Sassy Straw Saucer Hat DIY

I've got a fun DIY/refashion tutorial on how to turn an old, cheap straw hat...

(Which I foolishly forgot to take a proper "before" photo of, but it looked much like this one)

.... Into a sassy, vintage-appropriate saucer hat!

To make this revamped hat, you will need:

Extra tip for choosing a hat for this project:

I suggest a hat with a more "rectangular" rather than rounded crown, meaning a hat that is about the same width at the top as it is where it connects to the brim.

So to begin the tutorial!  First, separate the crown from the brim by cutting at the corner  where the two meet:

This leaves you with a straw "fez" and "donut":

Note: My hat had a hat band in it that I left intact.

Next, cut the "fez" crown piece and make it as short as you like.  Mine was about an inch from the top.

Extra tips: Don't follow one line of straw as you cut.  Your hat is probably made from coiling straw braids, so you'll end up just swirling around and around your hat until you have a curly pile of straw ribbon!

Also, I just eyeballed mine, but feel free to measure from the crown to get an exact measurement all the way around.

This leaves you with a "fluffy pancake":

Next, you're simply going to glue the new "fluffy pancake" crown to the brim you already have.

My hat had a hat band, so I glued the new, short crown to the brim, then glued the hat band to the crown on the inside.  If your hat doesn't have a hat band, I would suggest using a wide ribbon, bias tape, fabric, etc. on the inside in its place to strengthen it (and make it look neater inside).  This will also keep real straw hats (I think mine is plastic) from raveling.

Now for the fun part!  It's time to decorate your hat!

I used some lace trim and dried flowers, but you could use any supplies you fancy.  Be creative!  You could use fancy ribbon, fabric, silk flowers, felt shapes, fake berries, fresh flowers, anything you want, really!

Extra tip: Straw makes a really good neutral hat that you can re-trim to coordinate with different looks.  Be like the women of old and sew (using big stitches) or pin your accents and decorations on so you can remove them easily later if you want to try something new!

And ta-da!  You have a beautiful, one-of-a-kind hat to pin atop a fancy 'do!

So what do you think?  Do you think you'd be willing to try this sometime?

If you have any questions or run into any snags, feel free to contact me and I'll do my best to find a solution with you!

I adapted this tutorial from this one for a bergere hat by the Dreamstress.

First Sponsor Post Ever!

I opened up Flashback Summer for sponsorship for the first time less than a month ago, and already some awesome sponsors have partnered with me!  Go and check out their gorgeous Etsy shops.  You will not be disappointed!

Crush Vintage is out of California.... and it melts my heart.

It has one of the best selections of vintage frocks I've EVER seen, ranging all the way back to the 1910s!  So many beautiful, unique pieces.  They also have purses, shoes, accessories, bridal, and lingerie items, all also amazing.

The pricing isn't inexpensive, but it is fair vintage pricing.  And you truly do get "vintage edited" at Crush Vintage, for the pieces are one of a kind pieces I've never seen before, definitely not your average clothing!

The Daily Wild is owned by Rachel and comes to you guys out of my corner of the world, St. Louis, Missouri!  They have a good selection of newer vintage items, largely 60s-80s that would work for more wearable vintage that you don't have to worry about.  There are several pairs of fun shoes, pretty jewelry, and a great variety of sweaters.  (I love me some sweaters, I will not lie.)
The Daily Wild also offers free shipping to the U.S. and Canada!  Woohoo!

Twirly Skirts and Pouty Lips - Friend Photo Shoot Part 1

Here are pictures of some lovely friends during a photo shoot we did near our school.  They had a great 50s flair going on, and they're a great example of how vintage looks fabulous on all different kinds of women!

And my friend Ash took the photos, and I edited them.   She did a great job, don't you think?!

I've got more pictures coming soon, including the 1910s outfit I hinted about in earlier post... the suspense!

slightly mangy cat we found

Hannah of Vintage Perfect

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old... And Wear Vintage.

IT.

HAS.

HAPPENED.

I have met a real-live vintage lover.  At my university.  Who lives on the floor below me.

Not that I don't love all you cyber friends, but this is a fun moment in my life.

I saw Hannah on move-in day, and she was wearing a dress with a crinoline, so I knew immediately that we would have to talk (and be best friends, but I thought it best not to say that on the first encounter).  I have gotten to know her over the past few days and had lots of good "girdle talk" (my term for very vintagey things the average person doesn't know).  Turns out she just started a blog called Vintage Perfect as well.

Last Saturday, Hannah, our friends Emily and Ashlee (who converted to vintage for the day), and I went to Commercial Street here in Springfield to look through the vintage shops and flea markets.  It was a great time with kindred spirits!  It won't be the last time we go shopping there, but we have to spare our college wallets for a little while...

But didn't they all look adorable?!

Hannah, me, Emily, and Ashlee

in Decades 

Maybe you're a fan of hippie jumpsuits with matching built-in vests... but we are not. 

Appreciated Separates

Oftentimes in the vintage world, it seems that versatile separates are oftentimes ignored.  I mean, let's face it.  Most of us would rather buy a pretty, unique dress than a plain button-down.

However, we realize pretty quickly that woman cannot live in dresses alone!

There are so many circumstances (and moods!) in life that must be addressed by versatile and comfy separates.  For me, today was one of those days.  It was a rushed morning of getting to classes, and I needed something quick.

I grabbed jeans, because those go with anything, and a classic button down shirt in a neutral color that would also go with nearly any other color.  I grabbed a new necklace I was just gifted and the matching bangles and earrings, and BAM!  A put-together, comfy outfit perfect for walking across campus in.  I appreciate these separates!

So what do you think?  Do you utilize/have as many separates as you would like?  Are they a forgotten or well-loved part of your wardrobe?  What separates do you wear the most?

shirt:  Banana Republic

jeans: handmade by me, adapted from Butterick 9779

belt: resized by me

jewelry: gift

shoes: Payless

sunglasses: department store (Kohl's?)

purse: Charming Charlie's

International Vintage: Sudanese Tobe

Omdurman market, 1934 (woman in the center is wearing a tobe!), from here

Today I've got an international vintage post that's near and dear to my heart because it's based on Sudan's "vintage" wear!  

For my newer readers, my family lived in Sudan for a while, and I adore the people there.  The culture is hospitable and relationship-oriented, and the Sudanese know how to relax and cherish time with loved ones.  And also, they have great style, via the Sudanese tobe:

Now, to be obvious, Sudanese style is very different from Western style.  The tobe is worn mostly by the Sudanese Arab tribes of northern Sudan, but some southerners also wear it.  It's very much a traditional cultural statement, and the color and condition of the tobe can communicate certain messages.  A red tobe can be a wedding outfit, and a white tobe is the western equivalent of a woman's business suit.  Also, if a tobe is given as a gift, it is polite to leave the edges where the cloth was cut raw.  This shows that the tobe is unworn, and it is up to the giftee to hem it before it's worn.

It's all about being matchy-matchy with tobes, preferably making your entire outfit one or two colors, and throwing in some diamonds or gold somewhere would be optimal.  Personally, I thrived in such a fashion atmosphere when I was there.  In case you hadn't noticed, I love being matchy-matchy, and I have a good bit of gaudy in me that I usually have to tame in western contexts.  But not in Sudan!

The tobe is a 5-6 meter long piece of fabric, just like one would buy at a fabric store.  (Funny story: A Sudanese woman that visited America remarked that we had the best tobe stores.  Puzzled by this and wondering where in America there is a tobe store, my friend asked her what the store was called.  "Joann,"  the woman replied. "They have so much variety in tobes!"  Ha ha!)  It MUST be worn with a skirt.  Pants just aren't done.  I'm not sure why, but they just aren't!

Sudanese women wear the tobes by wrapping, knotting, and tucking it in a certain way to create a drapey, lovely dress that covers from the top of the head to the ankle.

And here are some tobe pictures, so you guys get the idea.  They're SO beautiful and can range from $20 all the way up to hundreds and thousands of dollars!

From a wedding:

My friend Laura and I:

So what do you think of the tobe?  Does it look like something you'd be willing to wear, or does it seem like too much work?

(I do have a design for the "EZ Tobe" in the works, just sayin...)