Hats off during a recession-friendly Easter? No way
Adelle M. Banks/Religion News Service
Issue date: 4/12/09 Section: Divine Intervention
Some hat designers, in fact, are doing pretty well. Luke Song of Detroit's Mr. Song Millinery, says he's been "riding the wave" ever since Aretha Franklin wore his gray felt and rhinestone creation to President Obama's inauguration in January. Sales have skyrocketed ever since, he said.
Though Franklin's jaw-dropper hat was an original - it has its own Facebook page and the singer is currently in talks to loan it to the Smithsonian - Song's staff is busily filling orders for $179 spring versions created with banana yellow or baby pink satin ribbons.
Song is trying to give his customers options - from tiny $19 "fascinators" that look like miniature hats to grand $900 pieces that are worthy of a day at Churchill Downs.
"Every boutique tells me their accessories are up," said Song, who caters to about 500 boutiques. "The clothing is struggling, but they're doing well with their accessories, which includes the hats."
And besides, Song said, everyone needs a little pick-me-up when most economic news is all bad, all the time. "Easter's always been good for hats," he said. "Despite the economy, I think it's a feel-good thing."
Gail Lowe, senior historian at the Anacostia Community Museum in Washington, said Easter hat traditions run deep, especially in the Black church. There's biblical precedent for a woman to cover her hair, as well as the desire to greet spring with a new, colorful look. Lowe's museum currently features a pink, yellow and green hat, decorated with flowers and leaves, in the Easter section of its exhibit, "Jubilee: African American Celebration."
"No matter how trying times are, people try to ... hold onto certain traditions," she said. "This would definitely be a good example, and it's a very viable example that we're still keeping our heads up."
Michael Cunningham, a Washington-based photographer whose photos were featured in the book, "Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats," said the endurance of Easter hats - even in tough times - reflects the resilience of the women who wear them. The book has since been adapted into a play, currently on tour in the Washington area.
"I don't think they would ever say that things have been smooth throughout history," he said. "It's always been a challenge. Especially Black Americans; we've always been challenged economically. I think they're going to keep on rolling with it."
Though Franklin's jaw-dropper hat was an original - it has its own Facebook page and the singer is currently in talks to loan it to the Smithsonian - Song's staff is busily filling orders for $179 spring versions created with banana yellow or baby pink satin ribbons.
Song is trying to give his customers options - from tiny $19 "fascinators" that look like miniature hats to grand $900 pieces that are worthy of a day at Churchill Downs.
"Every boutique tells me their accessories are up," said Song, who caters to about 500 boutiques. "The clothing is struggling, but they're doing well with their accessories, which includes the hats."
And besides, Song said, everyone needs a little pick-me-up when most economic news is all bad, all the time. "Easter's always been good for hats," he said. "Despite the economy, I think it's a feel-good thing."
Gail Lowe, senior historian at the Anacostia Community Museum in Washington, said Easter hat traditions run deep, especially in the Black church. There's biblical precedent for a woman to cover her hair, as well as the desire to greet spring with a new, colorful look. Lowe's museum currently features a pink, yellow and green hat, decorated with flowers and leaves, in the Easter section of its exhibit, "Jubilee: African American Celebration."
"No matter how trying times are, people try to ... hold onto certain traditions," she said. "This would definitely be a good example, and it's a very viable example that we're still keeping our heads up."
Michael Cunningham, a Washington-based photographer whose photos were featured in the book, "Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats," said the endurance of Easter hats - even in tough times - reflects the resilience of the women who wear them. The book has since been adapted into a play, currently on tour in the Washington area.
"I don't think they would ever say that things have been smooth throughout history," he said. "It's always been a challenge. Especially Black Americans; we've always been challenged economically. I think they're going to keep on rolling with it."
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