAFtv

lulu frost designer lisa salzer spoke to the importance of surrounding yourself with positive energy and never letting doubt prevent you from doing what you’re meant to.

 PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

“if it doesn’t make you crazy like teenage love, you probably shouldn’t be blogging about it”

- Tina Craig of Bag Snob

And the conversations continued fluidly on other platforms.  For example, Tina Craig of Bag Snob took to twitter after her moment on the IFB stage to encourage us to aspire to be ourselves rather than our idols.

“you can be the poorest person on the planet, but fashion still matters, because it’s your identity.” 

-Neil Blumenthal of WarbyParker

While every speaker had a big impact, Warby Parker founder Neil Blumenthal was my particular favorite.  He reminded us that vulnerability is more engaging than strength, encouraging us to keep our work personal. Warby Parker certainly does! Their quirky, fun, retro chic brand’s recipe for success was inspired by the style of their grandparents’ generation mixed with the work ethic of their parents’ generation. It makes for some really imaginative productivity, like their delightful New York Public Library stunt in 2011. While they know it’s not the number one reason most people buy their specs, Warby’s “do good” work around the globe is a real turn on for me as a consumer. In fact, I was so enthused after IFB; I went home and bought three more pairs of whimsical Warby Parker glasses to keep my current pair company. (Gotta love flex spending!) Stay tuned for future four-eyed pictures and my earnest attempt at creative, original content made just for you.

Seven years ago, I landed a burgeoning young style maven’s dream job at the Condé Nast Archive. Every day I would go to work amongst remarkable vintage photographs and illustrations from Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and more. Beyond Steichen, Horst, Rawlings, Matter, and Yanes, my colleagues were the greatest treasures of all. From the worldly and wise film producer, Pam, to the southern belle socialite any girl would aspire to be, Martha Ann, to the ambitious young digital archivist moonlighting as a letter press artist, Dawn, the Archive was an incredible patchwork quilt ensemble of creative women.

Then, of course, there was Gretchen.

Gretchen Fenston is the Registrar (like a curator) of the Condé Nast Archive. In addition to her unparalleled knowledge of fashion history, which she puts into practice dressing herself daily, Gretchen is also a brilliant milliner. Her expert vintage styling paired with her extraordinary hat designs turn heads wherever she goes. In fact, Gretchen and her hats have been featured in the press many times, often by famed New York Times fashion photographer Bill Cunningham, as well as these favorites of mine from The Sartorialist.

You get it. She’s amazing.

Last weekend, Dave and I visited Gretchen and her husband, Roddy, in their Brooklyn home for an impromptu tea party and a bit of good old-fashioned dress-up fun!

delivering cookies to the brooklyn party from parisi bakery in astoria

DRESS: Diane von Furstenberg via Second Time Around | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

gretchen had the coffee table set ever so sweetly and even made a cherry pie!

PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

it wasn’t long before we ran upstairs to play in gretchen’s dressing room

HATS: Gretchen Fenston | MY GLASSES: SEE Eyewear | GRETCHEN’S SWEATER: 70s vintage, no label | GRETCHEN’S ROSETTE BROOCH: Forever 21 | GRETCHEN’S BRACELET: Vintage | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

loving one of the hundreds of hats in gretchen’s collection

HATS: Gretchen Fenston | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

a glimpse at gretchen’s bounty

HATS: Gretchen Fenston | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

this bonnet did not help my wedding fever!

HATS: Gretchen Fenston | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

glowing after such a wonderful afternoon of millinery marvels

HATS: Gretchen Fenston | PHOTO CREDIT: David DeNee

This is only a small sample of the delightful array of hats Gretchen’s personal archives hold. She’s constantly at work creating new whimsical masterpieces for clients and personal use. I’ve been lucky enough to wear some of them. You may be understandably intimidated by wearing eye-catching hats such as these, but donning them has taught me that hats have the power to enrich your life.

A hat is a celebration of style. It’s the cherry on top of your day. It’s wearing your heart audaciously on your sleeve (well, head really). It’s courage in a solid form and a recipe for higher self-esteem.

A great hat is charming. It makes people smile. Like all of them! It’s an enchanting surprise in a sea of monotony.

Hats are simply magic, and none more so than the ones my dear friend, Gretchen Fenston, creates.

Check back for more adventures with Gretchen and her hats in the coming months!