WELCOME!

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The Cut and The Cloth is a website for the stylish traveler following my life in costuming and adventure.  
I am an ex-pat living in Europe and traveling the world.  I am interested in the rituals surrounding body adornment in all cultures.  This has led me to photographing my experiences, shopping with the locals and sharing it with you on this page.
"I think there is beauty in everything. What ‘normal’ people would perceive as ugly, I can usually see something of beauty in it."
                                           Alexander McQueen

                    NEW ON EBAY:

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Vienna, Austria 2012
“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” ~Coco Chanel
In 2009, Oscar de la Renta gave an interview to Vanity Fair. In the midst of revealing his upbringing and unraveling his affair with fashion, de la Renta said that he learned about what mattered most in fashion from a Spanish tailor, who said that the 'twin peaks of couture are THE CUT AND THE CLOTH.' 
It is these 'twin peaks' that interest me. As I travel the world and meet wonderful people who design and create, the question on my mind is 'How is it made and what is it made of?'. 
I suppose this question also interests me in terms of the artists themselves. How does one become a weaver in India? What does it take to become a costume designer for Carnival in Venice? Who are these individuals and what are they making? I am learning.
My background in dance and my history with costume design and makeup artistry shape my interests and drive me to take a closer look at the details.

RECENT ADVENTURE:

I am just back from a beautiful trip to Egypt where I swam with turtles and rode a camel around the Great Pyramid.  Click HERE to read about my travels.
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Giza, 2013

           Recently on my BLOG:

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THE COBBLER'S GRANDDAUGHTER 
My shoe obsession has existed since I was a very small child.  Rain boots, jelly shoes, cowboy boots and saddle shoes were a passion for me and I enjoyed choosing which pair I would wear EVERYDAY.  My mother's father was a cobbler.  One of my most prized possessions is this pair of clogs that he made for her in the late 1960's.  Having moved allot in the last four years, and gotten rid of many personal possessions (furniture, household decor and even automobiles), I have found that  adorning my body in sentiment REALLY matters to me.  I have lost my love of jelly shoes (they were never comfortable) but my mothers clogs will have a place in my closet forever.
I spent time this last summer in Reggio Emilia, Italy learning to make leather Commedia masks with Maestro Antonio Fava in the traditional Renaissance way (with only hand tools).  For more on my time with Maestro Fava  click HERE
On a recent trip, I spent an afternoon walking in Coco's footsteps.  I never run out of things to do in Paris.  For my thoughts on Paris click HERE.