To Feel Young, All It Takes Is a Red Hat
Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Many girls experiment with the type of woman they want to be. Jean Seberg in Breathless? Nora Ephron circa Heartburn? Lena Dunhan now? Despite this uncertainty, most know the kind of older woman they hope to be — one who doesn’t give a damn.
In 1997, Sue Ellen Cooper founded the Red Hat Society, a network of women over 50 with a similar principle. “I was trying to play,” says Cooper. “I was trying to shake lose some feelings about what was supposedly happening to me as I was getting older.” Cooper purchased a red fedora at a local thrift store and uncharacteristically wore it to dinner one night. Encouraged by the sense of freedom she felt, she began giving red hats to her friends for their 50th birthdays. In fewer than five years, what began as two small organizations in southern California grew to more than 40,000 chapters worldwide. “It’s ironic, because just when we have a lot to say and a lot to do, people tend to look right through us,” Cooper says of older women. “We are just not willing to quietly go some place and knit.” By design, the standard costume of red hats, purple dresses, and loads of costume jewelry makes Red Hatters hard to ignore.
Last spring, photographer Poon Amphaiwan went to Washington, D.C. for an annual conference of the Red Hat Society, where he documented the fake diamonds, glittery sashes, ostrich plumes, and battery-powered, candle-lined head coverings. At a ceremony, the original red hat and purple boa were donated to the Smithsonian Museum’s National Museum of American History; obviously, many women showed up covered in fake feathers. Reporter Katie Van Syckle caught up with the ladies, who participated as they explained their love of dress-up, bling, tea-parties, luncheons, and their membership in a society that’s changed their lives. Click ahead to hear their stories, plus get a look at some crazy hats.
Ambassador Queen Sue VanLandindham (right), "Over 60," from Decatur, Alabama How does it feel when you go out all dressed up?
We feel...
Ambassador Queen Sue VanLandindham (right), "Over 60," from Decatur, Alabama How does it feel when you go out all dressed up?
We feel extremely good; whenever someone sees us with our purple or red on, they will smile. We get that all the time. If someone doesn’t know about the society, they will come up and ask us. It is a great opportunity to tell them what fun we have. I have been to several of the international conventions, and every time I go, I get this really great feeling. I look all around and I see all these ladies, two or three thousand of them, and I think, What would they be doing right now if we didn’t have this society? A lot of them would be sitting home alone. This way, we have friends from all over the world. Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Queen Karen Woods, 70, from Shawnee, Kansas Tell me what you are wearing in this picture.
It is not even my clothing. My luggage got lost in Ch...
Queen Karen Woods, 70, from Shawnee, Kansas Tell me what you are wearing in this picture.
It is not even my clothing. My luggage got lost in Chicago, and the outfit that I have on there is compliments of a lot of different ladies.
What did you do when you realized your luggage was lost?
Well, not anything to be done but just go on. And they have vendors there, but when the story got around about that, there were women that called my room and offered this and that. That’s how terrific they are, not knowing anybody, just, "I have something extra and if you’d like it, I have it." Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Geetha Pai, 66, from Las Cruces, New Mexico What are you wearing in that picture?
I was the only one who was wearing a red sari from India, bec...
Geetha Pai, 66, from Las Cruces, New Mexico What are you wearing in that picture?
I was the only one who was wearing a red sari from India, because I went to the store to look for something red, and I didn’t find anything that I liked. So why not wear my country’s dress? This is my wedding sari. That kind of surprised everybody, and they all wanted to take a picture with me. Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Queen Carol Lewis (right), 62, from Des Moines, Iowa What is your favorite part about being a Red Hat member?
The camaraderie of the ladies I m...
Queen Carol Lewis (right), 62, from Des Moines, Iowa What is your favorite part about being a Red Hat member?
The camaraderie of the ladies I meet. I am one of the two members that has attended every international Red Hat convention. I have been having a good time, and hopefully I will continue to have a good time. That is a great lesson.
When did you learn that?
Nobody can make you enjoy life, but I think the Red Hat Society has really helped me enjoy life a little bit more. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy my life before Red Hat, but it has helped me broaden my life in terms of getting out meeting people and doing more things. Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Ambassador Queen Margalit Terlow, 67, from Yardley, Pennsylvania Tell me about the hat you are wearing?
Actually, it was made by another Red Ha...
Ambassador Queen Margalit Terlow, 67, from Yardley, Pennsylvania Tell me about the hat you are wearing?
Actually, it was made by another Red Hatter who had a hat-making business. It was called Over the Top Hats. She had a vendor’s table at an event I went to in Nashville. I saw it and I fell in love with it, and I said, "That is perfect for me."
Why is it perfect?
It is a little bit unusual, it is a little different, and I don’t always fit the groove. I knew you were going to ask that.
Tell me a little bit about what you are wearing in the photograph.
The boa is one of our trademarks. And they are awfully hot. But it is something we wear draped on our shoulders or around our neck, or we tickle one another with them. It is one of those sort of outlandish things you would not expect of a woman of our age. Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Queen Carol Noble (right), 62, from Niles, Ohio We are talking about the pictures that were taken in Washington last year.
Yes, where we made h...
Queen Carol Noble (right), 62, from Niles, Ohio We are talking about the pictures that were taken in Washington last year.
Yes, where we made history.
Yes, exactly. How did you get involved with the Red Hat Society?
It is really unreal; my sister was telling me about a wedding, my nephew’s wedding, and she said she had a purple dress, but she should have had a red hat on. And I looked at her, and I said, "You have more class than that." Then she started telling me about it, and I formed my chapter in February 2006. I have six active members. Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Queen Dottie Cadden, 61, from Baltimore, Maryland Your hat looks pretty elaborate.
The hat is made of a really fine lace. It has a stuffing und...
Queen Dottie Cadden, 61, from Baltimore, Maryland Your hat looks pretty elaborate.
The hat is made of a really fine lace. It has a stuffing underneath of it to make it really high, and then its got on the front of it, there’s twelve large red roses that cover the front. And then this really fine lace has this long drape in the back of it and the pins, I put the pins on the back, and the pin in the center says, "It is all about each other."
Cool.
On top, there is a little star and a drape of two rhinestone roses that connect underneath of the saying.
Does that signify anything?
There is one thing about Red Hatters that you have to understand: We like bling. Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Queen Katherine Elliot, 63, from Eldersburg, Maryland What are you wearing?
That is a floor-length beaded velvet gown that I bought in La...
Queen Katherine Elliot, 63, from Eldersburg, Maryland What are you wearing?
That is a floor-length beaded velvet gown that I bought in Las Vegas at another Red Hatter convention. It is sequins, and there are beads and some jewels. It is quite heavy actually. It is kind of a mandarin-type collar almost, but it is a straight sheath, and it has a zigzag going down it. It almost looks like firecrackers going off on a deep-purple. Good for a celebration.
Do you have a lot of these clothes?
Oh yeah. I have two closets that are just for the red and purple clothing. My husband keeps threatening to have to build an addition on to the house. Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Emily Lowry (left), 62, from Upper Marlboro, Maryland How did you pick out your outfit that day?
I haven’t the faintest idea. I think Tess, who...
Emily Lowry (left), 62, from Upper Marlboro, Maryland How did you pick out your outfit that day?
I haven’t the faintest idea. I think Tess, who was with me, said she was going to wear her cowboy hat, and I said, "Okay, I’ll wear mine." And then I saw all the other ladies, and there were so many different hats. And I said, "Hmm, maybe we could have bumped it up a bit." But then we said, "Nah, we were fine."
Have you noticed there is diversity in the Red Hat Society?
That is another thing we really like. Because, let’s face it — unfortunately we tend to stay with people who are like us, and the Red Hat Society offers you a wide variety of people you can meet. Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Cynthia Gates Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
Photo: Poon Watchara-Amphaiwan
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