One of My Favorite Things: WILBUR VINTAGE/A Beth Beverly Fashion Retrospective

Blouse from Wilbur Vintage

 I want to start incorporating posts about things and people who make my life as wonderful as it is that aren't necessarily taxidermy related, and am feeling inspired today to tell you all about one of my nearest and dearest, Wilbur Vintage.  I've known Dan Wilbur (owner and proprietor) for almost a decade now and ours is the kind of friendship that feels so instantaneous that the possibility of having met in other lifetimes isn't even questioned.  It's just understood. 

Gold shirt under black sweater from Wilbur-I'm posing with Cesar Galindo & model for his Fall '13 shoot.

Sweater again, in 2010

Dan has unparalleled taste in clothing and what makes him such a valuable asset to any woman's wardrobe is that he knows what women look good in.  Also, he's not afraid to tell you when something is not working on your body.  He understands that we all are built differently, and can see us through an unbiased filter- not the one we see ourselves through which can be tinted with flaw seeking shame or dumb shit we've been told by vampires who pose as people close to us in our formative years.

Recently I was getting dressed for an event and realised just about everything I wear is from Wilbur.  Especially clothes for events where I know I'm going to be photographed.  Without a doubt almost every time I leave the house, I can look down and see at least one piece from Wilbur Vintage on my body- dress, shoes, belt, scarf, shirt, gloves, anything and everything that looks good comes from this magical place.

Here's a brief video  from The American Hipster series in which I am lovingly ensconced in one my my favorite Wilbur blouses:

This dress is possibly my favorite Wilbur purchase- it's a vintage Bonwit Teller piece, which holds sentimental value for me since I spent five years of my life as the window dresser for Daffys which occupied the old Bonwit Teller building:

Cruise Elegant, baby: 2011

On the set  of Immortalized, 2012

 Back in 2010 when I made that fateful trek up to Brooklyn to compete in the annual Carnivorous Nights taxidermy competition (and won best in show in case anyone forgot) I armed myself with this stealthy suede number that was completely open backed.  It's hard to tell from this photo but it was drawn quite tight at the waist line with a little ruffle.  It felt very Cruella Deville which is exactly what I needed that night to dominate in unfamiliar territories.  This dress is probably second favorite in my collection.  Sadly, it requires a small waist and I've grown a couple inches since then- relegating this piece to its space on the dress up rack until I decide to put down the chocolate for a month or so.

Dress and gloves from Wilbur Vintage

 Back in 2011 I attended the Kentucky Derby and several of its surrounding events (The Barnstable Ball, The Brown Ball) to which I had donated taxidermy pieces to be auctioned off in exchange for tickets to said balls (side note- Mike Mills from REM and his girlfriend bought one of my hats. I wonder if she ever wears it and thinks of me...).  Of course I turned to Wilbur when planning my wardrobe for this trip:

 

 

 

At the Derby:Pink dress from Wilbur

 Our first night in Kentucky I stunned the locals with this number:

 

Unfortunately the hat is really being a camera hog so below is the same exquisite gown again, this time paired with a rabbit fur and antler hat:

Elegant night, AKA the night we narrowly escaped the Cozumel mafia

 Last year at the Radnor Hunt, the tailgate theme was "Islands", to be interpreted many ways. I went with Cuba and channeled my inner priestess, with the help of this colorful number from Wilbur.  This is definitely a do not try this at home level ensemble.

Dress from Wilbur Vintage

 When Immortalized was gearing up for its television premier there were several promotional events where I had the opportunity to dress in my finest.   The photo below is borrowed from Takeshi and that's me posing with him outside- it was a pop up gallery called Immortal Love and it was just terrific.  This vintage jacket paired perfectly with my just finished lamb fetus hat.

Jacket from Wilbur Vintage

 Inside from the same party:

Dress from Wilbur Vintage

 I also had the opportunity this year to show one of my hats during a NY Fashion Week runway show.  Here's me posing with the designer, Cesar Galindo and my hat.  The model wore it like a champ.  I took a mental snapshot of how it felt to sit in the front row and see someone walk so flawlessly in a piece that I made, and I take that snapshot out of the recesses of my mind and cuddle with it on rainy days.  I'm wearing this fantastic jacket I got from Wilbur that wraps around the body like a blanket and has tassels and ropes, a couple of my favorite things.

Jacket from Wilbur Vintage

I most recently wore this batik dyed dress from Wilbur to the second annual Ladies Tea at Devon, where it received rave reviews.  (Carson Kressley said it was his favorite dress of the day and that's that.)

Dress from Wilbur Vintage

In case you're not tired of watching me play dress-up, this video captures me in all my Wilbur Vintage glory, in motion no less:

 If you're feeling inspired to go check out Wilbur yourself, the shop is on Fabric Row in the Society Hill section of Philadelphia:

Address: 716 S 4th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

Phone:(215) 413-5809

Hours:

 

Monday	1:00–8:00 pm
Tuesday	1:00–8:00 pm
Wednesday	1:00–8:00 pm
Thursday	1:00–8:00 pm
Friday	1:00–8:00 pm
Saturday	12:00–7:00 pm
Sunday	12:00–7:00 pm

Not in Philly?  Lucky you, he's got an etsy shop:  Wilbur Vintage on Etsy

Vintage Post: Early Polo Days

The warmer climes have me dreaming of ponies, so I thought today I'd revisit one of my early polo polo matches.  Soon it will be long lazy afternoons of steeple chase, polo and dressage.

Mostly polo though. Polo people are my favorite.

 

Saturday, July 3, 2010

If there WAS a hat contest, you would've won the whole thing.

Last Sunday I took my gals back out to the Brandywine Polo Club for the 1st annual Philadelphia Cup.  This time we didn't work so hard; we just snagged ourselves some VIP tickets and hung out in the tent with the open bar (where the bartenders were pouring the BlueCoat with very heavy hand, if I may say so.  No complaints!).  While bringing our own tailgating supplies is fun too, on a super hot day it's nice to have the luxury of a VIP tent and everyone else doing the work.  Plus a DJ.  You's almost forget why we were there...







Oh yes-the game!  In between getting to know some of the members and networking with my hats  (it really was too bad there wasn't a hat contest but I'll take being showered with attention any day) we caught some excellent polo-pony action, and luckily wound up rooting for the winning team!







However, I think it's agreed that we all know who the REAL winners are.  My fascination with all things anatomical has me quite interested in horses; particularly polo ponies.  It takes a certain breed of horse to play polo; one that is shorter in the back and able to turn on a dime, one who is also capable of short bursts of speed comparable/greater than that of a race horse.  I imagine they're pretty intelligent too, as some basic understanding of what they're tying to achieve on that field must be present.  I can't help but marvel at their graceful, delicate looking ankles and how they hold up all that weight while gracefully trotting, running, turning, ect.  Having dissected a horse leg myself (I'm still working on the shoe; updates next month I swear) I have  a more vested interest in seeing these muscles in action for reference, as well as appreciation.



Those bandages on the front keep them from getting hurt when they get inadvertently whacked with a stick.







Speaking of sticks, one fo the female players from the winning team happened by and chatted us up while we admired the horses.  She was a darling by the name of Kathy Whitman and even gave us a brief lesson in hitting the ball.







That's Rachel Lynn K, our photographer for the day, and as you can see a real beauty.  All the ladies wore my hats swimmingly.







And look who we ran into!  One of my adversaries from hat parade past, Lauren St. Clair!  It's more fun to compete with people you really like, so we've become fast friends.  She even invited us on one of her gastronomical adventures taking place later in the day.  If you haven't heard about her eating her way through Philly, act like you know, fool.  Where all the food goes on that little frame is beyond me, though.



I know, I need a tutorial on how to mug for pictures.  I look like some kind of crazed animal.







Here's Eva in my squirrel hat; she was gracious enough to wear it and I think it gave her super powers....the unexpected side effect of wearing taxidermy on your head!







At halftime we all went out on the field to stomp the divots and surprise a sweet little red Ferrari (OK, I know nothing about cars so that's all you get) drove out on the field with Miss. Philadelphia sitting on the back with Maria Papadakis, both of them waving to the crowd.  While they're pretty and nice and all, the REAL sweet stuff was in the trunk which was filled to the brim with bottles of Veuve!  Those were promptly opened and we all enjoyed a toast ( or two or three) on the field.



When the game resumed we all took turns imagining ourselves driving such an exquisite piece of machinery.











Back in the tent, my hat was still commanding plenty of attention.  These ladies were pretty bummed about Mexico losing their world cup game earlier in the day but I think petting my duck lifted their spirits somewhat.







Handsome creatures:















And the winners!  What a fantastic day.

Posted by B at 3:16 PM No comments:

Freshest Head and Neck Fruits from my Hand Labor

Last week the gorgeous and talented Pearl ( you've seen her beauty here, see her creations here: Pearl Bell ) braved the sweltering climes in my third floor studio along with photographer and all around hottie Jim Coughlin (blog here: Snap Bam Splat and follow him on Instagram too @jimsinspace ) to shoot my latest headgear.  I provided the champagne.



Behold!



The Pearl:







I blocked this green felt hat myself, and named it after Ms. Bell for the simple reason that wide brim hats remind me of her.  There's a taxidermy wing tucked into the brim and some of the feathers trail off on the side, complimenting the downward swoop of the hat.







I also incorporated a sparkly tennis bracelet from my mother's collection.







The Pomp:







Comprised of the very same chicken from the Pearl hat, this piece is a taxidermied mount dried to mimic the shape of a swooping pompadour.







The mount itself is affixed to a handmade millinery base that I lined with pink satin and blue lace trim, which serves as a point upon which the hat can be secured on the wearer's head with bobby pins or elastic.  I like to see it paired with a cage veil but it can also be worn alone.







The Frenchie:







A taxidermied wing is enmeshed into the ruffles of a vintage millinery base, a fun jaunty little number.







Secured to the wearer's head with an elastic band, it can provide hours of worry free dancing, drinking, laughing, etc.  Worn alone here it's a flirty little number but can be paired with a white cage veil for a stunning wedding piece.







The Carnival:







Named after a wild night in which this hat remained on my head for 8 straight hours of drinking, dancing, being chased by Mexican gangsters, etc,  this hat takes a licking and keeps....on your head.







Secured to the wearer's head with an elastic band, the focal point of this piece is a pair of deer antlers embellished with genuine Swarosvki set amethyst crystals that point dangerously close to the eye.  The base is an antique millinery piece upon which I have added a raccoon fur poof and some hand twisted crinoline.







The Bobby:







My obsession with visors is still going strong, this example being in a hand blocked blue felt cap with a taxidermy chicken swirled around to create a bird butt poof at the top.  The chicken is, of course, embellished with crystals.







Along with the practical purpose of visors reflecting glare, the not so secondary mystique element of a slightly veiled face cannot be denied.







Le Roth:







As it took shape, this hat started to channel a sort of David Lee Roth ala "California Girls" energy, but en peu more French.  A taxidermied rooster wing sits atop a vintage millinery base with a yellow visor.  The bird head is hollow, while the exterior is just dripping with crystals.  Take from that whatever symbolism you wish,







The Andrea:







My classic visor hat.  Raccoon fur lined with felt and embellished with a sweet little green velvet ribbon.  Perfect for eye sex across the slopes and a toasty tete.







The Duchess:







This hat is a mashup of several species: the base is an antique rabbit fur pillbox, and I added a yellow poof of gosling down along with assorted chicken, guinea hen and pheasant feathers.







Ideal for a post hunt dinner on the estate, or a stroll down the avenue with you best beagle.







The Ladyship:







I think this piece speaks for itself. I just adore it.  It commands respect and gives the wearer an air of dignified authority. The base itself was so stunning to begin with, all I could do was add to it.  So add I did- a patch of assorted feathers, some gold metal charms from my personal collection and a tassel I made from silk fringe.  For women only, no girls please.







 



 



El Gatador:







A super cute felt number, this is a seriously easy to wear piece that stays on the wearer's head thanks to an elastic band, and it extremely lightweight.  One of my favorites, it's made especially special with a swirl of black rooster on top and a repurposed (read: my old earcuff from '84) alligator charm serving as an anchor for a bouquet of turkey beard hairs.







Perfect for any occasion, in my opinion.







 



The Marie:







Inspired by my Maid of Honor, this is a very proper velvet halo with a taxidermy rooster wing and saddle affixed to one side and a generous amount of Swiss dot veiling.  If only I'd had this on my wedding day; she would've worn it perfectly.  It conveys class, stoicism and a tremendous amount of fun just below the surface.  For the gal who can conduct herself properly at an exclusive event and then share a cigarette in the alley with the staff five minutes later.







 



The Shannah:







Not for the faint of heart!  The centerpiece of this headdress is a mummified bunny corpse coated in clear lacquer and covered in gems.  He's holding chain reins and resting comfortable among the spider-like fur "arms" of this vintage mink millinery piece.  Can be worn alone or paired with a cage veil.







 



The Mearrah:







I was going for a flapper feel with this hat; again the base is a vintage millinery piece and I added a taxidermied wing plus miscellaneous feathers and gems.  Works great with slicked back hair or a curly mane.



 



 



The Isabella:







I wore the unfinished version of this to my opening at La Luz and it was a hit.  Seeing it finished, and on a model, it feels more like a tribute to the late Isabella Blow, hence the title.  It's a simple piece consisting of a taxidermied rooster dried in a shape which hugs the crown and points out at such an angle so as to keep simpletons at bay.



 



Foxy Fascinator:







A simple little ditty comprised of chicken feathers fanning out from a taxidermied fox nutsack.  Sorry to be crass but I quite enjoy the juxtaposition of something people tend to shy away from serving such a pretty purpose.  An excellent conversation piece.







 



Guinea Hen Necklace:



Taxidermied leg with fox fur poof, gold chains and an old charm from a church in Philadelphia.







Guinea Hen necklace with pearls:







Freak Mutant Rooster Leg Necklace:



That spur says it all.  Ideal for someone who really wants to thin the herd of idiots who talk to them daily. No canvassers will even try to get your attention when you're wearing this.







 



Jawbone continuous earrings:



Fun to wear, lightweight nad a nonstop conversation piece.











Jaw bone continuous chain earrings:



Same as above; the chain is aluminium so it's also very lightweight.











 



So that was an eyeful, right?  And there is still more in the works!  Please think in advance about your Fall pieces and order now, folks.



XOXO Diamond Tooth.