terry graziano

{How I Wear My Hat} shades of brown

As you've probably noticed if you've ever perused my shop, I love a good brown.  From sand to coffee to caramel to chocolate, they're all good in my book.  When I was a kid, I hated the color, especially because I dreamt about having super-straight, gleaming blond hair and I had dull unruly brown instead. Why was I so cursed?!?  Yes, Marcia Brady made me feel inadequate and I thought that if I wore brown, it would only draw even more attention to my lackluster hair. But as time went on I came to appreciate what I was born with and eventually realized that my hair is brown for a reason - it suits me.

I usually choose how I dress each day based on the hat I want to wear (naturally) and today I knew that I wanted to wear my chocolate Accomplice.  Even with temperatures in the single digits it will keep me really warm & cozy.  To compliment it, I dug out this coat, which honestly has not seen much rotation lately.  I'm not sure why, because I really love it!  It was one of my favorite bargains ever from the Chelsea Loehmann's, which I used to haunt regularly back when we lived on 12th Street in the Village.  I think I paid about $85 for it, which was an enormous sum for me at the time.  It is a decade old if not more, but the fit and the details can't be beat and it's held up like a dream.  I don't always dress so matchy-matchy, but something about all that chocolate is comforting to me on a super cold day.

Stay warm, have fun, eat chocolate.

P.S.: Go Bears!!  Go Jets!!

xo,

Terry 

 

Outfit Details:
Terry Graziano Accomplice hat in chocolate
Alysi coat
Anthropologie top & skirt
Three Dots cashmere cardigan
Hue tights & fishnets
Sofft boots
self-made knitted kerchief
vintage shearling mittens
vintage purse

 

{How I Wear My Hat} shades of grey

Have I mentioned that it's cold here?  I swear, I never talked about weather so much in my life!  Even Bruce, who loves the cold, is getting a little weary of it.  I had to laugh when I heard the forecast on the local npr station today: high temp today 23 degrees, turning cold (!) on Friday with a high of 10.  Lordy! 

Needless to say, we spend quite a lot of time piling on the layers before heading outside.  Though I end up being bulky, I still really want to look pretty (what I call "pretty bulky").  Today my outfit was inspired by the grey sky.  In order to still keep it fun, I played with mixing textures, gradation & stripes.









I'm off to brave the elements.  Stay warm!!

xo,

Terry

 

Outfit details:
jcrew pinstriped pleated shirt
jcrew foil cardigan
kenneth cole cowl neck tunic
kenneth cole leggings
charles david boots
searle nyc coat
self-made Plot Twist hat in violet
vintage earrings
drugstore sunglasses
self-made mittens
josh jakus bag



 

National Hat Day!

January 15 is National Hat Day!


to celebrate
the entire shop is 30% off 
Friday, January 14 through Sunday, January 16 
use coupon code "hatday30" at checkout 

xo,
Terry

{new style} The Getaway

Happy Holidays!
I hope you are having a festive and joyous season.
I especially love this week, between Christmas & New Year's Day, when things slow down and there's time for reflection & planning.

Despite (or perhaps because of) the downtime, my brain has been exploding with ideas and so I still find myself sneaking into the studio more days than not. 
And so a new style!

The Getaway started with an idea for a modern turban.  Hmmm, maybe I should have called it the "Murban"?  I love a turban - they are great for looking chic and polished no matter what's happening with your hair on any given day.  And I happen to be growing out both a really bad haircut, and a really bad dye job, so my design idea has taken on a greater sense of urgency.  (On a side note, it's been kind of fun to see just how much silver I've got since I've been dyeing it regularly for almost 20 years - I may just fully embrace it and go for the silver this year!)

Rather than replicate the traditional folds & drapes of a classic turban, I wanted to make something sleeker with cleaner lines.  


Once I got going on solving that challenge, I decided that I wanted the option to also wear the hat as more of a skullcap, to cover my ears when it's frigid outside (i.e. most winter days in Chicago).  

As I develop a piece, it's always fun and surprising to see what else a certain shape can do.

 surprise #1: a sassy toque


surprise #2: a mini-beret

a few alternate views 

I am really enjoying wearing the Getaway, both inside and outside - it's really warm & comfortable!  And I think it will help me still look great while my hair grows out.  I just pop one on in the morning, add a little lipstick, and I'm ready for the day.

I've also made it in a few other colors.

In a thick & plush dove-grey wool:

check out that silver peeking through!






In navy wool & cashmere blend - super soft:






In a lovely ice-blue wool melton:







All four colors will be in the shop later this evening.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope your week is relaxing & fun.

xo,

Terry










 

Yodel-lay-hee-hoo!

Free Shipping worldwide today & tomorrow in the shop - no special code needed!

{inspirations} Plot Twist

One of the new styles that I'm particularly excited about is the Plot Twist.  I've been wearing it constantly - even in the studio - because it's so comfortable, keeps the hair out of my eyes while I work, and despite slaving away over a hot sewing machine, I still look incredibly chic whenever I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror.  And if I need to run out for an errand, I just grab my coat & go.  The neoprene is both very lightweight but amazingly warm.  Perfect for these chilly Chicago mornings!
(Side note: with the wind chill today, it felt like 17 degrees!!)

Today I thought I'd share some of my inspirations for this style.  I'm always looking out for, and paying attention to, colors, textures & silhouettes, be they in art, architecture, cinema, nature, etc.  And books.  Goodness I love books!  The funny thing is, while I'm designing, I often don't realize what's been swirling around in my head until it all comes out.  I usually don't sketch and I'm pretty haphazard about creating mood boards, so it's fun at the end to go back and connect the dots.  Here are some of the dots:

George Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte"

This painting "lives" at the Art Institute of Chicago (my second home!) and having finally seen it in person, I now understand what the fuss is all about.  Spectacular!  I was especially drawn to the silhouettes of the hats (naturally), and particularly to the lady on the right (detail below).  
I think it was the crown that got me - the high flat crown just seems so right for this season, and a great pairing with both feminine & menswear inspired looks.

from "High-Fashion Sewing Secrets" by Claire B. Shaeffer

This image has haunted my dreams.  So lovely.  What I wouldn't give to the the model wearing the dress OR the designer who created it.  Simply perfection.  Sigh.
The collar on that dress is a marvel and surely influenced the brim construction of the Plot Twist.

from "Allure" by Diana Vreeland

Louise Dahl-Wolfe in Harper's Bazaar, March 1950

Vastly different feelings in the above two images to be sure, but the combination was, without a doubt, inspiration for the shape of the sideband.

The fabric I used - a French puckered neoprene - was something I found at my favorite fabric shop on my last trip to NYC in October.  I think I stopped breathing when I spotted it!  The unusual texture and beautiful drape, combined with the iridescent colors, made it all so perfectly "terry".

xo,

Terry

it's true

I'm back, the studio is abuzz with activity, and the shop is open for business!

There are a few new styles!

A new "Made-to-Measure" series!

And I've happily been able to restock some favorite fabrics,
so some of my classic styles are available once more! 

I'll be revamping ye olde blog and website during the next week or so,
and I've got more new hats on the cutting table.

Thanks so much for your interest!

And to reward you for your patience, I've got a special discount for you:
Use code "hatlover" for 20% off all purchases,
now through Sunday, November 28! 

xo,

Terry