Not OT: More about the HAT

Not really. Not when you compare them to the cost of living I have this simple test I use. I think back to how much I used to pay for any item, and how much per hour I made then (sometimes have to calculate a month's pay down into hours) and then how much my pay would be today if we had not retired. Not too many people work for $3 an hour these days.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans

She certainly has very definite opinions. The only sort of variation on O Canada that I really like is a Howard Cable arrangement we used to play. It only sounds a bit odd at first because he put the melody entirely in the lower brass. Otherwise, it's easily identified once you get past the introduction.

Louisa

BTW, how's the knee?

I am seeing the surgeon on Thursday and can you guess, I shall whine lol I would really like it replaced now as it is starting to stress the other knee, so they can replace one now or two later !

I haven't seen the concert yet (I think it's screening on local telly tomorrow night). But don't you reckon Aretha must've been utterly

*pumped* to be 'singing in' an African American President? I assume she pulled out all stops and did what she thought was her absolute best. While it mightn't be to my taste (although I didn't mind the hat - it worked for her), I like to think she was doing the performance of a lifetime with all her heart and soul in it. After all the conversation about it, I've gotta see this concert!

This is the one place you may be Queen "Whine-lot" and feel your friends are feeling for you. \ One fact we encourage is that you wine-a lot, as long as it doesn't interfere with the meds.

BTW, almost all the crap is out of the guest room; however all that is left is an old file cabinet, a futon and a desk!! It is yours whenever you want

Gill

Wine-a-lot - now that sounds very good lol

Thank you Gillian, I shall remember.

They did have heaters up there, but nevertheless with the air temperature so cold, they went with broadcasting the recorded version. I was thinking about the value of the Violin & Cell0 - just millions for those 2 - and to be out there. But, I don't think they were out on their platform for very long.

It made me think of my ABQ wedding - on the 1 day the weather turns, and it seemed our tent wasn't joined properly. We had a jazz quintet that was run by the 1st bass from the NM Symphony. When it started to rain, and after a bit looked as if the tent over them was sagging -he grabbed me and said "Hey, I just brought this bass back from Cremona (Italy) - it was over $20,000. I'm worried." Needless to say - we moved the whole wedding into the house (with some furniture reorganizatoin). Luckily my art studio was a loft overlooking the main level (we'd had the final wall done only half height), and had a large tile foyer - which became the dance floor. The poor sax player had to face the corner - away from everything, or overpowered us all.

Yup. They are. During the tourist (summer) months here, the Army band, and some of the other service bands do performances on the mall on weekend evenings. And, the most regular anthem singers at the CAPS games are each sargeants in the USMC, and the Army - IIRC one is with the band, another with the Old Guard (who do the official funerals, guard the Tomb of the Unknown Solder).

Ellice

OK - this is odd - but I do thing expense comes into it. There aren't that many shops with inexpensive hats - well, except for floppy, canvas hats for the sun. But wool felt hats - I hardly see any for less than $100, and they're usually more. Of course, I'll find less expensive ones that are in the winter hat collections, along with the berets, etc. But, for fashion kind of hats - they are expensive, IME.

Ellice

My grandmother always wore a felt hat to chapel on Sundays. However, rather than buy a new hat every year or two she took it to the local dry-cleaners who "re-blocked" the hat into a different shape.

I think the price of hats has a lot to do with where you live. Olwyn Mary lives in New Orleans which has a large ethnic black population. Black women, be they rich or poor, wear hats to church and other functions. More women of all income segments wearing hats more often means the need for more hats which will *usually* mean more reasonably priced hats. I have found the same is true here in Magnoliaville which also has a large African American population. Back in Lizard Land it's virtually impossible to find nice hats, except for those worn during summer. When you do find them, they are very expensive. Here, I can find a wide variety of nice looking low quality to high quality hats in a range of prices from $5 to well over $50. I wear hats year round to either keep the sun off or keep the warmth in :-)! I think I need to make sure that I have photos of both my Mardi Gras and my Summer Flowers hats posted to my Webshots album! HMMM -- they might be there already, I'll have to check -- LOL! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

The last one I happened to look at here was not very ornate, some plainish satin with a little tulle, $75. People do not make huge salaries here in general, so I feel it is expensive. They likely would only wear it once for some big occasion.

Back in the 1970s I was paying an average of $40 for a good felt hat. Of course, I was also paying $100 for a suit. Since then, in the "race to the bottom" clothing has become cheaper and cheaper .......and it shows. Guess why I make my own outerwear these days.

Before Katrina, a number of local department stores carried hats, but very few do nowadays. We have one very upscale shop which makes hats for those going to the Kentucky Derby - vulgar, IMO, overblown and overladen, not the kind of thing you can wear anywhere else. There is also one hat shop in the Quarter which I have not visited recently. Other than that, all that is available is the el cheapo fun stuff. I don't look at the hat's decoration first, I look first at the fabric, then at the line, and only after that do I look at the additions. For the good stuff, I think $100 is quite reasonable. Of course, I wear my hats for years - I still have some from my trousseau. Good hats, properly stored in hat boxes, will last an astonishingly long time.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

EE Gads -- that IS expensive for what sounds like a pillbox hat with a touch of "fancy"! Here in Magnoliaville, that would likely go for about $25. I've got a little black poie de soie pillbox with some feathers at the crown and a little black veil. Don't have a clue what I paid for it but it was aeons ago and I haven't had reason to wear it in forever! HMMM, maybe I should dig it out and wear it to my luncheon next month!! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

OY the PAIN!!!! Methinks that should have been spelled "peau" -- at least I'm pretty sure that's the proper way to spell it!!! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

I think you are very correct. Here, there are probably more reasonable priced hat shopped in a couple of suburbs which are large African-American communities, as well as in the District - which has a huge mix of shopping possibilities. One of my favorite shops only carries clothing made form natural fibers, and mostly (if not all) comes from womens community support groups in South America. Totally interesting, fashion forward clothes - really nice. Just on 7th street.

Well, when I lived in Magnoliaville, oh so many years ago, I was just living in the dorms, and the big shopping was either hiking into downtonw - to the Army Surplus (first snow in Nov, had to get a jacket) - or taking the bus out to Lenox Square. No hats were in the forecast.

Here, I'll confess- the Nordstrom's does a brisk hat, scarf business. Beautiful things from all over, and they move. I've (in the past, more stable $ days) seen something, wanted to think about it - even on sale- and gone back in a day, and the hat would be gone. I did get my lovely, huge, hand rolled woven straw hat for our wedding there. It sits happily in a hat-box, and comes out to play on the odd dress-up in the spring/summer day.

Until about 5 years ago, my parents best friends (well, him) owned a huge hat manufacturing company based in Miami area. So, for the "normal" casual sun hats, etc - there was a steady, available supply. He also had the main Disneyworld concession - businnes did really well for a long time. Supported the son-in-law (became the manager), another friends' son - the comptroller, one daughter - main secretary/office manager, the brother-in-law (generally useless asst manager), another friend - headed sales. I think that once things opened more with China, and direct business their business started hurting - but of course they also paid good wages to everyone in the finishing factory, packing/warehouse, etc. And my "uncle" would yell at me if I wouuld mention wanting/buying some hat at a chain store, dept store - he'd just get it - and let us know about how the huge mark-up for a dept store for the same hat you'd get in a bargain shop.

I thought you'd posted some before. Do let us know.

ellice

I think that's expensive. Here, in the more bargain-y chain shops, or the sales at the mainstream dept stores, you can find wool felt hats for the winter - for maybe $35-$50. But, the "nice" hats - those special ones - I find them for between $75-$400. Most often, even pretty basic but more special, around $150-$225 for the not soooo special.

Right now, got to fo find some bargain winter suit - job fair tomorrow, and my last interview clothes, well the pants suit is 3/4 sleeves - decidedly warmer weather togs. And of course, we're getting the winter storm tomorrow, Wednesday - so I'm not doing hose and heels. Snowing right now, but mostly dusting and blowing. More opportunities to wear my lovely CAPS fleece hockey helmet hat!

Ellice

The Summer Flowers hats I *know* is in my webshots album (ndjoan) from the LV stitching show. :)

Joan

.........

I finally checked and YES, I have photos of both hats (Mardi Gras & Summer Flowers) at Webshots. The Mardi Gras hat is in the Mardi Gras

2008 album; I'm wearing it in the third photo. The Summer Flowers hat is in the Needlework album and it is the very last photo of MOI and Darla (where IS Darla, anyway?) and Joan E. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

Saw an article about 'the HAT' in our paper (Toronto Star). Apparently, the company that made it has been runoff it's feet with orders. It took two days of hand blocking by the designer.

Here's the on-line article