I believe this will be the season of the scarves for me. I pulled out some from a few years ago, and I’ve been enjoying two new scarves that I received from Whitehorn Designs recently. The new silk scarves are hand marbled by Janey Smedley from Clophill, Bedfordshire. Janey studied at the Winchester School of the Arts specializing in the hand-weaving and dyeing of textiles and creating collections of blinds, wall hangings, throws and rugs.

Janey decided to take a different approach designing and making silk scarves for the fashion industry. Having always admired the century’s old craft of marbling, Janey felt that a fresher, more modern approached could be achieved by mixing the right colour combinations with simpler patterns.

In the end it was the world of cinema and the films of Stanley Kubrick in particular, that influenced Janey’s colour and design choices. Each scarf is individually made using a dye tray and a set of styluses. No two are alike!

My daughter and I were oohing and aahing over the detail in the design as she snapped these two photos of me wearing my new Whitehorn scarves.

For more information be sure to visit Whitehorn Designs and if you’d like a few ideas on how to wear your scarf I found this.

While Cathy is taking a well deserved break from blogging, here to keep All Chic active and in tip-top shape is her (much talked about) Hippie Daughter.

A trip to Georgetown last weekend brought us to this great clothing store called Annie Creamcheese. This store has vintage clothing and accessories in psychedelic, retro, and modern styles. They buy and sell designer vintage clothing for 30% in cash or 50% in store credit. Annie Lee and Garrett Bauman, the owners of Annie Creamcheese, also have a location in Las Vegas.

Definitely one of the most unique, exciting, and colorful stores I’ve been in! I knew I would love it when, walking in, I saw a “Janis Joplin Ave.” street sign, Jimi Hendrix portrait, and Jim Morrison photograph on the walls. Groovy!

Check it out at anniecreamcheese.com.

Beginning today I’m going to use Sundays to post my favorite Etsy sellers, particular those with a Street Style sense.  Featured today are Moop and Wildewear, two Massachusetts-based designers.

Moop specializes in made-to-order bags. Simple, modern, hand-crafted, and a bit-understated.  Moop designer (photographer, model, etc), Wendy, works out of a converted mill building in Western Massachusetts. Be sure to check out Moop’s shop, website, and blog.

My favorite is The Fraulein Tote (shown above). It’s made with a deep brown canvas and is lined in burnt orange ripstop. The outside has two deep pockets. The inside has five pockets of varying sizes, perfect for carrying phones and ipods. There’s also two pencil slips and a d-ring for clipping keys and smaller pouches.  Ordering information available here.

Wildewear features the eco-friendly work of Tricia Wilde. Tricia grew up in Ireland but now lives in the Boston area with her three sons.  She’s a single mom and created her home based business so she could stay home with her kids.  Tricia also takes vintage clothes and reworks and embellishes them to create a new modern look.

The skirt shown above, is her Ginger Berry Skirt. This skirt is very comfy with stretch jersey knit roll over top and tie around belt. You can play with how much to roll over the top and can even wear it as a dress if it fits. Fits size small to medium fits waist up to 32 inches and is 28 inches long. All handmade original wildewear design. Cotton jersey knit. Totally washable, very loveable. Ordering information is available here.

In keeping with my historical theme of last week, I couldn’t wait to post these two bags from Pursecution. This Minneapolis-based designer uses hides of leather, fabric and antique brass bits to create beautiful one of a kind bags and leather accessories.

On the top is the Joan of Arc bag:

This is the first of a new line/slate for Pursecution. Who better to start with than Joan of Arc? How does one sum up the life of such a young and powerful woman in this limited space? From the age of 12 until the age of 19, when she was burned at the stake for a trumped up charge of heresy, Joan of Arc followed her own head strong path, making history with every step. This purse has been designed with her strength, beauty and grace in mind. It is 100% genuine leather with a sateen interior. The dimensions are 11″ wide, 7.5″ tall and 2″ deep.

On bottom is the Mary Queen of Scots bag:

Mary Stuart’s life had all the elements of a Hollywood movie 400 years ago. There was romance, murder, scandal and finally her beheading by Queen Elizabeth I. Although Mary Queen of Scots may not have succeeded as the Queen of Scotland, her beauty, strength and grace were world renowned. This purse has been modeled after such assets. The top is made of 100% genuine leather, the interior of cotton, and the bottom half of the exterior is from a fine upholstery fabric.

You can find Pursecution on the web at Indiepublic or MySpace.  

American Idol rock chick, Amanda Overmyer, wore a terrific long knit scarf last night. It was at least down to her knees. So where do you look for a long long scarf that isn’t too bulky to wear in the spring? Etsy, of course.

I found this pretty pink knit scarf at LauraCraft for only $10!

We’ve been having an awful lot of rain recently. Watching local weather last night for news of possible flooding, I was distracted by the art on the underside of the weatherman’s Sistine Chapel Umbrella. After a quick search I found UmbrellaStand.com. They have an extensive collection of Fine Art umbrellas starting at $28.

Looks like it’s time to pull out the big belts from the back of the closet.

I’d been noticing lots of high cinched waists recently, and then saw this article in yesterday’s Times Online. Nicola Copping refers to the recent economic downturn and  asks:

But what about fluctuating waistlines? Granted, they expand in times of plenty. But is the steadily rising beltline another indicator of a move towards modesty, both economic and sartorial? Perhaps, if recent catwalk shows are anything to go by.

Copping mentions the 50’s and 70’s:

High waists hark back to two seminal fashion eras: the prim, suck-it-in-and-smile Fifties (skirts), and the slick Seventies (trousers). Michael Kors evokes the latter with an upmarket twist: think West Coast lady who lunches, a woman never seen with skin protruding from her high-slung pants. Marc Jacobs, meanwhile, prefers his catwalk muse more unhinged. The pleated skirts are nipped in neatly but messy hair suggests something a little off-key: this is Stepford Wife with a Noughties edge.

But what about the 1500’s?

Perhaps it has something to do with the economy, and maybe a little bit to do the movies.  Kate Blanchett,  Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson  all squeezed into tight corsets for their recent royal roles. 

Now you can find this DOLCE & GABBANA Belt/Corset on YOOX.COM Interestingly, it comes in sizes 2, 4, and 6!