Keeping up with the trends!

This week saw the launch of my new Autumn Winter 2017 collection of bespoke handmade hats. From vibrant violets and rocking reds, to more subtle colours such as saffron and soft grey. I love playing with the colours, but the textures that can be created on a hat are stunning! The use of feathers and fur are perfect for the autumn.

But as we all know, fashion doesn’t stay still! With London Fashion Week just over a month ago it was fascinating to see all the fabrics, styles and colours that will be coming in the Spring Summer 2018 season.

Here are 5 tips from the LFW17

Greenery is the top colour for SS18

  1. Clothing is all about layering up and sheer fabrics
  2. The nautical theme is still around, instead of straight lines it will be about the s-lines
  3. The textile trend is tartan
  4. Best quote from LFW ‘Glitter is for the day, not just the night’ Victoria Beckham

So, back to the here and now… if you would like to see the Autumn/Winter collection first hand, then come and see me at the Rare Brand Market on the 16th November at Goodwood Race Course, Chichester or view my shop for more details.

5 reasons Why I Love Millinery (And You Should, Too!)

Couture Millinery has become my life passion, being able to create beautiful works of art to compliment an array of outfits and events. So why should we all love millinery?

  1. Expressing the personality of its wearer from embellished headbands to wide brimmed dress hats.
  2. Oh so British! Royal weddings will always see a surge in hats as will the pageantry of Royal Ascot and other racing events.
  3. The varied history of hat making, and the trends through the years… just fascinating!
  4. Celebrities and iconic women, such as Audrey Hepburn who have brought hats to the fashion forefront.
  5. Adapting hats to create the overall look, from vintage pillboxes to look the part at events such as the Goodwood Revival or being the proud Mother of the Bride at the wedding of the year.

This is why we love British Millinery and creating handmade bespoke hats for every occasion, for a consultation or to find inspiration on the perfect hat, email me or call me to arrange a consultation

 

Quintessentially British Fashion at the Races

This is my absolute favourite in the horse racing calendar, not only is it on my doorstep (living just a stones throw from Chichester) in my opinion, it is certainly the most glamorous of all the race festivals.

We are having the most amazing summer so far with scorching temperatures and long sunny evenings, I do hope the sunshine carries on until the 1st of August when the Qatar Goodwood Festival starts. Lovingly known as ‘Glorious Goodwood’ this event is the largest race meeting in the world with an amazing mix of sporting and social highlights.

The social and fashion element of the Qatar Goodwood Festival is also very unique, the quintessentially English ‘Goodwood’ style is certainly a theme that runs throughout, its smart but never stuffy, a wonderful excuse to dress up and express yourself through fashion.

Here is your guide to the Goodwood Racing Festival dress code, remember the Qatar Goodwood Festival is one of the most photographed events of the season!

Richmond Enclosure

Ladies: an effortless dress that feels fun but chic would be perfect for this enclosure, vibrant prints will be sure to make you stand out. This is the perfect place to wear a bespoke hat from Clare Louise Millinery, stand out with your own handmade one off piece.

Gentlemen: A jacket and tie is required for the Richmond Enclosure, dressing for Goodwood should be relaxed and elegant, the kind of outfit that has timeless appeal but a smartness to make sure you fit in wherever you go.

Gordon & Lennox Enclosure

Gordon Enclosure: More informal than the Richmond Enclosure but no less elegant. Jackets and ties are not compulsory, but still dress to impress.

Lennox Enclosure has no formal dress code.

We only have 19 days left until the festival starts, so if you haven’t yet sorted your outfit or your hat, contact me to book in for a consultation to start creating your bespoke handmade hat or visit our new shop for inspiration

Royal Ascot Overview 2017

As Royal Ascot 2017 comes to a close, I’ve found it fascinating as a milliner to see what crazy as well as chic styles there has been! From fashion fails to sheer perfection Ascot has definitely seen everything (good and bad) this year!

One great thing that has come from Royal Ascot 2017 is the jumpsuit which has made it onto the new dress code list, and I do think the classic jumpsuit is here to stay!

The Queen, dressed in beautiful bold colours such as lime green and pink, looked stunning even at 91 with the Duchess of Cambridge looking beautifully chic in her Alexander Mcqueen lacy number.

Big bold florals and pinks seemed to steal the show. There were so many beautiful hats, I couldn’t possibly choose a favourite feathers and butterflies certainly had a place this season, mind you, I would say that sometimes bigger isn’t better!

Temperatures reached a soaring 33 degrees, so the lovely ladies wearing a thick layer of self tan certainly found that in the heat… you can melt! The streaky patchy look was certainly noticed throughout. I do love checking out the latest fashion faux pas!

The best part of Ascot for me was having our lovely ladies send me photos of their day, our wonderful competition winner Andrea Mills and one of our other customers Lara Goldsmith, looking very ‘race chic’ It makes me so proud to see the hats I’ve made showcased at such a prestigious event.

Next on the list is the ‘glorious’ Qatar Goodwood Festival, working day and night at the moment with the orders coming in for the August Racing Festival. So if you haven’t got your hat sorted yet for Goodwood, contact me and we can get you organised, you never know, you may be ‘papped’ wearing one of the Clare Louise Millinery Bespoke hats!

Our Glorious Winner of a Beautiful Bespoke Hat

We had such amazing response to our latest competition at Clare Louise Millinery, there are so many people out there who deserve a hat for their event, whether that’s for a wedding or for Royal Ascot, so thank you to everyone who engaged with us on facebook.

But there can be only one winner… drum roll please… that was the lovely Andrea Mills from Littlehampton, West Sussex, who I have to add, has never won anything in a competition before! Andrea was incredibly surprised.

Andrea is an avid fan of the Qatar Goodwood Festival and heads up to the racecourse at least 3 times during the festival week, she will also be showcasing her beautiful hat at Royal Ascot this year! And also had an added bonus of a second hat for hire for a wedding in Spain.

In an interview while she was having her bespoke hat designed, Andrea told me ‘I am always a hat wearer, and any occasion I will find an excuse to wear one. After losing 2 stone with slimming world, my confidence has grown more and more with finding outfits and hats to compliment’

Andreas friend summed it up in a message after saying… “OMG !!! That couldn’t have happened to a more deserving, hat loving, hat needing, gorgeous girl! Fabulous! you look beautiful in both xxx”

For more information on how to get your hands on a stunning bespoke hat, please contact me via our website or call me on 07901 717900