What is a Fascinator? Think of it as a hat martini

Fascinating isn’t it?

Is it a hat? 

Is it a band?

It’s not so plain, so let me explain.

A fascinator may look like a small hat but is held in place by a band, clip, pin or comb. You’ve seen Princess Katherine wearing it.  Camilla wore one on her wedding day to Prince Charles. It was made by Philip Treacy, who also made the butterfly version you see here. You’ll see many more versions among the guests at the Royal wedding on Friday.

While I don’t think grand hats will catch on anytime soon in the USA, I’m willing to go out on a limb and say the fascinator is here to stay. Why? Because it is so easy to wear–even for the hat averse– and is a great way to add drama to any outfit.

The three  pictured below are custom pieces from Chicago milliner Carla Faso’s Spring 2011 collection and range in price from $250-$350.

Stone Temple Pilots: “Between the lines”

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The shirt off my back: Why I own the J Crew Light Weight Slim Fit Shirt

What do you wear on those extremely hot summer days when you still need to look pulled together?

I wear the Light Weight shirt from J Crew because it  is the lightest weight and  best fitting shirt I have found for the money.

I wear it as a dress shirt with a tie or I roll up the sleeves and wear it untucked  with shorts.  In either case, I don’t wear a t-shirt under it because it’s almost weightless and feels  like a cool breeze against the skin.

I bought 7 of them last summer, in a mix of solids, checks and plaids .

It’s that addictive.

As the season progresses, they will make more colors, so keep checking back for a greater selection and a few markdowns.

The Light Weight shirt is available in regular, tall and slim fit, XS-XL. $69.50