The Girl's Guide to DC
Issue 20: Farewell, Hat Girl Summer
Welcome back! If you missed my last issue, find it here.
I want this newsletter to be about you, the ladies of DC, so send me your feedback (and bad date rants) by replying to this email.
Farewell, Hat Girl Summer
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but… Hat Girl Summer is over. What I created as a silly pun evolved into something much more — a lifestyle. Some would say, a zeitgeist. Each and every one of your #HatGirlSummer photos made my day. You ladies have such diverse style, from vintage to outdoorsy!
This past weekend, my girlfriends and I brought ourselves (and our hats) to Greenhill Vineyards in Middleburg, Va., to celebrate my bachelorette weekend! 10/10 for sipping wine, enjoying a beautiful view, and closing out Hat Girl Summer.
With Labor Day comes the close of straw hat season. Time to put your summer hats back in the hatbox. #HatGirlSummer will be back next year.
But don’t worry. It’s time for Hat Girl Fall!
General wisdom states that we switch from straw hats to felt hats after Labor Day. If you’re like me, “hat etiquette” is a completely foreign subject, so here’s some of what I’ve learned recently.
There are rules for when and where women should remove their fashion hats (pretty rarely, according to Emily Post), but many of those rules are going by the wayside as today’s fashion is “geared toward prioritizing the individual over the group,” New York Times fashion columnist Vanessa Friedman writes.
Both men and women should switch from straw hats to felt hats after Labor Day. This used to be a serious matter back when both sexes wore hats nearly all the time in public. In fact, there were violent brawls in the 1920s when men would spot each other in out-of-season hats — read this insane story to learn more.
So what kind of hats should you test out this autumn? From what I’m seeing, Western-inspired styles will be really popular (check out this Refinery29 story for more). Instead of going for a full-blown cowboy hat, Refinery29 suggests hats with western silhouettes in unexpected colors and fabrics.
Happy #HatGirlFall, y’all!
Interview with Patricia Patnode
Every week, I plan to introduce you to a woman who knows the ins and outs of DC.
Find Patricia Patnode on Twitter and Instagram!
What do you love about your neighborhood?
I live in Clarendon in a Catholic women's house. The church doesn't own it or anything super formal like that — the townhouse was built in 2007 and since then only Catholic women have lived there and follow the basic rules of: No boys in bedrooms, no male overnight guests and, generally, keep the faith. It's a really wonderful community and we are all great friends who love to host dinner and church small groups.
What has life been like for you since quarantine?
I wish I could say that I had a super amazing quarantine/lockdown experience. My friends got super fit and were crazy active with home workouts but I basically chained myself to my computer, ate 5 meals a day and treated my body like garbage while accomplishing a lot of really cool work. Quarantine taught me the importance of balance and taking screen breaks. I started quarantine, still recovering from a January surgery, and began working like 12 hours a day editing videos for Hard Factor and Lone Conservative and finishing college, then I'd crash with a screen headache for another 12 hours before repeating the cycle. I'm a lot better now, but I'm still recovering from the health-hole I dug myself into.
My two big quarantine "wins" are: 1) I messaged Hard Factor News, at the time a Barstool Sports podcast about helping produce content and they hired me right away. I learned most of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite and that continues to be one of the strongest features on my resume. 2) I interviewed for the Koch Associate Program and started my dream job at the Mercatus Center.
What’s your favorite eatery in DC?
I really love Lyon Hall in Clarendon. The setting is very romantic in the evening, you can stay there for three hours without feeling rushed and the food is amazing. Tabla in DC is also really great. The menu is pretty underpriced for the quality of food and they don't take reservations so you're almost always guaranteed a spot.
What’s your favorite day of the week?
My favorite day of the week is Sunday. I usually sleep in really late, go to Mass with my friend and then out to breakfast with a lovely group. Then we walk around for a few hours catching up and I head home to clean my house or watch TV. With how busy my life is in DC and the pressure to make plans every night of the week, I really appreciate taking Sunday to think about God and calm down. My favorite rewatch shows right now are: “Justice League,” “Young Justice,” “The Nanny,” “Selling Sunset” and “Keeping up with the Kardashians.”
What’s your beauty routine these days?
My quarantine beauty routine was really insane. I never wore makeup and had a five to six-step skincare routine with serum, toner, moisturizer and a rotation of niacinamide and hydrochloric acid. Frankly, it didn't make a noticeable difference in my skin. Today, I wear makeup everyday and just remove it with micellar water, use Cetaphil moisturizer and treat any blemishes as they come up and my skin looks about the same. I've kind of decided that most skincare is genetics or expensive treatment. Beyond the basics, it's a YouTuber conspiracy.
How would you describe your style?
My style is very structured and simple. I take a lot of inspiration from the rich, solid colors of the 1940's and cinched waist styles of the 1950s. It took me years to figure out what looked good on my 5'2 curvy body with pale features, and now I don't stray far from pieces that are tighter in the waist and flatter my short frame, with a color palette that suits my blonde hair. I've taken most of my grandmother's vintage wool jackets and suits and have been building out a (truthfully too large) wardrobe since I was 19.
I tend to look to the classic Givenchy looks that were styled for Audrey Hepburn, the very conservative but elegant styles that movie stars like Lauren Bacall had on screen, and above all else, Fran Drescher in “The Nanny.” I've seen every episode at least five times. I'm a TCM addict and love classic American movies.
My work style is a uniform of a long slip dress/skirt, shorter work shirt or cardigan and some type of block heel. I shop at South Moon Under for basic tanks and then get summer dresses on Shein which I really like. Shein is, like, the most controversial online website but with my starter salary, I'm going to just commit to buying from more sustainable brands in a few years and enjoy my very functional sundresses.
The Haps
Here’s what I’ve been reading this past week:
They Lost Their Fathers on Sept. 11. Then They Found Each Other: Try not to cry reading this account of Edward Seaman and Julia Coombs’ engagement. H/t Abigail Marone
“Vintage Clothes, Not Vintage Values”: What Instagram Influencers Don’t Get About The Clothing They Love: An interesting piece on the disconnect between vintage-loving fashionistas and their social media personas.
8 New (and Newly Reopened) Bars and Restaurants to Try Now: Check out The Washingtonian’s latest hot spot list. Is one of these eateries in your neighborhood?
Reader’s Corner
I hope you enjoyed Rebekah Hoshiko’s book recommendations last week! Share the best book you’ve read this year with The Girl’s Guide to DC by replying to this email. You may be featured in a future newsletter.
Congrats & More
PATRICIA PATNODE has been promoted to program manager at the Mercatus Center following her one-year workiversary.
ALEX NESTER is adding associate producer at Nebulous Podcasts to her resume and will remain a fellow at the Washington Free Beacon. Check out Nebulous on Twitter and Instagram, and read my interview with Alex by clicking here!
TAYLOR HATHORN, director of alumni relations for Young Americas Foundation, was accepted to Heritage Foundation’s Strategic Communications Fellowship. Read my previous interview with Taylor by clicking here!
Got feedback or an announcement to share? Email me at girlygirlsguidetodc@gmail.com.