Mini Top Hat

Marney Rich Keenan CityLoft shoppers bring hope

Walking into Somerset Collection CityLoft on Saturday was like an out-of-body experience.

"Welcome ladies," said a white-gloved concierge, fully outfitted in a top hat and brass-buttoned suit coat, as he opened the door of the Merchants Row building on Woodward.

Inside, 40 mini-boutiques with decidedly upscale clothing, jewelry, furniture and handbags were open for business, the sky-high ceiling of the 4,000-square-foot space, lavishly adorned with crystal chandeliers and glistening blue-veined marble floors.

Restoration Hardware was hawking a dining table crafted from a century-old door from "the United Kingdom," its patina the epitome of distressed grace. Fragrance clerks spritzed piano key-size cards with "Love," the new latest offering from the perfumery Kilian, coffee beans in shot glasses at the ready. Airy summer scarves and slouchy V-neck box tops from Eileen Fisher competed for attention with the next-door kiosk: The North Face, with its endless versions of cozy fleece hoodies and the latest must-have for Michigan winters: the fur-hooded Arctic Parka.

Shoppers — city and suburb dwellers alike — swooned, opening their wallets like so many accordions.

It didn't feel like Detroit. It didn't smell like Detroit and it sure didn't look like Detroit.

But if the merchants in this one-weekend-a-month shopping event can keep the vibe up, this infusion of tasteful retail could pump up the city's self-esteem big-time.

"The response has been unbelievable," said Howard Tapper of Tapper's Diamonds and Fine Jewelry. "We've sold a nice amount of merchandise. Obviously time will tell, but I would think it can only get better from here."

The shopping event was inspired by the success of the Detroit Shoppe, a philanthropic store and showplace for 45 of Motor City's historic brands that opened in the Somerset Collection in Troy in 2010. Like the "City Lofts," Detroit Shoppe was meant to be an event: open for three months only. "But we were so successful — we'd raised over $600,000 for charity — we decided to be open full-time," said Linda McIntosh, marketing director for Somerset Collection.

"Then, Mayor (Dave) Bing met with us and asked if we could do something like it in the city. … If this keeps up, we'd love to become a permanent presence here.

How to Make a Mini Top Hat Headband Tutorial

Watching the prom episode of Glee, I couldn’t stop thinking about the absolute adorableness of Brittany’s little top hat headband!

A mini top hat just isn’t my style, but I can’t help but think that a mini top hat on a headband could be a fabulous prop for a toddler photo shoot, or a fun party favor for a children’s birthday party!

It occured to me that it couldn’t be that hard to recreate a mini hat headband of my own, and I was able to find a few other sites offering far better tutorials than I could ever make!

Trisha of Momdot tested and explained her process of how to make a mini top hat to prove that it is indeed a child-friendly project!

Cut Out and Keep added to the DIY-ness of this project when she included making the actual hat