REFLECTING ON THE EXPERIENCE
From Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg:
"Great
Hat Ladies group. Thank you for all you and your team do for our
community! Keep inviting Sandy and me. Flying high on hope."
*****
From the Iron Feather Tea Blog:
"The Royal Ascot has them and the
Kentucky Derby has them. Fabulous hats. Quirky hats, huge hats, and beautiful
hats. And then, there’s Charleston at Easter.
Now, when you think about Easter, remember there
are over 400 churches in Charleston. It’s no surprise its nickname is the Holy
City. Charlestonians pride themselves on having steeples, not skyscrapers, for
their cityscape. Hence Charleston takes Easter seriously with
pomp, ceremony, and a great deal of humble civic pride.
As part of that civic duty there will, of COURSE,
always be an annual Easter parade. Part of that Easter parade will be bonnets
and hats. And Those? Those will be worn by those elegant and special women of
the South known as The Hat Ladies.
The Hat Ladies are a big and special part of the
civic pride displayed each Easter. They were started 17 years ago by a woman
named Archie Burkel. It has grown to include a huge group of extraordinarily-hatted
women who do good works, charitable deeds, and have a truckload of fun doing it.
They have lunched with Ambassadors and attended the Royal Ascot. They visit
hospitals, help out when they can, and will do battle for the needy. All the
while wearing a fabulous hat. These women (and
their escorts) CRUSH it!"
*****
From Photographer Kim Morgan Gregory:
Some years ago,
Jim and I first met
Archie Burkel and the group of elegant ladies at
Second Sunday on King Street…
Charleston… we were invited out to photograph their Promenade on Broad Street
Charleston… it has now been 3 years since we first photographed The Hat Ladies
of Charleston Promenade on Broad Street… it has been amazing to see how the
group has grown…in relationships that is… you just have to be there to
experience the exchange between the folks who participate … mother/daughter,
grandson/grandmother, friend/friend,
young/younger …
colorful hats …
elegant gloves …
the gentlemen …
the accessories …
and then give a 
glance
to the smiling folks observing from the cobbled sidewalk areas of Broad street
as the elegantly dressed group of all ages promenade from
Washington Park, Charleston, South Carolina
where posing for pix was the game at hand and then make their way toward the
historic
The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
for a quick turnaround return. HaTpy Easter
As Archie Burkel, Top Hat of The Hat Ladies
says, "If you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you do good."
Picture
The Hat Ladies