By Barbara Jorgen Nance
It's all about the hat. I ran across an old poem I had written many years ago and can't get it out of my mind. So, I'll share it with all my readers and we can ponder hats together:
GǣFoxy 2 HatsGǥ-Cunning Foxy 2 Hats unburdened himself one day
He took off the negative hat he wore and gladly threw it away.
Tossed out the open window , into the bottomless pit
Leaving himself with the positive hat, the one that truly fit.
Foxy 2 Hats stood at the window, absorbing the positive light
A soul can tell when all is well, when the fit of his hat is right. Barbara Nance
We can't just wear any old hat, it has to be that swanky one that makes you feel like a million bucks when you put it on. Mine is a GǣFiesta Santa Barbara.Gǥ A western style, rustic brown, a little bit country cowgirl hat with leather ties and satin lining. I have history with this hat. When we lived in Santa Barbara County, Calif., I always wore this hat when I drove my convertible Fiat Spider sports car. Later, when I took up riding a motorcycle, my helmets became as important as my leather wardrobe. Lined up in my closet sit my chrome helmet, a leopard skin helmet and of course, the you're-always-in-style black helmet. I have sold the Harley, but the helmets are now part of my fashion museum. What's in your closet?
Since ancient times, cultures from around the globe have topped off their heads with various headdresses, jeweled crowns, metal helmets, cowboy hats, baseball caps, high-fashion feathered statement hats and woven tin-foil hats that I'll expand on later. A person can feel and act differently just by changing the hat and Gǣa soul can tell when all is well, when the fit of his hat is right.Gǥ
The ancient Egyptian culture fascinates me. With each new King, the crown got larger and taller, reaching up to the Gods. Other cultures just added more feathers or precious jewels to the crowns of their royalty. In the US, hat designers have played a large part in fashion history. Just looking at the last 100 years or so, hat history could fill encyclopedias to the brim (get-it? brim). Ladies' huge-brimmed hats covered with ribbons and flowers were the rage. For men, John B. Stetson started his hat company in New York, Philadelphia, London, Paris and Canada. At the same time Cowboy hats, Fedoras, Panama Hats and more came along. The swanky flappers of the 30s, with their feathered, thin-brimmed crowns made them feel classy enough to attract the finest gentlemen in their stunning top hats.
FYI- In April of 2016, GǣInternational Tin-Foil Hat DayGǥ was launched. Yes, I was surprised as well that Tin Foil hats have a history? First used with the discovery of X-rays in 1895. Later, in 2002, protection from Aliens was practiced by weaving and wearing Tin Foil hats. So, folks, you have until April 2017 to prepare for International Tin Foil Hat Day!
On that note, I'll put on my artist's beret and go paint you a picture to accompany this column.
Ponder On!