Celebrating the 110th Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Founders’ Day with Amazing Grace Etiquette

Celebrating the 110th Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Founders’ Day with Amazing Grace Etiquette

Greetings Loves, Last Saturday, I had the absolute honor of modeling in an elegant Hat Fashion Show to celebrate the 110th Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Founders’ Day.  January 15 is officially the day that their Founders put a vision into reality and organized Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.  The fashion show was hosted by Corbett Modeling Group, which is part of Amazing Grace Etiquette based in Raleigh, NC at Brier Creek Country Club. Amazing Grace Etiquette is spearheaded by Dr. Donna Corbett, and its mission is to provide innovative etiquette education to adults and children throughout the Triangle area.  These qualities are essential to social development of youths and adults; however, often appear to have been forgotten and ignored in this century.  Dr. Corbett’s background includes twenty years of corporate experience, and over a decade of experience in etiquette education and modeling arenas.  She has embraced her calling to be a powerful force in the Triangle community! Each model graced the runway wearing the finest hats dating from 1962 to 2017 from The Mary E. Corbett Hat Collection.  Ms. Mary E. Corbett, Donna’s mother, is a woman who adores hats and has a collection of over 300!  The Hat Fashion Show is elegance at it’s best!  It’s perfect for ladies’ teas, fundraisers, birthday celebrations, or any type of event where you would like to add class and pizzazz. It was a treat to be in the presence of such a beautiful group of empowering ladies.  As a woman, vintage connoisseur and hat collector, this day was simply a dream come true! Love, The Ultimate...
Mysterious Swag

Mysterious Swag

Every look has a story, and today my story isn’t adventure, fantasy, romance, or suspense.  It’s a mystery! Anyone who knows me knows I’m a hat connoisseur.  A benefit of hat wearing is they create a mysterious effect for someone who knows how to wear one.  As a fashion stylist and hat lover, one of my pet peeves is not doing a hat justice.  It takes a certain amount of swag to pull off wearing a hat the right way, and if worn incorrectly they certainly can look corny. Aside from the most important purpose of wearing a hat which is to look fabulous and mysterious, hats also serve other important purposes such as covering up a bad hair day, and providing sun protection.  Additionally hats can completely transform the look of an outfit with minimal effort, making them one of the best accessories ever invented in my opinion. Over the years I’ve heard people say they don’t think they can pull off wearing a hat or their head is too big to wear one.  I have to disagree.  There are all types of hats in the world, and just like clothes it’s just a matter of finding the right fit and style.  I love assisting my clients with selecting the right hats to compliment their style.  Once they realize hats look great on them, the possibilities are endless. Think of a hat like the bow on top of a present, or the icing on top of a cake.  It’s the final finishing piece which brings it all together.  When it comes to hats one bit of advice to...
I Tip My Hat To You

I Tip My Hat To You

Over the past few weeks in my area we’ve been experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures up until this week.  Now that the weather is finally turning cold, it’s time to break out those badazz hats.  You know, the one’s that don’t keep your ears warm, but you look damn good in? Thank goodness there are so many options to choose from this season.  I have loved seeing the variety of brims.  There are just too many styles to name, but Wikipedia has the coolest list of hat styles I’ve seen thus far.  For today’s look, I could have easily worn a wide brim style hat, but I chose to be different and wore a camel colored fedora style homburg hat with black grosgrain trim. If you aren’t familiar with a homburg, it’s sometimes called a “Godfather” after Al Pacino’s wearing of one in the mafia movie “The Godfather”.  It’s one of the oldest formal style hats, and as you probably suspect, they are traditionally worn by a male. I’m neither a gangster nor a male, but I break all the fashion rules, so I don’t care. Another unconventional twist to this look was pairing it with a dress.  In my opinion the homburg hat gives this dress the right amount of sassy.  What’s your opinion of my look today? Photography by:  Em Grey Photography //Homburg Hat (rag & bone New York)// Similar here AliExpress //Dress (Vintage)// //Belt (Vintage)// //Purse (Vintage)// //Fur Booties (Karmena by ShoeDazzle)// //Makeup (Reveal Cosmetics)//   Love, The Ultimate...
What Goes Around Comes Around

What Goes Around Comes Around

It’s a new year!  As one would think, out with the old and in with the new.  But wait, not necessarily! The nature of fashion can be somewhat short-lived; however, this new year I’m focusing on giving my high-end goods of yesteryear a second life.  During a recent trip home my beautiful mother gifted me with her and my grandmother’s vintage hats that I love wearing.  I decided to wear this eye-catching crown jewel for new years since it’s one of my favorites out of the entire bunch.  I love the deep elegance and how it commands attention.  It became more remarkable for me to wear it for a special occasion. I paired this 1940’s beauty with a LBD (little black dress), and my favorite vintage handbag and fur scarf. 2015 has been such an amazing year!  I would like to take this time to personally thank everyone for all of the love and support you’ve shown me and my blog.  It’s been wonderful!  May God bless you in 2016! Happy New Year to you and your families! Photography by:  Em Grey Photography //Black Dress (Uneak Boutique)// //Armcandy Strappy Platform Sandal (Nine West)// Purchased at Amazon //Tassel Handbag (Carlisle Collection) (Vintage)// //Hat (Vintage)// //Fur scarf (Vintage)//     Love, The Ultimate...
Hat-Attack Series: Mahogany

Hat-Attack Series: Mahogany

It’s no secret how much I love hats, and now the weather is finally cool enough to start wearing them. My hat obsession started at an early age because of my mom, who has always been a hat connoisseur.  During a recent visit to see her, she gifted me with all of the fabulous hats she had collected for over half a century.  Needless to say, I was overjoyed and graciously found a place for them within my home.  While growing up she always wore different styles of hats, not only to church on Sunday’s but every where.  Hats were routinely incorporated into her daily outfits, so it was normal for me to think every woman should wear them. I love hats so much not only because of their function, but because of their mysteriousness and the way they can skillfully change the look of any outfit on a whim.  More importantly they can also hide a bad hair day. 🙂 Over the course of the next several months, I’ll be bringing several of my mom’s hats back to life during a series called “Hat Attack”.  Each of these hats tell a story from the beginning or spanning over years and even generations.  The first hat featured in my blog is one of my favorites because it’s similar to the sophisticated hat worn by Diana Ross in the famous movie “Mahogany”.  It keeps me cozy and makes me feel a lot more pulled-together and polished, even when I hastily get dressed. From time to time people have often asked me if hats are coming back.   I say “No,...