Saturday, March 26, 2011

Hat People

Last night I went to the Pasadena Museum of History to see the hats.

There was a reception for the Mad for Hats exhibit. Patt Morrison of KPCC was there; she spoke to the crowd and was brilliant as usual (off the cuff!). And everyone was wearing a hat. You don't see a crowd like that every day.

Can I be honest here? I have one hat. It's a straw bowler (boater). I don't know where I got it. (Actually, I have a stocking cap for winter, but I wasn't about to wear that to a fancy reception.) But I'm not a hat person. I didn't think I was interested in this exhibit. I went because my neighbor Linda invited me, and because I made her promise we didn't have to stay long.

But I had fun. I got into it. I love the Pasadena Museum of History, and the hats in the exhibit are gorgeous. It was like being in the most perfect hat store and wanting every other hat on display. The only trouble was I wasn't allowed to try them on.

I left there thinking of something Patt Morrison said: "It's time for hats to come back."

Damn. I might be a hat person after all.

Update April 25, 2011: Due to popular demand, the Mad for Hats exhibit will remain on view through Sunday, September 25, 2011.

31 comments:

Pascal Jim said...

millinery...One of my favorite photographs from the old days, depicts two Pasadena Matrons in Hat and Gloves about to step onto a Pacific Electric Red Trolley Car for transit to the Big City, in front of the Maryland Hotel, Colorado and Los Robles.....

Book Dragon said...

I love hats but don't wear them well or maybe I don't know enough about style to know how to wear hats. ~shrug~ I love the race track scene in My Fair Lady!

Dina said...

Can we have a picture of you in the straw bowler hat?

Mister Earl said...

That's mad!

Not sure if "Frills" in Monrovia is still there, but you might want to check it out for hats!

And then there's the HaHaMongna Hat.

Laurie might need a hat to drive around in.

Petrea Burchard said...

Pascal Jim, there were lots of historic photos of hatted Pasadena matrons in the exhibit. Maybe your favorite is there.

I heard it said last night, Book Dragon, that anyone can wear a hat--it's a matter of finding the right one. If hats come back into style, you and I both have some trying on to do.

The museum staff asked for a picture, too, Dina! They didn't have a bowler in the exhibit. But now that I think of it, it might be a "boater." I'll go look it up.

I'll look for Frills, Mister Earl. What's the Hahamongna Hat?

Is anyone having trouble with Blogger today? It keeps shutting down Firefox and I'm working in Safari.

Petrea Burchard said...

Yep. It's a boater.

Steve Scauzillo said...

I am so totally NOT a hat person either. I don't even wear those baseball caps (not frontward nor backward) that the guys wear. I think my head is too big.

Bellis said...

A straw boater is the perfect hat for today, the biggest boating fixture in England, when the Oxford and Cambridge eights compete on the Thames. Pity you're not in London, you'd love it.

Remember the days when it wasn't proper to go out without having your head covered? (No, me neither). I really don't want to go back to that!

Curly said...

I have so many hats, but I hadly wear them... :-S

Cafe Pasadena said...

Can I bee honest here?? You have two hats; at least! Not counting the stocking cap which are usually worn by people to banks.

Petrea Burchard said...

I thought my head was too big, too, Steve, but word has it we just haven't found the right hat.

Bellis, it's always a pity I'm not in London, hat or no hat.

daisy, maybe today's a good day to wear one!

I don't much like my stocking cap, Cafe, but for cold days like this I need it.

Karen said...

Sadly, Frills in Monrovia is long gone, replaced by an upscale gardening/home decor place.

I've never felt that I could pull of a hat with the proper panache.

Mister Earl said...

"The Frill is gone" Years ago a singer/songwriter that I like was booked for a gig at Frills. It was a tearoom/antique shop + old clothes. During the break, they served tea and strawberry shortcake. At some point, the singer picked one of the hats off a rack and wore it for the rest of the show. Recently, I bought a fedora. Not sure if it's right for me. Can't wear it while driving, either. Car ceiling is too low. So much to think about!

Margaret said...

I love hats. I wear one whenever I can get away with it. In fact, I got two for my birthday.

Steven said...

The straw boater hat was made famous by Al Capone. It was his hat of choice when he was living in Miami, FL. He was not allowed to wear his "boater" when his was a resident of your fine state. Even though he saw surrounded by water. He took two boat trips in CA. One out to "The Rock" and one back to the wharf a few years later.

Petrea Burchard said...

Well, Karen, I'm all for upscale gardening but when hats come back, they're going to be sorry.

Mister Earl, when hats come back, cars will be designed to accommodate them.

Margaret, you know how to pull it off. You may have to give the rest of us lessons.

So in a sense, Steven, you're saying Al wore a boater, made the boater popular and became a boater in the end.

Katie said...

Cool photo. The slideshow of hats was very interesting; bet they were impressive to see in person (both on the walls and on heads). I'm not a hat person either (I can't really find ones that I think look good on me) but I very much enjoy the artistry and history of them.

Mister Earl said...

YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR HAT ON

John Sandel said...

I've never seen the head that needed a hat.

Petrea Burchard said...

It was fun, Katie, and especially interesting to see the hats people wore. As one person said, they were "ice breakers." Everyone felt comfortable talking to total strangers about their hats.

Earl, that and other music about hats, was playing on the sound system.

J, I've never seen the neck that needed a necklace, either, but adornment can be fun.

Steven said...

Yes Petrea, you are correct. Plus you and Al have that Chicago connection in common.

Petrea Burchard said...

Yeah. Me and Al.

Pascal Jim said...

I shall don my straw boater for the upcoming Doo Dah Parade in April.

See you there....

Susan Campisi said...

Looks like a chapeau shop, which makes me think of Nigel:

http://www.hark.com/clips/hrghffmkpx-as-long-as-theres-you-know-sex-and-drugs-i-can-do-without-rock-and-roll

Be sure your sound is turned on.

Petrea Burchard said...

Susan, you set me off. I've just wasted too many happy minutes watching "This is Spinal Tap" videos on Youtube.

Susan Campisi said...

As long as they are happy minutes they're not wasted - at least that's what I'm telling myself.

Dina said...

Yes, Blogger has been giving me troubles all week. It didn't list my blog on the Reading List until 2 or 3 days after publication.
And what I saw while writing was not what I got. I had to switch between Firefox and Internet "Exploder" to be able to edit a post back to what it originally looked like.
My whole computer was weird.

Petrea Burchard said...

Susan: True dat, as my professor friend says.

Dina: a kindly person on the blogger help forums told me there's a new version of Firefox. I downloaded it and it solved my problems. If you haven't done so, you might give it a try.

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fedricsonya said...

I got into it. I adulation the Pasadena Museum of History, and the hats in the affectation are gorgeous. It was like getting in the a lot of absolute hat abundance and absent every added hat on display. The alone agitation was I wasn't accustomed to try them on.

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Unknown said...

I heard last night, the Dragon book, anyone can take my hat - it's a matter of finding the right one. If the caps back in style, you and I are a little 'trying to do.

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