The Art of the Bat

https://www.vogue.com/article/miss-tina-regrets

As Halloween lifts its head in the world context, costume and horror become part of an everyday ritual for some of us. Make that witch hat, prep those cat ears, reference those vampires.....all part of a millinery studio's to-do list. We see Halloween as a relief from the norm, nowadays.  An instant flicker of submerged reality, an escape from our perceived complications. With TV helping us along the way and Comicon now part of some internal lexicon on the plane of popular culture, costumes are often our interpretation of who and what we want to be. Since we were little runabouts in ghostly sheets, preying upon neighbors for our intake of sugar, costumes have grown up. The inspiration for those counter personae now seems rooted in comic books, film, tv spreading wide and far the possibility of becoming anyone or anything, if only for one night.

Bela Lugosi

Dracula's bride takes many forms.  Space age creatures and heroes, from Groot to Wonder Woman now amble serenely through party or gathering or convention.

Katy Kattelman and the author

The theory of costume as dress, or dress as costume is fast becoming vernacular. You can own a corset for many occasions, pulling it out of your closet for special affairs, or wearing it under a denim jacket. We did the same in 1980's Rockabilly days with our long-line Merry Widows and crinolines paired with vintage cowgirl boots and motorcycle jackets as substitute for  tuxedo and fancy dress.  The norm, for some. Costume for others.

Claire Fraser, The "Bat Suit " (courtesy of Terry Dresbach)

Watch your favorite TV show and behold wardrobe transformations take place all over the world.  Outlander, and the genius of Terry Dresbach and her crew have made tartan a de rigeur element once again. 18th Century riding habits are translated a la Claire ( female protagonist from Diana Gabaldon's world- shaking series of books and heroine to Jamie on Starz' series now in its 3rd season).

Bela Lugosi made the cape a required part of anyone's proper Dracula wardrobe, from the 1930's onward, when the film was released. But capes and shrugs and stoles and wraps were a truly necessary element for centuries.  It was cold. And so, back to Claire, in Outlander, and her Bat Suit.

Fashion photography by Henry Clarke, 1960s.

Janis Joplin

The Bat Suit, a phrase coined by designer Terry Dresbach, and the cape that tops it in the tv series becomes a time-travelling wardrobe for her in one fell swoop. Capes were part of the 1960's-70's dress-up era as we went from modish snow bunnies to Janis Joplin admirers.  Capes were worn by women in  the fashion plates of editorial Vogue and the hippie granny square rebirth of  San Francisco Haight Ashbury streetwear fashion. Capes and ponchos have been part of our culture in facets not always linked to costume. The wearability and protective nature of these garments lend a sense of normalcy to character improvisation.
Claire's cape, as part of an outfit she whipped up (euphemistically) for herself to regress to the 18th Century has to translate from 1960's conservative styles to daily usage in the unsettling daily routines of the 1780's. Cape, as part of her "Bat Suit" lined with pockets, as handbag, kitted out to prevent inquiring minds from wondering if she were a witch. (Watch the series, and read the books for all the witchy references).

Yvonne Craig as Batgirl and Burgess Meredith as the Penguin 

The reference is taken from the popular 1960's Adam West/Burt Ward interpretation of Batman.  Seen on TV with  a slew of Hollywood names as villains, this series brought the cape into our teenage homes. Yvonne Craig played the caped female version of Batgirl, and the image leapt from the pages of our coveted comic books to part of an iconic trail of heroes and heroines. In capes.
Capes lend a note of romance, mystery, and always, a place to stash your thingamajigs. Bela Lugosi didn't need to stash anything, since Dracula could transform at will.  But with our modern penchant for carrying the world in our pockets and pocketbooks, a cape allows for hiding, protecting, and serves as a broad brushstroke in style.
Pity Claire doesn't go in for headpieces.

Guide to Ellen Christine Couture Millinery

We're deep in the heart of racing season. Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones has just closed in the Manhattan location at The Bard Graduate Center. Brides are descending upon us like so many hummingbirds. We've just begun online S/S 2012 on several new sites. Our customer base is expanding. Our inhouse custom appointments are multiplying. Strawbery Banke Museum is awaiting it's opening, with one of our pieces in the exhibit this summer. Right! did I mention racing season????

I'm sure I'll remember something else, but for now, that's the overview. And here's the breakdown:

To add one of our pieces to your hat collection, we've now made it easier for aficionados. We're on the Metropolitan Opera Shop site with a beautiful capsule collection inspired by their opera productions. Our favorite this week is the Manon (the Big White Hat), inspired by the glorious piece that the Met's costume shop/millinery studio, headed by Janet Linville, designed. What a way to open up the spring season at Lincoln Center!

Hatagories, an online access shopping site that is a branch of My Fair Lady, a hat concern in NJ, has just added Ellen Christine to it's roster of hat stars. We're so happy, and as soon as the images were live, one of our little "Gigi" doll's hats sold. Another of the Gigis is on the Met site, too, in natural parasisal, with a nod, of course, to Manon. And the extraordinary voice of Anna Nebtrenko.

Our friend, Geoffrey, an intrepid hat designer, developer, merchandiser et al, has opened a page for designers on his site , too. But on here, as we have our own point of view, we have chosen to offer our more fashion forward pieces. Whereas when we're collaborating with a merchandiser, they tend to choose pieces suited to their audience. We have no qualms about showing off, so Geoffrey has given us that platform!

Our own EllenChristine.com site is an ongoing archival record of our classics. Still offered at our original prices, and custom designed and made, these hats tell a story of our evolution, and demonstrate just a few possibilities for hat loving customers . Keep an eye out for this site to begin it's own evolution, as we begin to implement changes. And oh, yes, the prices will be different, so you might want to take advantage now.

Custom appointments are accommodated as we have space. In New York City, that means who can we squeeze in, because, as always, there are way too many last minute desperados out there. We like to work with our brides in a calm, creative manner, and so the more time available, the happier we'll be. For the Kentucky Derby, and Derby parties, I'm sure we can find something, even the day before, because we always have a great selection of hats suitable for an over-the-top event.

Our Spring/Summer activities include trunk shows, hat parties, High Teas, and a trek to new Hampshire, for the Passion for Fashion Gala, at the aforementioned Strawbery Banke Museum. Catch up with us before July, when we're off to France for inspiration and opera! It's a fully packed 2 months, and we're so ready!

Hats on, everybody!

www.metoperashop.org

www.hatagories.com

www.thatwayhat.com

www.ellenchristine.com

www.strawberybanke.org

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