V A R O U N D T O W N
The Red Hat Society Annual Luncheon
Story and photos by Leah Small
he Red Fedora Chapter of the Red Hat Society held its annual
of variety. Some had boas and feathers, some glitter, some lights; others
T
Christmas lunch on Wednesday, December 16 at the Jefferson
were felt and elegant in their simplicity. I asked the Duchess where she got
Hotel. “We are so excited to be at the Jefferson at Christmas
her hats. “Everywhere.” Her first hat was “a big straw hat from K-Mart,”
time!” said Vice Queen Betty Hajacos of the Classic Ladies.
which was used by the Red Hatter next to her for an impersonation of Dolly
The Classic Ladies were one of the many other chapters invited
Parton in “Hello, Dolly.” “She wore a purple boa around her hat and a
by Queen Alice Jones of the Red Fedoras. However, it became
purple boa around her neck. It was great, we just had a blast!”
apparent by the sea of red hats below the Jefferson’s golden mezzanine,
There seems to be a warm amusement in all Red Hatter antics. One
that there were more than a few queens present. Every lady in attendance
can see this in the flare that gets added to store-bought hats and especially
was royalty.
in the charm of the homemade hats.
“We don’t have many rules,” Vice Queen Hajacos informed me, “but
Anne Page’s Easter Hats are legendary. “I make a new hat every Easter
to carry ourselves as ladies, and wear our regalia grandly.” Very queenly
and go to the Easter Parade. That is one of the highlights of my year.”
indeed. However, there are a few rules concerning one’s “coronation.”
When I mentioned I heard she had crafted one out of marshmallows, she
Ladies under fifty are not to wear red hats; they are referred to as “pink
shrugged off the feat and said, “Oh yeah, I did do marshmallows one
hatters.” When a pink hatter turns fifty she has a “reduation.” “We take the
year.” She made one adorned with cardinals as well, and the angels that
red hat off and say a bunch of silly things, like promise not to wear your
adorned the white table clothes of the lunch. One of her angels later filled
hose with sandals.” I laughed in agreement, but in all seriousness, I would
the center of my Christmas display, a spot formerly annoyingly bare.
agree this is misuse of regalia, and not doing so is a public service.
It became apparent to me that the Red Hatters shared a fun and
I did learn from Lindy Oakley the Red Fedora Duchess of Travel that
steadfast camaraderie. Vice Queen Hajacos perfectly stated the social
even though I am not of age I can wear a red hat on Christmas. Sally
purpose of the Red Hatters: “We just have fun, it’s a sisterhood; some
Brown, who does not have a title (a queen in her own right) and just comes
ladies are going through health problems and are widows. Sometimes
along “for a good time,” informed me that I could break the sanguine
people think when you get old you’re just stuck, but we do have a ball!”
dress code by opting for a purple hat during my birth month. “See that
Underneath the laughs and the admonitions to not commit the dreadful
lady over there,” she leaned in to tell me under the caroling of Pocahontas
sin of wearing hose with sandals, I found there was an undercurrent
Middle School’s Lyrical Ladies. At the next table there was a lady wearing
of deeper meaning and substance in the Red Hat Society. It is the
a hat the color of royalty with a flower as the crown jewel.
acknowledgement that every woman has a “reduation,” a coming of age
Even though the majority of the hats were red, there was no dearth
that should be celebrated. Post reduation, many of us will have raised

JANUARY 2010
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