If you can bounce high, bounce for her too…

It seems that all the best Fitzgerald interpretations come by way of Australia. Is it the gold mines? The sprawling coasts? Whatever inspires the psyche to produce such effortless decadence, obviously blessed Katie Louise Ford and Tim Nichols, the scandalously brilliant duo who last year launched The Gold Hatted Lovers. Both a vintage apparel marketplace and an independent label, the Golden Hatted Lovers is the go-to site for the picnic apparel you hithero couldn’t source (*ahem* that cape–see below!). Even better, all GHL items are ethically produced and handmade. And if you would prefer *actual* vintage, to *inspired,* they have you covered. Alongside their Spring/ Summer 2014 line, GHL continuously curates a hand-picked list of vintage clothing. 

With all this South Bend snow, I can’t help but dream of rolling green grass, picnics a-plenty, and the perfect one-piece suit to take a flying leap into a secluded lake. Maybe laying out on a wooden dock in tinted sunglasses and an oversize hat, reciting “Ulalame”?

So here’s the answer, and there’s really only one downside to the collection, which is none other than Australian shipping prices. After long thought on this matter, I have decided that the best remedy is to buy in bulk, thus lowering your shipping costs overall. 

 

Lion’s Thread: From Uganda with Love

I’m so excited! This week is Barrister’s Ball, AKA law prom!! I’ve splurged on shoes, bought my first ever clutch and have a hi-lo as flexible on length as I’m going to be on that dance floor (yeahhhh). But here’s the thing. In the name of all that is noble and good. If I have to see one more combed-over conservative being suffocated by whale apparel , I’m going to cut someone. The combined homogeneity and color scheme of these fratdaddies in their Vineyard Vines get up is enough to drive me and my perfectly-manicured-for-one-day nails to the nearest shot of absinthe, so like Hemingway I can slowly succumb to “Death in the Afternoon” bemoaning the fact that all men have said a farewell to charm, and bravery is dead.

But! The Sun Also Rises, and there is an alternative: Lion’s Thread. As bold as their mission, Lion’s Thread bow ties come to you direct from Uganda, where the profits work toward both providing and training for women in the Namatumba community and providing a source of sustainable support for the affiliated orphanage there. At $45.00 a pop, that’s a pretty sweet deal.

One of the coolest things about Lion’s Thread is that it’s one of the first ways I’ve encountered that artisan fabrics coming from eastern Africa are being marketed towards men. Let’s be honest, you’ve all seen the girls carrying their African satchels, whether it be from the last mission trip or Urban. Yet, straight from the Kampala market, Lion Thread brings a new (and sustainable) alternative for men’s involvement into the conversation in a way that is not nearly as overdone or boxy as granola chick’s satchel….

Seriously, check it out Auburn and Florida fans.

BUT this dream isn’t a reality yet. While they have expanded since hiring their first working seamstress, Sarah (shown below) to four, sometimes five part-time workers, it can’t really expand without your support.

It’s 12-day crunch as we speak.

Whooooo! Exclusive Designs!

Check out the kickstarter page for more info, loot, and bow tie patterns, including one special edition model, only offered on kickstarter! For those of you unfamiliar with the kickstarter forum, entrepreneurs set a certain goal for a certain time period, and if they make it they get all the pledged money. Alternatively, if they don’t make it, they walk away with only the shades of their dreams in hand.

Last Thursday, I spoke with Co-Founder and Creative Director, Sydney Hulebak about the brand, it’s conception, development, and her involvement (originally I planned to talk to fellow co-founder Brittany Enterkin but Uganda time is decidedly my sleep time).

R: Where does the name Lion’s Thread come from?
S: Well the lion is the most empowered, powerful animal in Africa, and we were looking for something strong and courageous to embody that spirit. Threads of course has the obvious meaning, but it also stands for the connection between the women sewing in Uganda and the men here who buy the bow ties.

R: Can you tell me more about you and Brittany’s story and why you decided to do this?
S: Well, Brittany really helped me get involved with SOUP [Sponsorship of Orphans in Uganda Project], but we have constantly been fundraising, and have pretty much exhausted the Atlanta market. So, we were trying to come up with a new creative way to fundraise that would be more stable and support the orphanage long-term.

R: This is a great idea, I haven’t seen anywhere else, do you have a background in fashion?
S: My degree is actually in communications and public relations, but I did a summer internship with Billy Reid.

R: What’s your favorite thing about being a part of Lion’s Thread?
S: Chatting with the women and talking about how this is impacting their lives. They are all very excited to “help men in America.”

Frankly, I’m glad they’re helping too. It’s about time we get something funkier than Uncle Earl’s eighties relics wrapped around our boys’ adam’s apple. It’s time to invest in the next big thing.

Worst case scenario? You get to look good. do good. and can add “philanthropist” to your resume.

 

Channeling Your Inner Lana: DIY Floral Headband

Alrighty, it’s Springggg time!!  AKA time to get hustlin on all things floral. Even if it did snow last night, I’m about to pastel, pizazz, and flower up like these past three months never existed.

On that thought, a midwestern man explained the real meaning of St. Patrick’s Day to me the other day: It’s a time when everyone knows sunshine is around the corner, and you’ve just struggled through this terrible Winter, so everyone comes out and just drinks to forget and celebrate, and really, for no reason at all!

Well, law school got in the way of any rapturous bliss I may have planned Monday, but it can’t stop my overall heraldry, which brings me to my latest project.
The Flower Crown.

Flower crown? you may well ask, I haven’t made one of those since I was four!  Well, the time has come to reinvigorate this childhood whimsy, but with a bigger, bolder jump into adulthood.

Last year, Lana Del Ray sported the flower crown on the cover of her single Video Games:

When I saw it, at first I thought it was another over-the-top affectation from this hipster princess (along with those slightly-terrifying Streisand-esk nails). But it seems this time Lana has secured the “hip” in “hipster.” Flower crowns are still going strong, if not gaining in popularity. If I wasn’t sure, three of my favorite bloggers sported them in the veritable span of a month.

Desiree of Pull Your Socks Up

Lipstick Legend in Red

Imogen of tia-cherie

Sweet and Svelte in Pink

Tamera Beardsley

 With these ladies as inspiration, one might argue that I had no choice in this endeavor. In looking to acquire a crown, a quick google search showed their current going rates: somewhere between 7 and 102 dollars (the more expensive ones of course being made out of real flowers, aka perishable, aka a terrible investment in the first place). Additionally, the cheaper ones have itty bitty teensy flowers more appropriate for fairies and big toes then our resplendent visages.

What I’m trying to say is maybe we need something different? Where could I find colors that I wanted? Did someone say JoAnnes? Michaels? Hobby Lobby? We chose Hobby Lobby.

Inventory:

Rebecca:                                                                                     Leigha:
Bouquet of Base Peach Flowers: $6                                      5 red rose stalks: $10
Blue Flower Back up: $3                                                           Dogwood Back up: $3
Pink Flowers: $3                                                                         Little Blue Flowers: $3
Hemp Woven Headband: $2                                                   Hemp Woven Headband: $2

We got lucky at Hobby Lobby, fake flowers were on sale half price!! Without the glue gun, my supplies were about $15 and Leigha’s were around $20 (for those lazy with addition). Looking back, I would definitely recommend comparing the size of my primary flower to my head before buying.

Supplies. Complete with peanuts, cranberry juice, and a copy of Frozen.

Now I should have probably looked up how to make these before deciding to teach myself. However, Leigha and I used the thread and glue method. In other words, we tore the tops of the flowers away from their wiring and just put the bottom through our woven headband and hot glued the flower to the hemp on the top and on the bottom. 

 

Even though this kind of makes thing stick into your head, I can’t really feel it, so I’m very happy (#noregrets).

However, for a more conventional and tidy tutorial, I would recommend the advice of Hairdresser on Fire, who begins with wire, a wire cutter, and perhaps a better understanding of the outlook. Alternatively, I have mastered the “tropical island on your head” look.

But really, I couldn’t be happier.

Separated at Birth?!?

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I’m sharing this to NotDeadYetStyle‘s Visible Monday because it takes some guts to wear my oversized gem, but as over-the-top and colorful as it is, it couldn’t be more me.