F r e n c h b r e a d o n F r i d a y . . .

h e l l o L o v e l i e s !

{ inspired by: un fabricant chapeau de paille } 

last summer i was entranced by images of  French hat making factory in Septfonds, France.

( . . .  so i saved the the link for a future post. )

the beautiful images of Jean-Claude Coustilleres' factory captured by Bénédicte Desrus

 planted "my first fashion whim" for spring & summer  2015.

( i must find a straw hat! )

 can i get a . . . "that's sooooo Scarlett O'Hara Vivien Leigh?"

( i wonder if  GWTW costume designer, Walter Plunkett found Viv's famous hat at Septfonds? )

there is history . . .

i'm talking . . . before our independence history.

Old woman braiding straw. Mme. Pétronille Cantecor (1770-1846) has been attributed as the founder of the straw hat of Septfonds, and was the creator of the first hat workshop in 1796.Straw hats were made by cutting the dried stems of certain grain plants (straw) into narrow strips and braiding them to form a long plait. These plaits were then flattened and sewn together to form a hat..Septfonds is the heart of French straw hat making, due to its very ancient hatter tradition. The hat making industry had its commercial peak in the late 19th century..Coustillères is a family owned hat making factory that has been making straw hats in Septfonds for nearly 100 years. They make hats from straw, felt, and cloth as well as caps. The current owner is Jean-Claude Coustilleres. He is one of the last hat makers of the region..The straw hat making process is very labor intensive and numerous hands are involved. Nearly all of the equipment is over 100 years old, they use the original presses and tools including aluminium molds and sewing machines and dye their own straw continuing the traditional methods of manufacturing. The hat blocking and shaping, straw braids construction and dyeing are all done by hand..The company works on behalf of fashion houses and makes a variety of regional and historical hats. It produces 2 collections a year distributed by a network of salespeople and through a catalog to clients around the world. Photo credit: Benedicte Desrus

i was seeking an acceptable straw hat when i laid my eyes on

this!


then i saw her name.


bonjour Vivienne!


( yes, her fashion name is Vivienne. )

( yes.  the French version )

my new hat is not from Septfonds.

i found it at a fair price at One Kings Lane.

it is made by Gottex

 Gottex straw hats offer advanced sun protection.

it was a little more than i wished to invest, but it is made beautifully.

it is not only one hat.

it molds into many!

with a simple flip of the brim . . .

. . . her fashion name changes to  Audrey.

b o n * p r i n t e m p s !

withLove!