Photos by Diana The SC is out the door, into the snow, and off to do errands in a vintage faux fur coat with belt with 'Made In England' label purchased at Buffalo Exchange, estate sale vintage rust leather gloves and vintage gold costume jewelry,  NYC street vendor hat and scarf, lululemon leggings and another day spent in the Michael Kors boots.  The front door is a favorite feature of my home, a Denver Square HERE which was built in 1907.  We had it refinished by a master craftsman about 20 years ago so that its hand carved radiant beauty could

This photo was taken in 1979 shortly after Nelson and The SC began living together.  We were married in 1980; our marriage would have been illegal in Colorado before 1957.  I was wearing a 1940's dress (manufactured before the 1957 timeline) that he gave me and he was wearing a vintage scarf that I gave him.  Perfect for the dance floor!  Giving each other gifts throughout the decades was one of life's true pleasures. The MLK Holiday went into effect in 1986, so this image preceded the years that we spent on this day honoring the civil rights activist who

    Photos by Diana The SC was inspired by Alyson of That's Not My Age HERE to participate in her 'call out' for photos of dresses with sleeves. This estate sale vintage Diane Von Furstenberg black/white geometric patterned cotton/rayon maxi dress is one of my favorites in this category.  I topped off the dress with an Amy Downs black/white felt hat, vintage black velvet gloves and vintage black/white geometric patterned ceramic earrings and grounded the outfit with Michael Kors black heeled boots that were purchased at a department store winter sale years ago. Putting this ensemble together was my

  Photos by Kathleen It has become clear to The SC that the focus of 2012 will be health.  Health in all areas - physical, mental, emotional, spiritual.  If I'm not healthy how can I possibly see the world by hat shop and milliner?  I've decided that if I maintain this focus, everything else will fall into place.  So here I am, back at acupuncture, a healing modality that has contributed to my sense of harmony and balance for years.  Even in the most difficult of times.  The ensemble for this event, upon a black background, is a gifted vintage

Photos by Camille The SC made the decision on New Year's Eve Day that 2011 would not go gownless.  I have a passionate love for gowns; I feel enveloped, protected and held in space by folds of fabric and the structure of design.  I am of the opinion that gowns should not be limited to formal occasions, especially as there are so few of these events in my life and my vintage inventory lies in waiting.  I seldom let a year go by without the expression that a gown provides and the year of Nelson's death was to be no

  Happy Holidays from The Style Crone!  The red vintage wool coat with faux Persian Lamb collar and the black vintage hat with rhinestone trim were encouraging participants in seasonal festivities. Photos by Kelly I have found this holiday season to be a balancing act!    

Photos by Daniel N, December 2010 Last year at this time I was putting together a Style Crone Holiday Hat Review, so why not roll out the tip of the holiday hat iceberg?   Somehow it seems like many years have past; when these photos were taken I was in the comfort of Nelson's physical presence.  However, we were entering new territory.  I could continue to gaze into the familiar bottomless pools of his compassionate and kind dark brown eyes fringed with eyelashes that had been thinned by years of chemo and although the escalating and frightening physical changes related

Photos by Daniel N The SC's holiday season nail polish choice, Chanel's Vamp, inspired an outfit composed of a vintage burgundy silk velvet top with rhinestone closures (a holiday gift from Nelson in the 80's) and vintage burgundy silk velvet hat with rhinestone trim, a vintage black velvet maxi skirt, vintage black velvet gloves, and a black velvet cape with burgundy satin lining and a transparent floral pattern that reveals itself when exposed to light.  Could that be a metaphor for life? I view the color of my nails as an accessory, so it was a playful diversion to create

    Photos by Camille This past weekend presented the first snowstorm of the season.  We've had brief bouts of snow over the past few months, but this was the real thing.  Mounds of snow in the garden with soft white blankets stretching as far as the eye can see in an inner city neighborhood.  I don't have huge amounts of sidewalk to uncover, but another 'first' for me, as Nelson was the shovel master.  The SC began the task Saturday morning as snow continued to fall in gentle layers, creating a picturesque winter landscape.  I was feeling a bit

Photos by Alexis The SC has been fascinated with bed jackets since the 70's.  I love the lace, silk, satin, ribbons, delicate details and the soft muted colors of mostly blue, pink, lavender and peach.  The photos above are a small sampling of my cherished collection.  These historical pieces of art were discovered over the years at estate sales, flea markets and vintage shops, and I have worn them out on date night, dancing or to dinner, or to an occasional party.  I have been known to wear a quilted bed jacket to the grocery store! Wickipedia states, 'Bedgowns lingered

Photos by Camille 'What to Wear' to the first Thanksgiving dinner without Nelson?  A vintage veiled headpiece, a vintage off white lace bed jacket trimmed in satin, and a black maxi skirt to mark the significance of a day that marched into The SC's life as holidays do; life does not stand still during loss.  The lace a representation of the intricacies of a relationship that on this holiday were felt more deeply than any other day of the year, a team of two closely united in ritual. For decades we had been partners in a tradition, host and hostess,

Photos by Daniel N Preparing for Thanksgiving is difficult this year.  Our favorite holiday always, filled with family, friends, food, fun, fashion!  Standing on the staircase in a 60's orange dress with faux persian lamb trim, black wool leggings, vintage handcrafted wool hat, 90's black suede boots, black fingerless wool gloves and vintage jewels, I recall memories of last Thanksgiving with its celebratory yet tentative tone.  It was in the month of November 2010 that it became clear that Nelson's disease had taken a brutal turn in a direction that showed little hope for improvement, and the future was painfully

Photo by Daniel N Saturday at yoga The SC noticed that the woman on the mat in front of her was accompanied by a royal blue towel with leopard trim. Inspiration appears at anytime and anywhere!  I immediately had the desire to repeat this motif with an outfit.  I seem to have blue on the brain, so the idea of pairing leopard with this vibrant color followed me home to my closet.  I brought out the vintage 60's royal blue Einiger wool jacket and the small structured 80's royal blue Importina wool felt hat and accessorized with Donald Pliner consignment

Photo by Alexis Photos by The Style Crone The SC greets the chill of a November day with a Maeve Carr blue velvet brocade turban and scarf, which were 'self gifted' from the hat shop in the '80's.  Maeve Carr was Donna Karan's hat designer during that era and I have several of her creations in the hat room waiting in anticipation to be featured in the future.  Navy provides the background for varying shades of blue, including a vintage Frank Gallant HERE jacket accented by vintage gloves and jewelry, all discovered at estate sales. The morning was spent with

The SC, in her role as Hat Detective, has one last post from her recent Minnesota trip.  Hat maker Ella Ritzman has a studio in the back of an antique shop in Minneapolis, is self taught, has been making hats since 1989, and displays her creations on furniture springs which have been attached to the wall. I love fabric hats for casual wear, and was drawn to this orange number, which was hand crafted from vintage fabric.  This one of a kind beauty will soon be the focus of a 'What to Wear to Yoga' ensemble, reinforcing the motto that

Photo by Camille Yesterday,  November 1st was Nelson's birthday.  CLICK HERE for the 2010 celebration.  All Saints Day and how appropriate!  Camille and The SC spent the day together, which began with yoga and ended with dinner at Racines, the restaurant which hosted the gathering after his memorial service. We played Nelson's favorite music in the car as we wandered without a goal throughout the city, and time passed quickly as it does when in a trance. The boots are what The SC refers to as 'special effects.'  This means that you put them on in the car to wear

Photo by Camille Wendy Brandes CLICK HERE, gorgeous blogger and talented fine jewelry designer, published a 'Houndstooth' slideshow on the Huffington Post, which included a photo of The SC wearing Nelson's houndstooth fedora CLICK HERE . Not really thinking about houndstooth as a trend at the time that I published this photo and blog post HERE,  I now realize that I have more where that came from!   This vintage houndstooth cape is just one of the items that had been waiting for an outing within my limitless and now minimally organized closet.  Today it became a piece of my layered

The Vintage Studio, an enchanting shop in Minneapolis, held me hostage for several hours on an afternoon of adventure.  Whenever I travel, not only do I track down hat shops and milliners; I also explore the area's vintage shops, antique markets, and sometimes I find consignment stores of interest.  Three pairs of $12 vintage clip-on earrings from a vast selection escaped with The SC, along with a hat that will reveal itself in the spring.  I'm sure these beauties will find the perfect outfit to embellish over the coming months or years.  I am easily seduced by color and movement

The SC began her 'See the World by Hat Shop and Milliner' series in Saint Paul, Minnesota with Angie Sandifer, who specializes in custom and handmade women's hats.  She inhabits a live/work space in the Northern Warehouse Artist Co-op in Lowertown Saint Paul.  She has a fascinating story!  Angie tells me that in 2003 she was laid off  from her corporate job in the telecommunications industry where she had worked for 31 years.  In the process of retraining she took a desktop communications class and for her class project she built a website for 'Angie's Hats.' This concept then took

Photos by The Style Crone The SC traveled to Minnesota for a visit with her 91 year old mother Norma, who now lives in an assisted living facility.  Because of macular degeneration, which has limited her precious eyesight, and the loss of physical strength, Mom made the decision to move from her home to an environment where she could receive the help that she needs and now feels at peace with the losses that led to this transition.  She enjoys the company of the other residents and staff and continues to play cards several times a week. Bridge is her