Red Hat Society

[ckelly327]

My mother belongs and her group has social gatherings every month or so. When we marched in Schuylerville's Turning Point Pararde to honor the Battle of Saratoga the group behind us was a Red Hat Society "float". It was a decorated flatbed with enough chairs for a dozen women to sit around drinking Margarita's. At least three local groups have a Day at the Races at Saratoga.

[TechBear]

It grew and grew, hitting its apex about a year ago (according to its bubble bursting over-exposure commercialism).

You know you are in the limelight when The Simpsons makes fun of you. Anyone else remember when Marge joined "The Cherry Red Tomatoes"? They, too, wore red hats and was headed by a woman played by Lily Tomlin. One of their programs was charity work, and were not above trying to rob Mr. Burns of his Fabrige Egg colletion when bake sales didn't bring in enough money.

[GlassMan]

HAHAHA.

"Red Hat Society" That's kinda cute. I could picture one of my grandmother's being involved in something like that.

My partner's grandmother is a Red Hat Lady and she is the most adorable woman. They've all seemed like very nice ladies, the ones I've met anyway.

[Colin]

Glen, that's a tough one mate. The Red Hat Society is huge up here right now, and kilt wearing seems to be getting more and more common.

Hamish the Red Hat Society is for women over 50. They wear red hats and purple outfits. If there is going to be a kilt check, they are likely to be near the scene of the crime.

[Panache]

My Mother is a Red Hat.

The Red Hats are based on a 1984 poem by Elizabeth Lucas entitled "Warning" . In the poem a lady threatens that when she is an old woman she will wear a purple dress and a red hat. She goes on to tell off all the wonderful, noncomformist, and goofy things she plans on doing like "I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves. And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter." At the end of the poem the writer thinks that maybe she should start doing these things now instead of waiting.

The various Red Hat Chapters do different things depending on the leanings of each particular group. Some do charity work but most just gather for dinners and outings.

I find the idea of the poem to be grand. After all I'm posting this message on a kilt forum. How noncomformist is that?

The amusing thing to me is that this poem is about being yourself, doing the things you like, and not conforming. The Red Hat Society is a bunch of ladies of a certain age who all wear the society uniform of a red hat and purple dress who gather together to act silly. There are various companies that now make Red Hat jewelry and clothing to make it even more "official".

So the Red Hats all together dress differently the same way
They gather at organized events where silly things are scheduled
So by all deciding to be noncomfortist they have joined a club to be all noncomformists together

It reminds me of the scene in Monty Python's "The Life of Brian" where Brian addresses the masses and tells everyone that they can think for themselves, that they are all individuals. The crowd chants as one "YES WE ARE ALL INDIVIDUALS".

My Mom is not overly fond of me wearing kilts and standing out. I find it amusing that she is a member of a club whose main tenant is doing the things you want to and being yourself.

Cheers

[Magnus Sporrano]

Am I the only person who entered this thread thinking it was going to be about Linux and computer geek stuff?

[minimalistix]

The Redhats are a criminal organization...or at least that's what the simpsons taught me.

[djweso]

Am I the only person who entered this thread thinking it was going to be about Linux and computer geek stuff?

Yes but only beacause I know too much about both things.

I work at a theatre and they show up often for matinees and such. And they often start their orders with "I'm bringing a group of Red Hatters'..." I'm not sure if that is a simply a pronouncement or a warning.

They can be very nice, and I don't think they were involved in the kilt check at work incident (although the lady was over 50).

[MacSimoin]

...Hamish, the Red Hat Society is for women over 50.

Colin,

That is incorrect. I know of several women under the age of fifty who are 'Red Hatters', my fiance Wendi being a [former] member and also age 35. Her best friend (also age 35) still attends the meetings/outings.

About the only interesting bit Wendi got to do with her group was to appear on a QVC special about the RHS. Odd thing is, there was clearly a transvestite (he looked to be about 70-ish) in one of the RHS groups in attendance at the taping (there were several groups at QVC from the general area and all the RHS ladies...uh, and man, got a VHS copy of the taping).

The RHS must be getting 'big'...they even have their own line of Keds sneakers. :rolleyes:

[Hamish]

OK I give in! I confess to never having heard of this large organisation you all seem to know.

When I was a child (Oh, SO many years ago!), there was a popular, if common, saying : "Red hat - no drawers!", and I remember my mother telling me that no 'Lady' would ever wear a red hat.

I am afraid that is what I was thinking of.