Tattered Snow Roses

Being out today in -8 degrees wasn't so bad...the sun was shining and there was no wind to speak of....I can handle winter when it is like this.

We know this is a busy time of year for most....thinking about the holidays which are fast approaching, buying gifts for our loved ones, anticipating a trip we might be taking or an evening out we have planned...

We at Tattered Rose have been busy too, behind the scenes, making sure that the store is well stocked with beautiful gifts and pretty outfits for your holiday outings.

This season we are in love with velvet again. Sure, we carry velvet clothing all the time but this year, we were inspired to create a limited edition of unusually romantic, vintage-inspired dresses and coats for you to wear when you gather with family & friends or bring in the New Year.

We love velvet at Tattered Rose.......come and have a look♥

Tattered Rose Evokes the Style of Stevie Nicks

Many times over the years customers have commented that Tattered Rose reminds them of Stevie Nicks or that she should shop at Tattered Rose. What a dream fulfillment that would be....not only to meet one of my favourite women, but for her to perhaps buy something from my shop!

Yesterday, one of my good customers was in, after being to the Fleetwood Mac show in Edmonton. She described some of the outfits Stevie wore on stage and I wished I could have been there to see her in person.

This customer shared a story that Stevie told the audience....about how, when she was just starting out (with the band) she visited a shop called "The Velvet Underground" where she was in awe of the beauty and abundance of lace and velvet and displays of paper roses as well as the beautiful clothing. (Many singers of the day purchased their clothing from this shop)

Stevie went on to say that when she stood at the entrance to this most beautiful shop, she knew that one day she would be back and be able to buy anything she wanted....and that day came not too long after.

My customer kindly told me that Tattered Rose, has the same effect on her and that my shop is HER version of the Velvet Underground and a place where dreams come true.

Just another example of how I love my customers....I learn so much from them and they share their stories with me and inspire me......I only hope that I inspire them a little too♥

The Boyfriend Jacket at Tattered Rose

"Le Boyfriend".......the vintage circa 1940's inspired jacket.....throw it on with your jeans or a girly dress. We just received them in this lovely earth tones plaid or solid black.  Adorable, sexy, practical.......we want one!

A No-Nonsense Blog Entry by Tattered Rose

Someone wrote to me about my blog...a person who lives in Europe and owns a string of boutiques.  He said, in his broken English "It is amazing that you give all of these ideas (on your blog) for free."

That really struck a cord in me because it has been one of my biggest fears:  showing too much online of what Tattered Rose is about can lead to misuse of my ideas....right down to the name "Tattered Rose" which was invented by me 16 years ago.  I know exactly why I chose this name for my business while all these other people who steal the name most likely think "Wow. That's a great name to use for MY business!" 

Without any regard for the meaning behind the name, they go on to use "Tattered Rose" or something almost identical for their own blogs, websites or stores. I realize that there is nothing I can do about that but I know without a doubt, that it came from my mind, my heart and soul. Tattered Rose evokes my spirit and thoughts on how I want my shop to be perceived and the type of clothing and jewellery I have sold and designed for 16 years. And I have come to realize, after many years of worrying about it, that they can never really copy Tattered Rose because it is my store and my heart is in every square inch of the shop.

Tattered Rose, the one and only original Tattered Rose, has changed a little over the years....we have grown in ways that were necessary with the changing times but one thing remains constant:
Our love of romantic, vintage-inspired and hand made clothing that will always be who we are. We also want to help women to realize their full potential and perhaps to try dressing the way their hearts want to.....so it's not JUST about selling stuff. It's much more than that!

One of my dear customers who was in the store yesterday, told me that she sends people into my shop all the time with a "warning" something along these lines:

The owner is a little bit different but don't be offended when she is honest about what looks good on you....she's just being herself. She's a good person and her store is something you have got to see for yourself. You will love it!

We had a good laugh about that. It means a lot to me that my customers trust me to be truthful and as helpful as I can be. I do my best to accomplish that every day.

My blog entries may become even more vague and/or sparse but those who know Tattered Rose already know. Those who haven't been in yet, will still be able to get a sense of what's in store for them (pardon the pun)

One last note:  Exciting things are afoot for the shop.....you won't want to miss any of it!

Sympli the Best Re-stocked and Ready for Fall at Tattered Rose!

Sympli the Best clothing is Made in Canada sold in abundance and with style at Tattered Rose.

We just received our last Fall order...the one with the sweater knits mixed with jersey.....oh my GOSH!! Simply gorgeous and so wearable....and with pockets! 

We women love our pockets, no?

"Frankly, Scarlet.....it's our sexy new boyfriend shirt!"

Sheer sides on this not-so boyfriend shirt will make heads turn. 
*Please wear responsibly (wear something under it)

Want a Haircut? A Scary Short Story by Tattered Rose

I know this sounds odd but I cut hair too.....OK, not professionally but I seem to love cutting hair and have been not only cutting my own hair for about 16 years but my husband's as well. *Gasp* 

Back in Winnipeg, there were several young ladies who worked for me who, for some inexplicable reason, wanted me to cut their hair too....so I did. No precision cuts....but rather the shaggy, tousled kind of hair cut where imperfection is the desire.

C. told me that it was the best haircut she had ever had....I'm sure that has changed by now. After all, it's been years since she had one of "my" haircuts.

And B. has had one of "my" haircuts several times over the years since she worked with me at Tattered Rose.

So, yesterday while a customer was trying things on in the change room, I began to chop the locks off on one of the mannequin's wigs.  Her hairstyle was outdated and I figured a shaggy blunt cut was the way to go....so I chopped and trimmed and this is the result (above)  I think it looks rather cool in an urban-mess kinda way.....

Don't worry....you won't see a shingle hanging outside my shop any time soon that reads:
"Imperfect, Shaggy Haircuts.....available Here" 

UPDATE:
The red head gets a shaggy bob too.....

 P.S. Looks better in person.

ANOTHER UPDATE:
While on Facebook, I happened upon the image of Jerry Hall, famous for her long locks, with a new haircut, called a "lob" (long bob) I had no idea when I chopped off my mannequins' wigs that they would be in such chic company! (I think she looks WAY younger & more chic with her hair chopped off!)

Sympli the Best & Cut Loose for Fall

The colour is way off in this photo 'cuz this it taken with my smart phone and I don't have the hang of editing yet....but the combination of this stormy dark blue/green mixed with chestnut brown is exquisite for Fall.......

You know that perfect little cardigan you've been looking for?

"Oh, perfect little wrap cardigan sweater.....so soft and warm but light and ever so comfortable.......where are you from?"

"Why, Tattered Rose, of course!"

Women & Their Jeans: A Short Story by Tattered Rose

Living in the country as a teenager, I was a bit out of the loop as to what was "in" as far as clothing...I just did my own thing, which, many years later (early 90's) was known as Grunge.....my Dad's old shirts worn with skirts and work boots, that kind of thing.

Anyway, by the time I got to High School, I became aware of a brand of jeans that the really cool kids were wearing. I really liked how they looked and wanted my own but I didn't have a clue what brand they were.

Then one day, a snooty fellow female student told me that they were the ONLY jeans to own and all the cool & rich kids were wearing them, both boys & girls. So I went out and bought a pair of men's unwashed, stiff Levi jeans and proceeded to wear them to the point of they were going to walk away by themselves (yuck!).  This was the way to embed your jeans with wear marks so that they would eventually become faded and worn in all the right places, with a nice contrast between dark indigo and worn spots and creases.

See, if you washed them too often the dark indigo dye would fade too evenly and the desired marks of wear and tear wouldn't be as visible. There were no prewashed and distressed jeans then...you had to distress them yourself through patience and diligence and wearing the heck out of them.

Over the years, I have bought and worn a million pair of jeans and I still prefer men's jeans because, although they are too large at the waist for a woman's body, they are cut straighter through the hip and thighs without that curvy shaped look they give a lot of women's jeans.

Fast forward to having a shop of my own, where we don't sell jeans but we sure do sell a LOT of romantic and beautiful clothing that can be worn with your favourite pair of nicely worn and tattered jeans.

For the longest time, I have loved wearing jeans with unexpected tops....romantic ruffled blouses or dresses...long duster coats....even Sympli jersey jackets with mesh layering tunics. That is part of the Tattered Rose look that we impart to our customers.

P.S. Edmonton women seem to love their jeans a LOT!

Would You Follow This Trend?

I have loved the colour grey since forever and this look, of showing inches of grey roots on otherwise dark (coloured) hair is so cool to me, I am almost speechless!

Viva la grey!

Tattered Rose is a Lifestyle

   

       (art collage created by the owner of Tattered Rose...please do not copy or reproduce)

It comes up every now and then....the fact that Tattered Rose is unlike most other stores and boutiques that sell clothing & jewellery for women....this is not about vanity on my part...it is merely the way things are because it is the way I wanted it to be if I owned a shop...it had to be different.

Being a middle child in a family of 5 children sometimes means that you are lost in the shuffle, and so you find ways to be noticed. Some middle children will do bad things because any kind of attention is better than no attention.

For me, it was about seeking admiration from others, usually my parents or big sister, of what I created...whether it was a drawing or a piece of clothing or the way I displayed the items on my Mom's dresser.  I needed to have someone I cared about tell me "that is great, dear" because it meant I was more than just the 3rd child, lost somewhere in the middle.

The other thing for me, was of course making people laugh.  I was a goofball before I even knew what it meant to be a goofball. I just knew that if people were laughing at my antics, I was getting attention and perhaps making someone else happy for a moment...not that I needed or wanted to be the centre of attention all the time, in fact far from it.  

Most of the time, I quietly went about my day of finding things to do....like drawing new clothing designs for my paper dolls (do they still have those cut out paper dolls?) or making something, even if it was a mud pie...yes, literally mud...all dressed up with rocks and cattails...or taking photographs of anything that wasn't moving too much (dolls, cats, horses, my little brother)or it could be a dress I hand sewed for one of my dolls.

So, many years later, when it came time for me to have my own store, it had to be different and it had to be part of me and what I loved.  Tattered Rose IS me...it is the things I love to own, the clothing I love to wear and it is about helping other women find themselves in the clothing sold in my shop....and I am there to help them with that mission to the best of my ability. If you share part of your own story during that time...well, that's part of it too.

Therefore, next time you visit Tattered Rose, please know that it is not only about making money....it is much more personal than that.  I want to share my knowledge and sense of style with my wonderful customers and have you walk away owning the type of clothing that makes YOU look your best....from colour to silhouette to style.

So, yeah....Tattered Rose is about a lifestyle...most of our clothing never goes out of style....it becomes YOUR style.
♥

The Side Part

Every so often, I will turn on the television or radio just in time to hear a tidbit of info that changes my life in some small way.

So last week, I was taking a break from sewing and sat down to watch t.v. for a few moments...catching the tail end of a makeover segment on Cityline. The stylist mentioned that a lower side part on this particular woman who had been made over, was more youthful.

So naturally, the next day when I washed my hair, I tried a slightly lower side part and although I'm no Lauren Bacall (I bet some of you don't even know who she is) I feel that it looks a lot better on me than where I was parting my hair previously.

When I was younger, I could wear the middle part...which happens to be my favourite. However, since this is no longer an option, all I can do is admire middle parted hair from afar...or on the mannequins in my shop.

I love these side by side comparisons of women with both a middle part and side part:

So, if you wear a side or middle part and want a change...consider side-parting your hair slightly lower so that your bangs sweep across your forehead.  You might like it. There's something so sexy about side-parted hair....don't you think?

    Ciao Bella!

About Our Hours.....Tattered Rose

♥Our store hours are short & sweet....and we hope you agree....even WE need time off to create new designs for Tattered Rose and perhaps to dream a little♥
 
Open Wed to Fri 11-4 and Sat 11-3

There's Something About Wendy

This blog post is dedicated to my friend, Wendy, who lights up any setting in which she may be.  She wears a perpetual smile and makes each person she talks to feel special in a way that is natural, effortless and very endearing.

          (This is not actually Wendy....but she is kinda like this)
I would love for Wendy to be in my life forever because she is so much fun to be around and loved by so many, including me....
But she will most likely be moving away next year to live in a milder place in Canada and while I am happy for her and her hubby, it makes me sad. I think she has had enough of our winters, like most of us. If I didn't have my shop, I would want to move away too.

In life, you rarely come across a person who exudes the kind of warmth, humour and friendship that Wendy gives, let alone be lucky enough to have them as a friend. She has orchestrated dinners out with the girls, had impromptu coffee with me at Chapters, accompanied me to a scary doctor appointment, helped me in so many ways and has shopped in my store many times and brought new people to the store. I can't count how many people she has sent to Tattered Rose over the years...a lot of the time because they admire the Tattered Rose clothing she is wearing.  

Wendy knows what she likes and is very definite about it.  She loves peonies, for example...

Also, she seems to know where to get the best stuff and where the best places to shop, and I have been grateful that she loves my store so much that she tells everyone about it.  Small businesses such as mine need people like her for it is word-of-mouth that brings us the most customers. Wendy is one of those people referred to in the book "The Tipping Point"...you know, the ones who are the centre of something "big" happening.  They share their knowledge with others around them and their opinions are highly respected and trusted. They are the messengers, in a way. 

                                  (This is neither of us.......but we can always dream it is)
Well, my dear Wendy...wherever you are at this moment, I wish you a Happy New Year and want to let you know that you are missed and will be missed greatly when you move away.

Karen and I will see you when you return in the Spring when we go out for one of our dinners!