Prep-a-Porter: Karen Walker flower and stone headband

 

If flower crowns give you cliche Coachella/festival vibes, I forgive you, as I have avoided them for this very reason. No hate at all- I love them! it's just that it was a totally overgrown trend. They were everywhere, both bloomin' beautiful and overtly artificial- they were the 2010s version of the 2000s Von Dutch cap. 

I find it freeing to use crosshairs when choosing accessories and clothing- if my view was framed, it would certainly be framed in madras. I look at items, using this eye, and assess them as they fit my intended aesthetic. I think through the filter of True Prep, with a little fraying at the edges. 

Is this faux flora headpiece prep? as a special occasion feature then surely but not with your old Springsteen t shirt. As much as I love the mix of high street and designer fashions, lauded by lumineries such as gorgeous Kate Middleton and Michelle Obama, I see when a piece is too regal to mix with the great unwashed (not to tarnish rock god Bruce). It isn't fashioned from rare gems or precious metals, no, but it is the suggestion of such which forces it to be prima donna.  It is the big girl's version of the plastic Christmas stocking tiara and we should wear it with as much joy. Orphan Annie becomes Princess of Monaco with only some paste jewels and alloy metals.

This piece is a stand-alone stunner. Coco Chanel's famous take-one-piece-off and elegance-is-refusal statements underlie my attitude to accessorising. This headband sings and other additions would just distract from its Adele-like soar. To add is to take away. 

 

Preppy and imperfect

Prepdom projects an image of slender athletic brunettes with ready-for-lacrosse sartorial ease. It is easy to be intimidated by willowy WASPS and nary-a-hair-out-of-place perfecto petites. 

Being plus size, preppy labels don't want me as a consumer, as I think they see my size as unsophisticated. Yes, I can buy the accessories but I do feel slightly uneasy about supporting a business which doesn't support me. 

This paucity of product sees a chink in my armoire so you can imagine my glee when Lilly Pulitzer for Target came out with extended sizing. I couldn't get anything from the website as it was busier than its playful patterns. I managed to get a lovely Lilly off Ebay, months later, in all its pink and green glory!

First lady follicles elude me: I'm more Janice Joplin than Jackie Kennedy. I abhor getting my hair cut so I usually wear a lazy ponytail or bun. A snazzy bow, headband, or tartan ribbon, may attend but this is a casual event: strays welcome. When the mood strikes me I get a bob but as soon as this is long enough, comfort demands a hairtie.