It all started in a thrift shop
The group was inadvertently founded by Sue Ellen Cooper of Fullerton, Ca. On a whim she bought a red fedora at a thrift shop. A year or two later she read a poem by Jenny Joseph entitled, “Warning.” The first two lines read:
“When I am an old woman I shall wear purple with a red hat which doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me.”
Sue Ellen felt an immediate kinship with the author. In fact, she was so moved by it, she gave a red hat and a copy of the poem to a friend on her birthday. Her friend enjoyed the gift so much, Sue Ellen gave it to more of her friends.
Eventually, this group of friends decided they had become a society of sorts. They decided to dress as the poem suggested and go out to tea. The event was a huge success. And the members started sharing the idea with their friends ... who shared it with their friends... and the rest, as they say, is history.
“I love the humor of the poem,” says Sarah Englehart who belongs to Oak Crest’s, Ladies of the Oak chapter, “I was drawn to it before I even knew there was a Red Hat Society. We may be older, but we still want to have fun.”
But why the wild outfits?
“Because they’re so ugly, wearing the outfit symbolizes that we now have the freedom in life to do what we want without worrying about what other people will think of us. I’ll admit it was a little nerve-wracking the first time we went out in public dressed in our outfits, but everywhere we go we are accepted with enthusiasm,” she says.
“And I’ve started noticing that there are a lot of red and purple outfits now in catalogs. I think the group has become a real phenomenon.”
Some chapters simply get together for lunch or a movie; others plan overseas travel together. The sky’s the limit! You don’t even have to be 50 or older to join in the fun; however, the society strongly suggests that younger members wear pink hats and lavender outfits until they reach THE BIRTHDAY.
Queen Mother Evelyn McGreal, started the Village Red Hots chapter at Oak Crest with Red Hatter Nancy Hahn two years ago.
“We meet once a month for lunch and sometimes dinner,” says Evelyn. “We went on a cruise around the Inner Harbor, and every year we attend a luncheon held by the Women’s Auxiliary at the Salvation Army. I also have a scrapbook I keep of all the places we’ve visited and things we’ve done.”
How can you join?
You can join an existing chapter or start one of your own. You can find out if there is a chapter near you via the website. If you want to start your own, it costs $39 a year to officially register a chapter, though it’s not a requirement. Your dues include a listing of your chapter on the website and invitations to official Red Hat events, such as the National Convention.
For more information about the group, visit www.redhatsociety.com. You can also contact them at:
The Red Hat Society 431 S. Acacia Ave. Fullerton, CA 92831 Phone: (714) 738-0001