May Day

Happy May Day!

Spring has finally sprung up north! May 1 is an ancient Northern Hemisphere festival; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures. May Day is known for its maypole dancing and crowning of the Queen of the May. Enjoy!

www.ricerafferty.com

Flashback Friday - 80s Re Enactment

/// Flashback Friday ///

Rice Rafferty officially launched in 2009. Its initial origin began with Carol's ambitious sewing as a young woman.

Pictured here, Bushy Run Battlefield 1987 Ligonier, Pa (1750's French and Indian War Re enactment Group) - Carol made the clothing for the entire family.  Rice Rafferty's love of history continues with every design. 

Click the link below to learn more about Carol and Kara and their accessory company Rice Rafferty
www.ricerafferty.com

History of Halloween

Are you ready for Halloween yet?  Halloween comes every year on Oct 31, but do we know why we go trick or treating, go bobbing for apples, carve pumpkins, and decorate with bats?  Halloween is between two seasons - fall and winter.  It's a time between life and death. 

Most of our traditions for celebrating come from ancient Celtic practices, Catholic, and Roman religious rituals and a blend of European folk traditions.  Halloween was believed as a time when the dead can return to the earth.  Ancient celtics would wear scary costumes and gather around Halloween bonfires to ward off these ghosts.  While gathered around the bonfire, bugs would be attracted to the light which would bring bats hence the bat imagery for Halloween.  People would decorate their window with Jack O Lanterns to keep the evil spirits away too.  The Catholic holiday of All Saints Day also influenced our modern holiday. 

In the 19th century Halloween became more of a children's holiday, but we adults still look for our fun by dressing up and going to parties. What are you going to dress up as for Halloween?

Looking for some places to visit for Halloween?  
I recommend:
Sleepy Hollow, NY (tale of the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane)
Salem, MA (home of the Salem witch trials)
Lilydale, NY (a village of psychics and inspiration stump)
Savannah, GA (tour the city as well as the cemeteries...there are many ghost stories)
Lake Ontario (The Lady in White legend)

I wish you many warm nights as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder.  Happy Halloween!

Gone Gaga

I've gone Gaga for this hat! Lady Gaga's clothing accessories may be over the top, but you must give her props for creativity since she designs EVERYTHING! 

This hat really caught my eye with it's unique combination of white lace, beads, feathers, and croqueted details.  The black lace detail is such an interesting addition.  I imagine her eye almost peeking through the black lace.  It's great to see someone who pushes fashion since the past few years has been the same mix of 60s, 70s, and 80s attire. I'm a huge fan of 80s clothes so I'm happy with that at least!

I was watching Coco Before Chanel yesterday and Coco was definitely a woman who pushed fashion.  Coco started the whole menswear craze for women since most women were working men's jobs while they were at war - WWII she decided they should be able to wear more comfortable, useful, and affordable clothing.  Coco rejected the confined days of corsets and chose to wear comfortable pants and jersey material instead.  Coco came from a childhood of struggle with no formal education in fashion.  She learned while working in boutiques.

Coco is known of course for her sophisticated jacket and skirt combinations, the little black dress, and the perfume Chanel #5.  Imagine if Coco's designs never came about, where would fashion be today?  Would these ideas have come about eventually? What would a woman's role be today?  What innovative fashions are ahead?  As they say, "Has it all been done?"