Summer Sale!

Some like it Hot!

Some like it Hot... some like it not. Turn it up or turn it down. This summer

Top off your style with a dash of Fabulous from Gwendolyne Hats. After all...

Looking Cool is always Hot.

Summer is Romantic, full of adventure and celebration. Whatever the occasion be it a wedding, a cocktail party or a cruise, with Gwendolyne's eye-catching Hats and Fascinators you'll arrive in style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gwendolyne Hats have a brand new online shop!

Now you can shop with us online, We're very excited. 

Have a look and enjoy.

Gwendolyne's flirty Fascinators will tickle your Summer fancy. Created in individual colour combinations they're designed to compliment you. Each one of a kind fascinator 

features an exquisite antique button from our prized collection.

 

 

 

 

 

Our Sunny downtown Boutique is more than beautiful hats. We also have wonderful gifts for friends and family. The magical pin-cushions above are by Wooly Fabulous.

Footnote: We also have long leggings for the stripe lover.

Gwendolyne Hats create Beautiful accessories to enhance your Summer fun. 

Look and feel your best while you frolic in the Sun.

Happy Spring!

Imagine lush greenery, vibrant flowers and the thrill of a fresh new season.

Top it off with one of Gwendolyne's stylish Fascinators and you're ready to go.

At Gwendolyne Hats we're always thinking ahead. Our Boutique also carries an

exciting array of unique accessories designed to uplift your spirit.

Last month our sunny downtown Atelier felt like a garden of earthly delights.

While the light streamed in our windows Gwendolyne created a stunning collection

of handmade Hair Fascinators.

All this beauty and more is available in our Boutique right now.

Spring up and celebrate life with a dash of fabulous!

We look forward to your arrival.

Snow Angel

Happy year of the Ox!
May the soil you till be rich and fertile.

Right off the top we would like to thank everyone for making the start of our winter season such a success. Your enthusiasm was heart warming. With your valued patronage we will continue to make magic.





Wow! What a fresh start for the New Year. It’s frosty white here in Toronto. Of course if you’re the proud owner of a Gwendolyne Hat it's perfect. Say hello winter baby and enjoy it every day.

With the weather we’ve had lots of sightings and positive feedback. Apparently Art Eggleton was seen wearing one of our Tibetans. Is it true? I don’t know. Keep your eyes peeled; if you see others please let us know.

A lot has happened since we last spoke. The end of the year is always such a busy time. Our focus going into the 2008 One of a Kind Show was tremendous. All year long we had pursued a path of growth and re-invention in a landscape of economic uncertainty. Think Positive was our daily mantra. Whatever the outcome, we were going to roll up our talents and have fun. The marketplace would decide.

When the doors to the show opened something remarkable happened. People were excited to see us and they wanted what we had to offer. Our beautiful hats, bags, scarves, talismans and zipper fobs were all the rage. We felt blessed. Our determination to inspire both the world and ourselves had carried the day.

With a new look and an upbeat attitude our booth was a magnet for happy people and smiling faces. Gwendolyne even managed to get on TV twice. First CTV Weather live with Tom Brown at the show. Then CBC Newsworld with Colleen Jones, which broadcast right across the country. After that we had a buzz in our booth and it followed us home.

It's great to be back in the studio. Time to send all that positive energy forward and catch up with the demand. Gwendolyne's just finished a beautiful new edition of her ever-popular Abbey Road cap. You can see a couple of juicy brights from this batch above. Who knew winter could be so fun and colourful. These beauties are definitely a cure for the winter blahs.










This month our cozy Atelier was filled with laughter and delight. Gwendolynes' Sunday Salons have become such a wonderful addition to our creative life. They're popular too, so we've added a Monday night. We love our studio and it feels good to share it. All you need to join us is the desire to create beautiful things with your own hands.

As an artist Gwendolyne has had a creative connection with the needle and thread for the better part of her life. Her textile art courses are a lot of fun and encourage a community of spirit. They are a wonderful opportunity to open your mind, explore your creativity and bring more art to your life.

I encourage you to read further by visiting her new BLOG Atelier Gwendolyne. If you're interested in joining please click here.

Here's a New Years greeting!

A Big Winter!

It's a blizzard out there.

At this time of year people are eager to see the end of winter. However Mother Nature has a mind of her own. These last snowfalls are essential for the waking of sleepy roots and seeds beneath the ground. In warmer climates this time of year is called the wet season.

Most people in Toronto feel beleaguered by all the snow. Personally, I just love it! I’m always inspired by the power and beauty of nature. Every snowfall is an opportunity for me. Should I play inside and create the perfect winter hat or go outside to experience the invigorating vitality of winter activities.

Born in January, I'm a winter baby and I enjoy every minute of it. To see a slide show celebrating my favourite season click here

William and I were fortunate to get out of the city and enjoy the country these last few weeks. Growing up in Northern Ontario I skied every weekend with my family. Winter was a lot of fun. On the ski slopes one of my big challenges was perfecting my slalom, the other, like all young girls, was getting the attention of older boys.

Gwendolyne Hats goes out on the road at this time of year. Like gypsies we travel to spread our magic. There's always a sense of excitement as we leave the city. Our daily routine has changed and we’re off on an adventure. Into the winter wonderland we go, the sun is bright, the snow white, and everything glistens.

Here we are traveling north to ski country to do a trunk show. This beautiful yellow truck caught our eye on the way. We always drive up ahead of time to enjoy the sights. Mixing a little business with pleasure is essential. It’s great to get out of the studio after making some beautiful new things to inspire people. Creating and selling your own work is like Show and Tell in school. Once your new work is complete, you can't wait to share it with others.

Arriving at our destination we set up our display and go out for a nice dinner. Returning to our B&B we enjoy a relaxing evening of in front of a cozy fire. The next day it’s Showtime! People play dress up while we illustrate the power and lasting beauty of our handmade wares. During the day we meet new friends and say hello to familiar faces. Some discover us for the first time; others are in the know already. Then there are dreamers looking forward to the future. Everyone an individual, all with smiling faces.





























Our customers share stories about meeting people who own and wear our designs. It feels good to know we make something that brings such pleasure, comfort and individuality to peoples lives. Many thanks to all those who have supported us in our journey. We look forward to meeting many more of you.

After all, Winter is a season I believe is largely misunderstood, until you own a Gwendolyne Hat.

The Year of the Rat

It was refreshing start this January. An open heart and positive thinking. We wanted to revitalize our approach in our atelier and we have done so with a full force creating together some new and wonderful accessories below the head.

Back in December a customer of mine made a request. He wanted to surprise his wife with a gift she so desired. Five years earlier I had created a small shoulder purse sample and eventually gave it to a friend. There was still work for me to do on the design, so onto back burner it went.
Sinter Claus (the Dutch equivalent to our Christmas) is a magical time as my design house began 1991 because of it's tradition of the making of a gift for one person. His wife's desire and the timing, pushed me on to complete the purse design and bring it to life. I named the design "The Zoe" which translates from the Greek to "life" in English.

Continuing the topic of life, the Lunar New Year calender begins tomorrow. William and I took advantage of last week's snow abundance that fell onto our city of Toronto and made this Snow Rat to celebrate the "Year of the Rat". Made in less than 2 hours we dressed our icy friend with a Gwendolyne Hat (The Enoch and The Boucle Scarf). Dashing don't you think? We are fortunate to have two new years to celebrate. One to get us on track, and the second to confirm our new direction. I would conclude that yes, we are definitely enjoying the fruits of our labor and thrilled to see our results.

Button Up!

I love my new Abbey Road design. It has been a wonderful new addition to our collection and we've had a lot of success with it. For years my customers have been asking for a Gwendolyne peaked cap. Well here it is! These beauties take over 150 steps to build and they're worth it. This cut is so charming, people are just loving the luxurious lamb leather peak and the vintage button accent. This edition is limited so I encourage those who are interested to come and visit the shop, there's still great choice in your size.
This has been My Year of the Button!
I love detail and will always embellish my designs with handwork. I've used antique and vintage buttons, but this year I became a serious collector. You'll see evidence of this in my latest designs. I find older buttons extremely beautiful, they have far more character than those produced today. Like my work they are practical things that overflow with spirit.

I've added a bit more punch to our Clarissa cloche this year. The button accent is larger and plays a more dynamic role in its' detailing. The Celluloid buttons I've used, date from the 1890s to the 1930s. I have carefully selected the most beautiful button color and design to accent each hat. This way I can share my button passion with the world and get them back onto the street. It's great to see the big button trend on the new coat styles this year. Think about a hat to match. Oh what fun!

There are 3 stylish beret designs in our collection this year. Remember you don't need to be French to enjoy a beret. These days there are many people who enjoy the romance, comfort and style of this timeless design.

Here is picture of our Celeste on a happy new client. This is a very limited edition and each one is exquisite. There are great styling opportunities with this design because of it's fullness. Its' collage of different woven wools and button detailing has a striking old world sensibility.

As for our other 2 beret designs, the Ashley can be seen on our website and the Wool Beret is in our store. Drop by and you can try on all three.

I'm sad to say that this is the last year for our Tibetan design. This cozy Gwendolyne classic will look different next year. Unfortunately I'm unable to source all my materials.

Change is a constant and with that comes new beginnings. Over the last 10 years there's been a drastic change in global manufacturing. I used to order my custom trims from a 70 year old Canadian company that closed two years ago when it couldn't survive this shift. We will see more dramatic changes like this in the near future as our industries struggle to survive in this new economy.

As you can see the shelf in our shop is still full of this wonderful design. But this is the last batch. So, if you’ve enjoyed your hat and thought of replacing it, or if you’ve always dreamed of owning one... This is the year!

There is still time to visit our shop before we pack our work and go to The One of a Kind Show (at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto). Our shop will be closed from Wednesday Nov 15th until Dec 5th for this exciting shopping event.

If you can't make it to the show or prefer a more leisurely shopping experience be sure to drop by our shop before then. Come experience our fabulous new collection in the beautiful atelier where we design and create it.

Enjoy the pleasure of trying everything on in your own size and colours. Take your time and discover what looks best on you. Let our expertise and well-trained eyes be your guide. We love to give our clients the best in personal service. Perhaps an espresso coffee will be what you need when you drop by. Please ask us if you crave one, we love making them for our customers.

I grew up loving my handmade Christmas stocking. The Christmas morning ritual was to run downstairs with my brothers to see what Santa had put in them. Over years my stocking collected many wonderful memories of growing up. I made these stockings to re-create that same experience for someone else, a little piece of magic that could be passed from generation to generation. These luxurious stockings are made of the finest materials and decorated with appliquéd wool felt, glass beads, and antique buttons. They’re the perfect gift to stuff full of goodies. Give them to someone special...

Time is just flying by as we busily prepare for the One of a Kind Show. Our hectic and full schedule can be a bit daunting at times, but when I sit down and dream of my customers’ enthusiastic response to my beautiful new designs, it's all seems worthwhile.

I ask that you give us a blessing of good luck by rubbing this Buddha’s belly button.
He always brings a smile to my face.

Dress up!

It has been a while since my last post. Our Summer seemed to pass by so quickly as we created beautiful hats in the studio and played in the city. Autumn has arrived and winter is just around the corner. Time to cozy up for the cool weather ahead. I always look forward to the Fall. The drop in temperature and smell of the earth are my first signs. The crisp light and brisk air stimulate my senses.

I begin my preparations at home by opening my trunks and pulling out the warmer clothing. It's always exciting to see my clothes again but, what do I need to complete my wardrobe?

Our food choices begin to reflect the juicy full flavors of the harvest and the cooler temperatures make it all taste so good. William and I love this season. Perhaps it's the Cavalcade of color that spurs us on. Mother Natures' fiery display of burning brights and her rich but subtle earth tones inspire my colour sensibilities.



Our Atelier is bustling with activity at this time of year. The Shop is full of abundance. New hats are coming out of the workshop daily. Customers are dropping by to see what’s in store for them. It’s a busy and exciting time of year for Gwendolyne Hats. We work all year round to prepare for this moment. This is when our work truly shines and we look forward to sharing it’s radiance.

It’s always exciting to see the fruits of our labour assembled and in our shop at this time of year. The collection looks fabulous…

Our designs come to life on people and they're always a lot of fun to try on. So we invited a couple of friends over to play Dress Up. We took pictures and created two slide shows to illustrate some of our new collection for you.
Above is a picture of Joey in the Aubrey. The Aubrey is a beautiful patchwork poem of tapestries from around the world. This mid-season design, with a three panel lamb leather top, offers great protection from Fall to Spring. See more hats on Joey click here.

Audrey models our new Clarissa cloche below & one of our cozy hand fringed boucle knit scarves. This Romantic hat, hand-cut from cashmere blend wool, is accented with specialty trims and a vintage button. Its brim can be styled up to highlight your face or down to protect you from the weather. See more hats on Audrey click here.
Gwendolyne hats have personality, they speak to people about warmth, style, individuality, and spirit. They are a great form for expression. A lot goes into each hat. We make all sizes, each one well designed, expertly crafted and unique. Wearing our creations is definitely a feel good experience.

I make beautiful hats for beautiful people. My customers are special human beings that celebrate life. For them beauty radiates from the inside out. A confidant smile is very powerful force. It can change the way you see the world and affect how the world perceives you. I want my customers to be happy in their hat and spread that positive energy forward.


Below you will find a picture of me with my latest fiber art creation titled “Good Vibrations”, for the Textile Museum of Canada’s 12th annual Shadowbox Show and Silent Auction. This amazing show is always a highlight of the season and it just keeps getting better. I highly recommend that you go see it.

I love handwork and over the years I’ve noticed a renewed interest in these traditions. I want to share some of my knowledge in this field.

In the Spring I plan to teach a Fiber Art course in my Atelier. If you are interested please send me an e-mail.

Tah! Tah! . . . ( that's hat spelled backwards)

Colour your world

For what you will find at our Sale click here!

Summer is in full bloom, school's out and the kids are frolicking. We have already experienced some wonderful moments ourselves. I do love how our city of Toronto is such a magnet for great musical talent in the summer. The best part of it?... the fun's all outside. William and I have been enjoying the Harbourfront concert stage, where free music events hit center stage every weekend. Our taste in music is adventurous, so we appreciate the many different styles and cultures on the program. We've enjoyed many a moonlit serenade while dancing under the stars. It's a lot cooler down by the lake.

Our most exciting concert to date featured a 10 piece Afro Soul group from New York called the Budos Band. Tremendous live energy and a great new CD too.

On another day we came across a colorful display of the multi- cultured creativity our city offers. It's so great that Toronto celebrates its diversity. In the end we learn more about each other and that's why we live together peacefully. What a beautiful day!

My son Aaron and his wife Catalina have been living in Japan this past year. This photo illustrates the true beauty of the Japanese cherry blossom.


It's so nice to see a Gwendolyne Hat underneath these magnificent blooms and on the head of my wonderful daughter- in- law.

It was a honour for me to be one of the judges at this year's Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition held in the Nathans Philips Square. I was very lucky to meet some very creative artists and I enjoyed this opportunity to talk with them about their art. In the end I got to choose who I thought to be the "Best" and the "Honourable Mention" in the Fiber Media category. Fourteen years ago I was the recipient for Best in Fiber, so for me this was a full circle. I got to pass the torch on to someone else. It is great to see how many new artists have embraced this tradition. For centuries it was a cherished creative outlet amongst women. I’m so happy to watch this passion continue to grow.

It may be hot outside but in the studio we are busy preparing for the cold. It takes 8 long diligent months to create my new winter collection. We had a lot of fun this past month building the 2007 edition of my Boucle Scarves.

Here I am working with my talented assistant Jessica. Each scarve's fringe is created from international designer yarns. Like an artist's palette the yarns are stored different colour containers to make the colour selection more accessible.

The yarns are then cut and hand laid one by one at each end and then sewn in later. Like a painting each fringe is a unique combination of colour and texture. As a child it was always the fringe that made me enjoy my winter scarfs. So I produce these not only to provide terrific winter warmth but also to offer my clients that splash of color to inspire their winter days.



I realized this weekend that our intentions create the wonderful world we get to experience. All you have to do is open your mind and life will unfold. By making a simple plan, to get outside on our bikes, with a picnic in our baskets, we laid a path to the most magical day.

The surprises that await you are always just around the corner. It is all about timing and whether we are ready to recognize the gift! You're only as lucky as you want to be. So lift your wings and soar like a bird, then sing out loud and spread that joy forward.