A New Year's Bash
You’ll be happy to know that the title of this post is not in reference to a belated party to ring in the New Year.
I’m an introvert, remember? Parties and I don’t usually go together!
No, it’s really about bashing, or shaping, a new hat. Of course, as always, there’s a story…
Years ago, the autumn before I began my Clementine and Sage journey, I was living in San Francisco and spending my days working for another jeweler. But in the evenings and on the weekends, I was making my own work. Fun little projects for no other reason than because I’ve never been able to keep my hands still for more than a minute or two. And, as has also been my way for as long as I can remember, I would watch (or rather listen to!) something while I worked.
And somehow, some way, I came across a show called McLeod’s Daughters - an Australian drama about a couple of sisters running a ranch. It was a show FULL of wild and ridiculous twists and turns (that grew more and more unbelievable as the seasons progressed), a whole lot of terrible slow motion shots for added emphasis, and the same three background songs used over and over.
But I loved it.
Tough, self sufficient female characters? Check. Gorgeous, sweeping shots of wide-open landscapes? Check. And the HATS - oh man, the characters all wore the most amazing hats.
I was so obsessed that I went looking for the hats used in the show…and without much digging I found my answer : they were all Akubra brand from Australia. And when, in further research, I discovered that you can shape these hats however you’d like using a little steam? Well, I decided then and there that one day I’d buy one for myself and do just that.
Since then, I’ve had an Akubra on my “someday” list. And at the end of last year I decided to turn that “someday" into “today” as a gift to myself! The order was placed, and I waited (im)patiently for its arrival.
And I was so infatuated when it got here that I honestly just spent a few weeks wearing it around in it’s original bulbous form. After all those years of waiting, I figured, why not?
It began as an open crown (aka, a hat with no previous shaping in the top). Just imagine the hat equivalent of an open canvas. And when shaping day finally arrived, I decide to create a telescope bash. A little steam from our trusty tea kettle (and a little elbow grease from me!) and within a few minutes my hat had been transformed!
Originally, I also planned to turn down the front of the brim vaquero-style, just like the straw hat I wear in the summer, but then Eric and I were watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (holy moly - apparently I watch/am influenced by more TV than I realized!) and I spotted a hat with a telescoped top and upturned brim - and just like that I was sold.
I left the hat to dry for a couple of day and then all that was left to do was take it for a test drive. And get the opinion of my favorite western-wear critic, of course.
Now that everything has the mustang stamp of approval, I guess all that’s left to do is wear this felt beauty. I cannot wait to see what I see with this hat perched atop my head in the coming months.
