2012

Christmas Joy

The Post and Courier

Letter to the Editor by Archie Burkel

On Thursday evening, December 20th, The Hat Ladies brought hats from The Bollman Hat Company to the guests at Crisis Ministries as part of The Headwear Association's Hats for the Homeless Program. Some hats were stylish.  Some were more practical. All were magical.  Like the song, Frosty The Snowman, "...when they put them on their head, they began to dance around."  Men, women, and children experienced the joy of being given something unconditionally and unexpectedly and reacted accordingly.

As The Hat Ladies helped the guests find the perfect hat, they felt like kids on Christmas morning, seeing the glow in the eyes of the recipients. Laughter and chatter filled the room as people from diverse backgrounds and ages came together under one symbolic hat and had fun. "Oh WOW!" and "Thank You" were heard repeatedly throughout the room.

When they exited to go to dinner, the guests didn't just walk taller; they strutted.  They had a positive hatitude. One man said, "I want it to sit right. I want to make the right impression," as he carefully adjusted his knit cap. He looked good, and he was proud of it.  All basked in the warmth of generosity and the knowledge they would be warm against the cold.

Some who were given hats graciously became the givers. One Lady passed up a hat for herself and chose one that would match the pink coat of a friend who wasn't there.  A man canvassed the dining room to make sure no one had been overlooked. He returned with a friend of a different nationality, who beamed when he looked in the mirror and saw his reflection.

The Hat Ladies say there is "hat" in HeArT.  Thanks to The Bollman Hat Company, all hearts at Crisis Ministries were filled with overwhelming joy as the winter season officially began.  Just like Frosty, they will be back again someday.  In the meantime, everyone involved will proudly carry the memory of that magical night in their HeArTS forever.

HATALK MAGAZINE

Hats off to arts

Local women's group plans giveaway at Marion Square

The Post and Courier by Stephanie Harvin

June 10, 2012

With the end of Spoleto Festival USA and Piccolo Spoleto, summer has truly arrived on the arts scene. That means artists, thespians, musicians, and their tech crews are taking a well-deserved summer break.

But even though there's a break until August, there are still artistic things to do. And one of the most stylish is likely to be the Hat Ladies of Charleston's Summer Hat Giveaway promptly at noon Thursday in Marion Square.

Archie Burkel, grande dame of the Ladies, says the Bollman Hat Company has donated hats to help emphasize that wearing a hat is not just fun, but good for the complexion, too. A hat worn daily is great protection from the summer sun, something Southerners have known for centuries.

Should you wander where the art comes into this, Burkel says the Hat Ladies will be giving a sort of Hat Wearing 101 to those who show up, both men and women.  She describes the donated hats as the practical kind, designed for everyday wear, and since she's not sure what the hats will look like when they arrive, there definitely will be a need for suiting the hats to the proper heads.

It all sounds like a lot of fun for keeping off the sun.  The Hat Ladies will be at Calhoun and King streets and will give away hats while supplies last.

*****

Hatlife On-Line International Hat Magazine

Promenading in a Hat/The Hat Ladies and Their Easter Bonnets

Although Easter now seems like a distant memory, we thought it worth mentioning that the photos of the Charleston Hat Ladies' Southern-Style Easter Promenade are now available to view on line.

Archie Burkel, Top Hat of The Hat Ladies organization, told us, "On April 7th nothing was finer than to be in South Carolina wearing a stylish hat.  It was our biggest and best ever...and a true testimony to the fact that the hat is (finally) back!

                                                                            Feathers in our Caps