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  Her hairstyle was outdated and I figured a shaggy blunt cut was the way to go....so I chopped and trimmed and this is the result (above)  I think it looks rather cool in an urban-mess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!

New Years' Eve 2013 - 2014: A Vision in Velvet

Sandy Jo wearing one of our burnout velvet kimono's.......love how she styled her outfit with grunge-y combat boots and a crystal head piece. Such a pretty woman!

                                              ♥Thank you Sandy Jo♥
Happy New Year, Everyone!  Be safe...don't drink & drive.

Sunday Morning Meowsings....

*I apologize for my obsession with cats.

Let's face it:  Fall is definitely over!

 Winter has (un)officially arrived...

 ...so stay warm.

...or go somewhere warm for a couple weeks, if you can.

 If Mother Theresa had been a cat.....

If you are going to stick your tongue out at someone, at least wink at them too. They won't know what to make of it.

Not many of us are supermodels.  Don't be envious of them...they have problems too.

Remember to show how much you love your family & furrends.

Don't forget to say your prayers.

Be curious about the world around you.

Ask for HELP if you need it.

By all means wear blue if you have blue eyes....it will really set them off.

You can never wear too much black...

....but grey is a wonderful colour too!

However, if you insist on wearing black & grey together, be careful of the monk effect.

Try to stay out of jail...or at least out of trouble.

Always sit like a lady........ha ha ha ha.

The official Tattered Rose mascot.....a tattered cat!

Spring comes early at Tattered Rose!  Yes, during the deep freeze this past week, I had a LOT of time to spiff up the store and ended up with all the beautiful shades of taupe, grey, blue, green, pink and cream at the front of the shop...to help you forget what season it is outside.

Come and have a look if you get a chance. Pretty new things to buy for your warm weather vacation...or to be prepared for when Spring arrives.
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