Living in Style: The Language of Hats

By Laura Marcus Green

The saying is, and it's true—
a lady is never dressed without a hat.

—Aldreamer Smith, Sensational Seniors,
Dr. Leo S. Butler Community Center

Inner and Outer Beauty: A Slideshow of Hats

Now they stroll up and down the aisles of the church, stars of splendor, beauty beyond measurement. Black ladies in hats.

—Maya Angelou, in Crowns; Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats

The weeks leading up to Easter were an opportune time not only to observe activity in the milliners' shops, but also to see women wearing their holiday finery. Women attending Palm Sunday and Good Friday services at the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church wore an array of special hats and attire.

Hat Day Fashion Show—Sensational Seniors Director Carolyn Williams looks on as Gwen Carriere emcees, and Aldreamer Smith walks the runway and shares her thoughts about hats. Photo: Laura Marcus Green.

The Sensational Seniors group at the Dr. Leo S. Butler Community Center held a special Easter event, which included a devotional service and a Hat Day. The Hat Day featured a runway walk, for which those modeling their hats stopped and said a few words about their attire. Miss Aldreamer Smith, observed, "I'm the hat lady. I am never without a hat. The saying is, and it's true, 'A lady is never dressed without a hat.'" Mrs. Smith related that she has over a hundred hats and caps in her collection. Miss Rosa Pugh, another participant in the Hat Day activity observed, "The problem with us is, we don't see the beauty in ourselves." In her mint green and silver outfit, Miss Pugh emanated beauty both inside and out.

Women attending Palm Sunday and Good Friday services
at the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church

Hat Day at the Sensational Seniors weekly gathering at the Dr. Leo S. Butler Community Center

Conclusion

Hat-wearing traditions mirror changes in African American women's socio-economic status and their aesthetic and cultural practices over time. From their deep biblical and historical roots to today's media-driven trends, hats are an integral part of African American culture—whether as a reminder of mothers and grandmothers and their dignity and style, or as a current fashion statement. We live in complex times, where personal and cultural identity are continually negotiated at multiple levels. Perhaps this is always the case, with the benefit of hindsight. Although considered "old-timey" in some circles, black women's church hats are anything but. Whether a modest fascinator or a more elaborate crown, hats play a part in our most contemporary conversations about identity and relationships within family, community and broader society. Styles and wearing traditions may come and go. Yet, as a window onto our multifaceted lives, hats remain as relevant and illuminating—not to mention luminous—as ever.

Notes

Sources

Laura Marcus Green, Ph.D. is Folklife and Traditional Arts Program Director at the University of South Carolina's McKissick Museum and the South Carolina Arts Commission in Columbia, South Carolina. The research for this article was completed in 2015 and published in 2016 as part of the Baton Rouge Folklife Survey. It was revised in 2018. The fieldwork was funded by an Archie Green Fellowship from the Library of Congress. The author extends her deepest gratitude to those whose kindness, generosity, and knowledge made this research possible, including: Dr. Susan Thornton, Miss Jescenia Crenshaw, First Lady Millie Green, Miss Dafiney Self, Miss Nomzamo Iyanu, Jacqueline Jones MLIS, Tony and Arturo Aguirre, Miss Mu Kyong Dickerson, staff and parishioners at the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, and staff and participants at the Dr. Leo S. Butler Community Center. Much appreciation goes to Jacqueline Jones, whose research on African American women's hats provided vital insight. Thanks also to Dr. Marianne Marcus for her introduction to Susan Thornton, whose guidance was invaluable to this research.

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