I Always Dress for Success

And that's what last Sunday's polo match was all about.  Us spectators were treated to a  beautifully played match (although I spent a good portion of it mingling in the VIP tent tasting amazing food and drinking Magners and champagne I really have to curb my socializing but it's so hard with all the great people to chat with!) and we were cheering for a cause: Dress for Success.  Hit that link and familiarise yourself if you haven't already.  It's ok, I'll wait.



OK, that's hacky.  Sorry.  Anyway, it was action packed, and while Susan Scovill has all the great pictures of the people (including me serving champagne for the halftime divot stomp!), she is unfortunately (for us) on vacation so I cannot borrow her images.  In the meantime, I have a few fun shots of my own as well as some borrowed ones from Amy Dragoo and Milicia Stojancic.



The beautifully captured photos of the horse-action is all Amy.  I think I am her biggest fan.  I truly adore her work.  It doesn't hurt that she's a quickly blossoming chicken master, either.











There was a hat contest advertised, and yours truly was slated to be judge.  The wheels sort of fell off that bus early in the day however, which is unfortunate because there were some pretty hats.  I chose my three favorites, anyway, and below is Cecilia (a rep for Dress for Success, coincidentally, although I didn't know if when I chose her!) who I deemed "Most Classic Hat".







Look at that priceless reaction; clearly it's in response to one of the flawless coast to coast hits during the match.  She can't believe her own eyes!



"Most Creative Hat" would've gone to my new pal Milicia Strojancic.  She crafts these lovely fascinators with botanical themes.







Pretty ladies! That's Milicia's friend Christine with us; she had a sweet little bird on the back of her head but we thought it would be polite to take a picture of her front)







There were some pretty ladies on the field, too:







Duke & Winston set up shop outside the VIP area; Pearl and I had the extreme pleasure of tending to this charming little guy while his human did all the grunt work of setting up the merch:



(I borrowed this picture from their website...again, Susan has all the good pics.  Susan, come home SOON!)  I also picked up a shirt for my mister; the tees are made from a really high quality cotton and I could touch them for hours.  Oh, and there's some pretty cool screen printed images on them too.







The winners!







The only time its acceptable to wear filthy white pants.  Well played, gentlemen.







I had seen another hat which I deemed "Best Vintage" but the wearer disappeared before I had a chance to get a photograph.  It was a beautiful white cloche-type chapeau with a large white multi-pleated ribbon hugging the back of it.  I did manage to catch a shot of this lovely gal, who I made a category up for:  "Best Dressed":







She has a polo match on her dress!  I love it.  She'd also been dancing, as we all had.  Nobody's shoes lasted too long after the music started.



Here's myself and polo pal Pearl.  We got pretty silly, like we always do, and had plenty of laughs.







And then somebody whipped this stuff out and the rest is kind of fuzzy.....







See you next time!!!

Felicia's Fascinator

Such a creative title, hmmmm?  I'm starting to think my wit went on vacation and left the rest of me in this South Philadelphia brick oven.  Alas, there are some wonderful things I've been cooking up in said brick oven.



HIYO!  There's that whip-smart writing style, peeking out through my sleep deprived haze.



I met Felicia recently and was instantly smitten at her zest, pep, zip, and rabid enthusiasm for all things culinary.  Upon being introduced to them Felicia then became somewhat smitten with my pieces, and it was then that we decided she must wear a Diamond Tooth custom crafted fascinator to an upcoming wedding at which she would be a guest.







I met up with her this morning at the Reading Terminal Market and watched her order an assortment of baked goods from Termini Bros with the panache that comes from years of tasty experience.



Yes, this gal knows her sweets.



I could hardly keep up with her, in fact she only slowed down to take her fascinator out of the box and give me the thumbs up.  When she learned that I used the wing from a chicken which had belonged to a dear mutual friend of ours, the approval rating went up.







I need to get a shot of her wearing it; the wing curves around from the back of the head and hugs the side before gently peeking out just a wee bit around the front.  I embellished it with hand curled ostrich feathers and vintage crystal-studded lace patches.







She strikes me as a woman of understated elegance so I wanted to keep it subdued and gentle.  I threw in some pheasant feathers and a chain detail that can dangle from the comb and over her hair, and called it a day.







Hopefully the sun will catch the crystals and make her pretty head sparkle at the wedding.  I hope you enjoy her, Felicia, as much as I enjoyed crafting her.

Giddyup!

Incase you didn't know, we're in the middle of a ridiculous heat wave, and while I tend to prefer warmer climes, today I've given up on trying to get anything done.  Unfortunately the first thing to go when I overheat is my vocabulary, so I'll make this brief.  Here are some photos from last Sunday's Chasin' for Chalfin fundraising polo match, which was a blast.  The sun became a bit oppressive for us delicate flowers at one point but fortunately some seasoned tailgaters absorbed us into their party.  Behold the pros:







Much better visual coverage can be found on Susan Scovell's site: Susan Scovill on the Mainline.  That's where I found this lovely group shot of Meredith, myself and our hosts.  I made a new hat specifically for the day, and I'm quite pleased with it.  Better pictures to follow.







Voila!  The front of our tailgate, an antique Rolls Royce.  Looks pretty glamorous, no?







Wait until you see the back!



That would be our hosts, pulling the custom-fitted wooden folding table out of the trunk.  Upon it was placed a heaping amount of finger sammies, meats, cheeses, and a dubious mixture in a plastic bottle with the words "polo punch" scribbled on it.  It tasted like citronella, perhaps an acquired taste?  (Give me a break, I'm still learning the ways of the tailgate!)  Regardless, it was a divine picnic.







In the event you were wondering, it's never the wrong time to whip out your Hooters coozy.  Never.







This is what I love about polo.  Everyone is there to have fun, and it's all-inclusive.  Just.  Have.  Fun.



And try not to step in any horse shit during the half time divot stomp! (I did, this time.  I guess I was overdue)







We were treated to a show of this horse-pulled carriage toting around two elegant gentleman and several gorgeous ladies., who dismounted and served us all champagne.  Delovely!











"yes, that's the right shade of yellow.  Perfect, darling, please proceed."







Oh, right, there was an antique car show!  Pretty nifty one here.











Believe it or not, there was an entire polo match that day!  There will be another one this Sunday, with cocktails, an after party and music!  Oh!  And a hat contest to be judged by yours truly.  Won't you come?  I'd love to see you, darling.







Tickets start at ten bucks!  I highly recommend you treat yourself to some VIP action though, check it out.



Click here for tickets: BRANDYWINE POLO CUP



Until then, the caravan of fab has left the building.







See you Sunday!

"We make good trade, John Dunbar"

 







That's what my dear old friend Erin was expressing to me last night when I presented her with her custom piece of fine taxidermic millinery.



Erin is a very talented stylist over at JuJu Salon in Philadelphia and fortunately for me, also one of my best friends.  Several months back we agreed to swap a hair coloring & a couple blowouts ( my ultimate indulgence!  Someday soon I'll be able to afford my weekly vice...) for a Diamond Tooth hat.  I was given instructions not to rush; she wanted me to take my time so her piece would be just right.







I held out just long enough for this green vintage hat to walk into my life which I knew immediately would suit her perfect.  Silly me; I didn't get any before pics but this hat in particular had significant crumple-age; after pressing and blocking it looked like an entirely new piece!  Once the millinery issues were straightened out  I added the squirrel portion.  From there its just a perfect storm of found objects and me being in the zone and loving what I'm doing....and trying not to get too carried away.







 



I brought the hat over to Erin last night and she was pleased as punch!  It fit her like  a dream too, I shall get some pictures of her wearing it shortly. I even got a surprise blow-out!



OK, that;s all the flexing my vocabulary has the energy for.  It's so hot in here and I just can't seem to find any more words. Take it away, Tom Tom Club:

A Sharp Dressed Man

Every girl is crazy about 'em.  Well, every girl ought to be, in my book.



This ZZtop video is actually really awful.  This is the first time I've seen it but I wanted you, dear reader, to listen to the song whilst reading this post.  This has long been my favorite ZZTop song (well, next to La Grange, of course) simply because of the lyrics.  It's like this song was written for me.  I've always been enamoured with men's accessories, and any guy who opts to incorporate these little extras into his daily ensemble earns high marks with me.  I used to buy gaudy, bejeweled vintage cufflinks at flea markets knowing that someday I'd meet a man to give them to.



To some it may appear a little fey, but I think it speaks volumes when a man takes time getting dressed, thinks about the way his clothes fit his form, and is thoughtful about embellishments, etc.  It makes me sick to see how the vast majority of the opposite sex has given up on fashion, wearing a uniform of cargo shorts, flip flops and baseball caps.  Men: do you take no pleasure in the art of "getting ready"?  Whatever happened to putting your best face forward?  Take one look outside my house and I should consider myself lucky guys are able to get their jeans up to the bottom of their asses nowadays. It really turns my stomach, especially when I see these offensive creatures walking around with women who clearly invested some serious time in their appearance/ensemble.



Ladies!  Put your stilleto-clad foot down!  Send your beau back inside to change and don't let yourself be seen with him until he is dressed to match your caliber.  Do not lower your worth by letting yourself be paraded around by a slob!



Men!  Stop letting yourselves go!  Some of you complain about not having as many options as women in the shopping/clothing arena but really, you can personalize your look with any or all of the following:



cufflinks (easy)



ties (duh)



bow ties (not for the faint of heart)



belts (very easy)



tie tacks (easy/moderate)



a monocle (difficult, not for amateurs)



watches (easy)



rings (takes panache)



pockets squares (fun and endless ways to fold!)



stick pins.  So easy, so elegant, and speaking of:







I apologise for the poor quality photos; my in-house photographer was not available at the moment and I clearly  am not skilled with a camera.



This is a custom lapel pin I just dropped off  for a dear friend and fellow sharp-dressing enthusiast, Adrian Hardy.  He is also a talented purveyor of music, I believe the term is DeeJay although I cringe when I hear myself say that because for some reason (perhaps due to my complete lack of a night life) I feel like an out-of-touch poseur when I use that word.  Irregardless, Mr. Hardy and one of his partners-in-crime over at LOTis Media had a fairly significant event last night in Philadelphia to tend to and Adrian requested I whip up something fancy for him.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love doing custom work.  Pieces are so much more special to me when I've got a specific client in mind.  That said, it also makes for a much more harrowing experience as I hand it over, wringing my hands and praying they like it.  I'm pretty sure this one went over well; I'll have to troll for pictures online to see.







The parameters given to me for this lapel-pin were Arian's personality and what I know of it, and the fact that this particular event was a "white party".  I used a bed of Polish Hen  plumage and added feathers of pheasant, peacock, and mourning dove.  I also embellished it with some rabbit fur and a dazzling vintage charm.  All of this atop a 24K gold-plated stick-pin!



And there's more where that came from, folks!  Just check out my Etsy shop!







Say it with me, ladies and gentlemen: men's return to fashion starts RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, with ME and team Diamond Tooth.



xoxo,



Beth Beverly



 



***update: Here is a photo of Senor Hardy last night Courtesy of Philly Chit Chat: Not too shabby, eh?

art of earning

meaning behind my work

yes, meaning for ME< but for others?  never crossed my mind.

2x men at shows came to me with tears in their eyes over a piece which had touched them

A special comb for a special gal

Here is a comb I was recently commissioned to make for a friend as a gift for her sister-in-law.  Commissions are my favorite assignments; I thrive on personalizing things for specific individuals.   The recipient in this case has reddish hair, and appreciates a flash of bright color.  I incorporated a cameo because it reminded me of the couple who commissioned the piece.







According to my friend, the cameo resembles her sister-in-law!  My personalised work seems to somehow magically blend in perfectly with the wearer's style and personality; I truly think this is where I excel.  These are the times when I follow my instincts and it works.



Here's a full-sized image.  I just had to get these shots quickly since I had to run out and deliver the piece.  It's comprised of pheasant, peacock and misc bird feathers; some were manipulated and curled.  I also incorporated vintage gems and beaver fur.







 



And here is another picture.  It is so ridiculously hot in here and I can't think.  Words hard.