Move Over, Marlene!

Recently during a friend's visit, we wandered into a resale shop and almost peed ourselves laughing, trying on crazy sunglasses, lime green boas, and fabulous vintage hats. She fell in love with a kick ass brown fedora while I couldn't make up my mind over the adorable find in my hands. It was a fuzzy, black and silver striped, 1930s style winter hat, complete with a rhinestone brooch on the side. And it fit me perfectly.

But being the ridiculously practical girl I am, I put it down. Do I really need this hat? I asked myself and left. An hour later though, this sneaky special agent friend of mine whipped the hat out of her bag and said, "For letting me stay at your place!"

Oh, she's such a sweetie!

So fast forward to today. I'm running errands like a madwoman and make a stop at my favorite neighborhood tailor/dry cleaner's. My tailor is a sweet man from Jerusalem who speaks in a heavy accent and never charges me as much as he should, considering the excellent work he does. We always have a nice chat although he generally scolds me about how I cannot possibly be eating enough. (He has no idea what I pack away).

But today, there was little time for chatting. I was just there to pick up my freshly dry cleaned hat. After he handed it over to me, I tore open the plastic and squealed, "Isn't this the most perfect hat for Germany?"

In my pre-Berlin giddiness, I said, "Wait...you gotta see this thing on. It's so cute!" and proceeded to make this 60-something-year-old man humor me. He nodded and smiled politely as I fumbled with it but once I placed it on my head, his eyes widened.

"Rachelle!" he exclaimed (I love that he calls me this), pointing at his mirror. "You must look at yourself!"

I was pleased with my reflection (despite the accompanying jeans/hoodie/PF Flyer ensemble). It's an attractive hat and works well with my bob. Very pre-World War II movie star. Perhaps I'm channeling Marlene Dietrich? She was, after all, born and raised in the very hood I'm heading to in 48 hours.

"Well, if you don't have a boyfriend already, I think you find one in Germany, yes?"

Like I said...the best tailor in the neighborhood.