Friday 9 January 2015

FOUND - Passing the Hat? No Way!


I find my friends' relationships with their mothers endlessly compelling. Our moms, live fun fair mirrors reflecting their daughters, are the first women to shape us, even in their absence. My friend Monica (pictured above) has inherited the easy grace of her mother Maria, as well as her eye for tip-top pre-owned fashions. When Monica returned home to Toronto for Christmas this year, her mom had tracked down, among many other first class 2nd-hand bargains, this made-to-measure mink hat. While fur is not for everyone, for me 2nd-hand fur is fair game. Mom Maria picked it up for just $10.   


The daughter on the subject of her Austrian mother (pictured above)--
"When her family's fortunes were lost during the War, her mother, my Omama, became a seamstress for well-connected friends. Omama could see an image in a magazine and replicate it. My mom has an even keener eye, I think, and appreciates great fabrics and designs despite not being a fashionista or following trends. Her tastes lean toward classic but she has a real appreciation for new takes on time-honored styles. When she visits London, countless days were spent walking up to Hampstead to find a gently-worn tweed, a Burberry coat, or anything that was Made in England. Clothing that's edgy, black and short, she calls 'punk.' She pioneered her way to Canada in the early sixties as a recently graduated physiotherapist. Some 50+ years later, she enjoys herself at estate sales, church bazaars in posh neighborhoods and charity shops..."


Together, Monica and her mother wrote this deliciously charming cookbook, The Viennese Kitchen, based on family recipes CLICK HERE. As this book illustrates, mothers and daughters make formidable teams. So I tip my hat to both of these talented, well-dressed style hunters. 

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