Have you done your seasonal closet flip yet?

This weekend I did the spring seasonal closet flip. I got rid of 1 whole bag of clothing to donate to good will. (Now I have more room in my closet for all the cute new spring fashions out!)

On Saturday, I took a look at my clothing rack and purged the big wooly sweaters, and heavy knit dresses into a more suitable place for the coming months. (under my bed folded into a Tupperware container) For Spring, my jean jacket, floral print skirts and cotton dresses traded lives with their counter wool sweaters and cashmere dresses. My seal skin vintage boots, fur trimmed leather knee highs, and snow boots were replaced with their converse opposites, my cowboy boots, ked shoes and brogue flats, soon found life breathed back into them as they were positioned and lovingly looked at onto my shoe rack. Spring….has come…and sprung into my wardrobe.

With every season flip flop that us Canadian girls do, we have to be careful to not have the reversal seasonal flip flop. Now that my wool sweaters are amorously packed away in Tupperware containers surrounded in moth balls, (so next season I won’t have any new surprise holes, I hate that) we have to be careful not to end up wearing our spring dresses with a parka overtop to work, if the weather all of a sudden decides to switch back to the -teens. This is why the seasonal closet flip has always been a delicate one. When is the right time for the seasonal closet flip? Will you jinx the weather by flipping your closet too early, too late? Will the weather hold? Is it like the old saying, “if you take your umbrella on vacation, it won’t rain, but if you leave it at home, it will pour”? If we do the seasonal closet flip just in time, not too early, not too late, when the warm weather has been here for a few weeks, are we now guaranteed to continue to have warm weather, because we took the initiative? Do the Fashion Gods, play a role in the temperature? We changed out our seasonal clothes, so now the weather has to continue to be warm. Right? Right. Let’s pretend and put energy into the idea that this is the case. Maybe the seasons closet flip (which sometimes can be a daunting task, if you collect wool frocks, jumpers, and sweaters like I do) has more of a play in the weather then we think. Perhaps the Fashion Gods have a say in the weather, so ladies, do the seasonal closet flip soon, so the weather will continue to stay warm! Cheers to sunny days, drinks on the patio, and flowers being in ready supply! Spring into Gorgeous!

Vintage Shoes, dresses and purses oh my!

The other day I was wearing some vintage riding shoes I had picked up at my local second hand store...it got me thinking that perhaps I no longer remember what it feels like to purchase or have a brand new pair of shoes on my feet? Maybe all my shoes are a little too big? a little too worn in? a little too roughed up? Have I forgotten what a new shoe should feel like? Am I addicted to buying vintage shoes? They're already worn in. No hard work for me,. No guessing game if they're going to be a good pair of shoes, sturdy and dependable after a few wears. But the question still nagged me...maybe my feet don't remember what it's like to have a pair of shoes that really fit them? Maybe I should try purchasing a new pair of shoes, like these ones that a friend sent me. We Who See Pinstrip boots. J'adore these boots from Urban Outfitters.

So here I was thinking maybe I should purchase some new shoes, but then I came across these fun facts, "Choosing new-to-you leather shoes saves more energy than an average household uses in a day." Well the amount of new-to-me vintage shoes that I have on my shoe rack, means I have saved a lot of households energy. I once got out at a game of "never have I ever" because a friend of mine had never bought vintage shoes, so she named off that...well of course I had to put a finger down, since 90% of my shoes are vintage.

Another fun fact that I came across,"Choosing a previously owned leather clutch saves as much energy as not watching TV for 3 days straight." Well great, previously used purses are more fun to hunt for anyways! AND no one else will have your bag! so win win!

"Buying a pre-loved silk dress saves 95% of the CO2 needed to make a new one." Perfect, keep breathing easy ladies, keep shopping vintage!

So maybe my vintage shoes fit perfectly...maybe they're perfectly worn in, perfectly roughed up, perfectly grand for the enviornment and perfectly fantastically great on my feet!

I wonder how much energy I'm saving by upcyling old vintage jewellery into new, like this "Kissable Lips necklace" All the peices on the necklace are taken from an old antique clip on, or crank earring. Making it truly a one -of-a-kind piece! You can check out my other one-of-a-kind vintage reclaimed and recycled pieces at www.GotHattitude.com!

Where in the World is Hattitude?

Where in the world is Hattitude?! At the Eaton Centre, in Toronto. Brittany was stopped by 'First Impressions' in Toronto because of her rad boots! What a cutie she is! http://ogleto.com/archives/2383 The man soon got to looking at her jewellery and fell in LOVE with her Hattitude fleur de leaf! Here's a photo of her wearing Hattitude in Toronto.

Brittany is now entered to win the Spring Giveaway! http://www.gothattitude.com/product/roses-for-you. Send in a photo of yourself wearing your Hattitude out and about the town, city, province, country, world or universe and you'll be entered to win this one-of-a-kind bracelet! Enjoy the beautiful weather today! Finally no more rain! I'm off to shoot some photographs for the new "Gorgeous Gal" Line...coming sooooon!

I'm super excited for this new line, I love all things flirty and floral with some spring bows thrown in! Gorgeous Gal! check it out soon at www.GotHattitude.com

Cybermaniac?

Twitter, flicker, blogs, etsy, websites, facebook...the online branding and marketing world! So many outlets! If my grandma could see or conceptualize how I'm slowing turning my Jewellery business into the online world for my prime source of customers...her mind would be boggled! Next step...blackberry...or crackberry addiction? I ordered mine on Sunday, I should get it in a couple days. My old ghetto cell phone, kept blinking at me, screen kept going black every few seconds...she was gonna give out really soon.

so I did it...I've entered the blackberry world....for better or for worse?

I've started on my journey of branding Hattitude on the web. I set up a You've Got Hattitude Jewels Twitter account, you can follow me by clicking here and see the latest creations as I post them to etsy or my website to update on my etsy site, new blog posting and keep up with all my other etsy artisans! Who are wonderful by the way!

An amazing store to check out is by Hollie May, you can check out her wicked blog at http://mermaidscloset.blogspot.com/, where you can click on her etsy store. I LOVE the cheetah bow. I'm a sucker for animal print!

high fashion

I saw this photo in a magazine and fell in love with it! Spring has hit here! I've been wearing my rubber duckies to avoid the mud! I've also been able to bust out the jean jacket, as the weather is super warm during the day!

I also started organizing a cystic fibrosis fashion fundraiser for september. Lots of work to be done, so that will keep be busy. I'm trying to get a committee going. So far the response has been great, lots of people want to help out, a lot or a little, every bit is going to help!

I also got some uber cute floral vintage earrings and brooches today to add to the new "Gorgeous Gal" spring collection out at the end of this month! I'm super excited.

Get your floral on

Spring has Sprung. It's been raining for the last few days, none stop!

I bought some new rubber duckies this week. Navy cute tall rubber boots with a buckle. I was going to go for some bright red duckies, which were adorable...but the navy won me over in the end. My rain jacket is navy and my other rain jacket is pink and brown, so the navy seemed the right choice....but these red ones were super chic.

I'm also huge into florals for the spring. I can't get enough of tiny dainty prints of floral dresses...but I found these leggings, from modcloth.com, they're a big floral print, yet still uber cute. I love the description that goes with them, "You'll feel like you've been caught in a shower of flowers when you slip into these lovely, lightweight leggings! Boasting a myriad of bright bursting blossoms upon a midnight background, these silky 'petal' pushers will prod any fashionista'swardrobe into full bloom. Wear with T-strap flats, a brightly colored, belted tunic, and a floral barrette for an ensemble that will brighten any day - rain or shine!"

The Cat Walk...

Here are some photos from the Guelph Old Hollywood Fashion show. The show was a huge success. There was over 300 people, and they were able to raise a ton of money in support of the Guelph make a wish foundation! You can check out some of the professional photographers photos at www.fresh-media.ca. A great photo of Hattitude jewels is number 24 photo.

Me and my booth againThe crowdHattitude on the models!The 10 models in my number sporting Hattitude!

Hattitude on the Fashion Cat Walk!

My Jewellery is being featured in the Guelph fashion fundrasier this Saturday March 6th, 2010. The fundraiser is for Guelph Make a Wish Foundation chapter. Come out and support a good cause and see the latest trends for Spring! Local clothing stores from around Guelph as well as my jewellery will be on the run way! See you Saturday!

Etsy!

Finally, I am online with etsy! I have been researching and looking to get on to etsy.com for months now. Last week I put my first 10 necklaces up on their site. I'm still workin' around it, figuring stuff out. It's a really neat community. If you have not heard of etsy, it's huge in the US. They have some amazing artists and unique things on etsy. I have been buying from it for a couple years now. Etsy, is sort of like an ebay, but it's for only handmade things. An artisans website for all things handmade. It's really neat. Check it out by clicking here. You can check out my site on etsy, by clicking here or http://www.etsy.com/shop/hdunstan.

I also am working on a fashion show in Guelph. The CMESA business puts on a fashion show each year, with local artists and stores. This year they are going to have a choreographed number featuring my jewellery. Exciting!

It's snowing today, a lot! I was suppose to go to Guelph today to visit a friend, and get some new running shoes for working out...but the roads were just too bad. I am hoping winter ends soon. I miss the sun!

interview for talentegg.ca

I was asked to do an interview for talentegg.ca

Here it is!

http://talentegg.ca/incubator/2010/02/using-your-education-to-your-advantage-qa-with-a-young-entrepreneur/

Using your education to your advantage: Q&A with a young entrepreneur

By Danielle Lorenz in Entrepreneurship, Q & As on February 08, 2010

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Most of the business majors I’ve known have gone from university into the corporate world, bypassing any ideas of working for themselves.

I wonder why they do not opt to start their own businesses, based on the fact that their education can benefit various facets of the business world.

Guelph University business marketing alumnus Hattie Dunstan is a diamond in the rough. She has applied her formal education to help her business, Got Hattitude, which sells one-of-a-kind jewelry, become more popular.

Q. Did your degree give you the idea to start up your business?
A. I had started my business a few years prior to starting University, but my degree has helped launch my business full time. It has allowed me to market, brand and given me so many more ideas to help organize and infrastructure my business to compete on a full time level.

Q. Have you used your degree to help promote and develop Got Hattitude?
A. I have used my degree to develop Hattitude so much. It is so much fun to see how I started off five years ago, to what I am doing now with marketing Hattitude to the world. It has allowed me to brand my products.

I think marketing is the key to any business. I’ve seen some companies with an okay product, but they have marketed and branded themselves like crazy and are one of the top sellers.

I’m lucky since Hattitude is such a unique and one-of-a-kind product, it’s easy to market it and brand it to make the jewellery popular as well.

Q. What do you want to see from your company in the next year? Five years?
A. I would like to one day open a retail clothing and jewellery store, where Hattitude can be sold with the perfect outfit to match the jewellery. I love fashion, and although I think it would be awesome to create my own clothes, for now I think opening up a retail clothing store with local designers and also having an outlet to sell my own jewellery would be amazing, and is my long term goal.

Q. What words of advice do you have for other students and young grads who want to start their own business?
A. Follow through. Don’t give up. It’s so hard at first, and some people quit when they are not making enough money or things are not working fast enough. Businesses take time and effort and energy, and more hard work then a regular 9-5 job.

Even after a work day is over, I am still working on my business, whether it’s researching fashion on the Internet in my spare time, or imagining new designs, owning and running your own business takes more time and energy then you possibly could think.

Someone once told me that it takes 5 years to finally break even, and 10 years to start making money in your business. I also think it takes 10 years to build a customer and loyalty branding base. So it starts off slow, but when it picks up, it’s so worth being your own boss.

It’s exhilarating knowing that you’ve created all this work. Every new idea and new output that you come up with and implement is so exciting. When it’s a success the feeling is like no other knowing that you are the one that created it!