This rolled-and-ruched red velvet cloche is one I found at an antique store and fell in love with immediately. Its hue falls somewhere between red and pink, depending on the light, and its organic folds and pleats are full of movement, even when it’s simply resting atop the head.
The hat is finished with one wide grosgrain band that wraps and encircles its narrow brim, and a second, doubled ribbon in the same shade that gathers the pleats on the right side of the back crown. The only tag inside indicates that it was “Union Made in the U.S.A.”
Sometimes I feel a bit silly or indulgent playing with my hats. I mean, I have cancer. I should be serious, right? Every day I’m reminded that energy and time are finite quantities, so I should use them wisely, yes?
Pish. Today is the only day we have. That makes it all the more important to embrace frivolity, joy, and superfluous delights, which really aren’t superfluous at all.
This topper’s bright color and sassy cheer, by the way, make it a great hat to mark two notable milestones: the conclusion of my chemotherapy, and the advent of the autumn leaf hues that are finally beginning to appear!
Heads up!
All photos by Laura Wade Photography.
∼ Beautiful, quirky vintage hats make me happy. The “Heads Up!” series is a reminder to keep my (currently bald) head up, to pay attention to the good in the world, and to encourage myself and others facing a tough road that it’s possible to find the fun in even the most challenging circumstances. ∼
Still Life, Beyond Cancer 
Love this idea! Thank you for the series. This is a particularly fetching hat. Perhaps the color is Coral? Which I like as it was my grandmother’s name. I look forward to your next installment.
In a similar vein, post treatment I have sewn myself a whole lot of new clothes, really relishing the art of dressing in a way I never have before. It brings me much pleasure. I think of the cloth as color therapy. It has been an important part of what has helped me to be reframe, and become comfortable in my new amazon body.
xo iris
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