Send Us Your Photos: Hat's Off Photo Contest Submission

Here is a stunning photo sent to us from, Véronique Mahé. She writes, "I send you a picture of my Mum taken in 2005, when she was 78 years old." Remember the hat party is only two days away!

Send In Your Photos:Hat's Off Photo Contest!

Advanced Style is throwing a HAT PARTY with Guest of a Guest and Canobie Films. The party will be held on Tuesday Dec 2, 2008 at the Historic Algonquin Hotel and will celebrate the DVD release of the highly acclaimed documentary Hat's OFF, starring 93 year old style icon, model and actor Mimi Weddell. Advanced Style is putting on a photo contest and the winner will secure a spot on our guest list and have a chance to meet this legendary woman. Send in your best Advanced Style hat photos to Advancedstyleinfo@gmail.com along with your email address and a little information about the photos. We will post our favorites on the site and the lucky winner will be notified by email invitation to this wonderful event. Looking forward to seeing all of your photos.

Tucked in Boots

Another great shot from Hanneli!

Norwegian Nightingale

Hanneli took this wonderful photo while working in Norway. I still can't get over her pictures.!

Zelda Kaplan

A wonderful picture of the iconic Zelda Kaplan, shot by my pal Olivia Horner.

John Rainbow Shines

I was looking for some hats for a hat party I'm putting on for Mimi Weddell when I ran into this classy fellow outside of The Village Scandal. Not only does he dress well but it turns out that he is a singer as well. Click Here to check out John Rainbow's music and watch a video sampling of the 80 year old's tunes below:

John Rainbow

My Man is a Real Estate Developer in the South

and loves designer get-up

Gentleman with Groceries

This well dressed gentleman had just finished grocery shopping when I stopped him for a photo. I was wondering how to layer my clothes and still look classy. This guy serves as a great example!

Mimi Weddell: Looking Good in Lorick

Here is a photo of Mimi Weddell from Lorick's most recent look book. It's great to see such an inspirational woman still working hard at the age of 93. Get ready for the release of "Hats Off" early December and email me if you are interested in being a part of the Hat Party I am planning with Mimi, Guest of a Guest, Abigail Lorick, and Canobie Films.

Change Change Change

I saw this couple at Milk Gallery and loved the message behind this lady's dazzling necklaces. She is a maker of marionettes and an art lover as well.

Match Point

This striking lady designed and created her matching bag and hat.

"Smiling Keeps Me Young"

Thats what he told me. I'm thinking his colors must help out.

Glamorous Grandma

Here is another shot of Michaela's beautiful grandmother.

Animal Print

Coordinated Class

My best buddy Michaela's grandmother always looked stunning no matter where we went. She even once wore a fur to a local breakfast diner. Here she is in a floral blouse and pants with her dear friend in Seattle. I am blessed to have known such an elegant woman.

Winter Coat

I can only aspire to be this well dressed. I asked this gentleman where he bought his round frames, "Venice, I think" he responded.

So Darling With Her Red Hair and Turquoise Eye Shadow

She's so special, she said "I'm a performer, an artist and a painter" ! She did a little dance with each one!

Love a Fedora On a Woman

A frigid day on a Paris street, she has such grace and style with her exaggerated brim tilted after lunch, and that coat! I think her gloves were of green leather !

Head over Hats

This woman was as gracious as can be. I complimented her hat and not a second went by before she pulled me across the street to the hat store where she had purchased it. After my tour of the incredible shop, we chatted for a moment and I learned that she is a retired professor from Sarah Lawrence. We also both decided that you can never have too many hats.

Parisian Patriot

My friend Pauline and I were walking through Central Park when we saw this lovely lady. We admired her purple hat, which it turns out was made by Marie Mercié,a famous hat maker with a store in Paris at St. Sulpice. The changing leaves were the perfect setting for this woman and her companion's short visit to America. They said, "We came to America for a moment to smell the new America with the new president."

Welcome MISTER MORT to Advanced Style

Welcome the newest contributor to Advanced Style, Mordechai S. Rubinstein. "MISTER MORT" has been shooting pictures of stylish ladies and gents for some time now and it seems we have even shared a few of the same subjects. He has got a great eye for style. Check out his first few posts below and this one that I borrowed from his own site.

Lucy's Beret

"Joe Rosenblatt Like the Cantor "

Mimi and Sheila

I met this wonderful fellow named Charles Crutchfield at a dance performance last week. We got to talking about things and it turns out that he has worked with Mimi Weddell in the wardrobe and costuming of some film projects. He came across this photo of his good friend Sheila Winters and Mimi at an event for the movie "Marci X".

Reader submission

Bella sent us in this lovely picture. She says, "This is a photo of my mother, Lolly and her friend Sandy. These ladies frequently take it to the next level."

Stylish Sapeur: A Return to Elegance

[ Photos taken by Hector Mediavilla]

I was ecstatic to find these wonderful photos of elegantly dressed older Congolese men. Their style of dress is called Sape from the french slang" dressing with class". This is just too great not to share. I have imported an article from ZoneZero below. Make sure and CLICK HERE to see an amazing photo essay about sapeurs done by Hector Mediavilla, shown below.

Excerpt from "zonezero.com"

The arrival of the French to the Congo, at the beginning of the 20th Century, brought along the myth of Parisian elegance among theCongolese youth working for the colonialists. Many considered the white man to be superior because of their technology, sophistication and elegance. In 1922, G.A. Matsoua was the first–ever Congolese to return from Paris fully clad as an authentic French gentleman, which caused great uproar and much admiration amongst his fellow countrymen. He was the first Grand Sapeur.Respected and admired in their communities, today’s sapeurs see themselves as artists. Their refined manners and impeccable style in their attire bring a little glamour to their humble surroundings. Each one has his own repertoire of gestures that distinguishes him from the others. They are also after their own great dream: to travel to Paris and to return to Bacongo as lords of elegance.

What is Sape and who are the sapeurs?

Sape is French slang for “dressing with class”. The French often use the expression “il est bien sape” to talk about a sharp dressed man. The term “sapeur” is a new African word that refers to someone that is dressed with great elegance.However, the Congolese sapeurs are not only concerned about elegance, but also with good manners, politeness and morality. Generally, they only dress up on weekends and special occasions. Designer brands of suits and accessories are a big deal to Sapeurs. Complete attire can cost up to 1500 euros, although ironically, many of them don have a job. To get the whole outfit that can get them the sought-after prestige can take several years. Most of them start up with suits borrowed from established sapeurs that initiate them in the secrets of the Sape.The Congolese Sape, except for very rare exceptions, is a man thing, which sometimes is inherited whereas most of the times is acquired by choice.