Consider the Funny Hat

 

My family has a long-held tradition of collecting hats. Some funny. Some serious. Some just plain ridiculous. My father had many great hats. He would show up at our house every Thanksgiving wearing his red and black plaid lumberjack hat--the one with the faux fur ear flaps. He bought it at Ocean State Job Lot and now I have it. For some crazy reason, my older brother did not claim his inheritance of the crazy hat collection.

Go figure.

Among Papa Callan’s collection, I also found a faux Russian Cossack hat, as well as a a delightful wide brimmed rain hat--bright yellow in the style of the Morton Salt Girl. With ear flaps. Everyone in the Callan family loves ear flaps. (Okay, not really.) I also found a bunch of souvenir baseball caps, but I can’t abide by them—mainly because they’re worn with no sense of irony—so into the donation bin they went.

My mother did not collect hats. Rather, she collected wigs. Same thing, really, if you think about it. They keep your head warm and you can change them up and achieve a unique look with each one you chose, depending on style and color.

And yes, since I’m a certified Callan, I not only collect funny hats, but I collect wigs. Well, not so much anymore. These days, I’m more interested in fascinators. That’s because I took a fascinator workshop at Spencertown Academy Arts Center and I learned how to make my own fascinator. I’ll show it to one day, if you’re very, very good.

Creative Friends--we’re in Halloween season and the shops are filled with silly accessories. The possibilities are endless. Why not take this opportunity to try on a new identity? Think about the art of it. What historical moments would you like to reference? What famous people are you channeling? How can you turn the volume up. Or down? Or mix that reference with something so highly personal that no one will every guess what you’re doing. But, you’ll know.

Love,

Jamie