Those hat ladies in England don't have anything on church ladies in Atlanta

[SmileyRose]

If you want to see some REAL hats, go to Greenbriar or Southlake Mall in Metro Atlanta.

[formercia]

1. You talking Big Hat Ladies or Little Hat Ladies?

or both. :hi:

[SmileyRose]

4. Both

Everyone in America should attend Sunday worship at one of our fine Atlanta churches at least once in a lifetime. It is absolute pure joy.

[roguevalley]

22. its a rite of passage to be old enough to get a hat for church

for every queen, a crown

[blondeatlast]

25. I never reached that point; we'd moved from the midwest

by the time I was old enough.

My sisters, both several years my senior, both had a couple of nice church hats. We only wore them on Easter, but oh, how I wanted one!

[Skidmore]

2. This thread needs pictures.

[SmileyRose]

7. You gotta see this website.

http://www.womensuitsmanager.com/womensuit_default_new.aspx?gender=women -- click hats.

-----

[Generic Other]

8. Oh my! I am sooo jealous

That sky blue one is divine!!

[jpak]

11. The one on the right looks like Devo

n/t

[blondeatlast]

18. I toatlly adore this one--I WANT!

&w=150&h=200

[Poboy]

21. Wow. That link is your one stop shop for all your crazy hat needs!

5 pages of wackery.

[calimary]

26. Oh my Lord! Extravagant! One of those could have easily graced Westminster Abbey.

Amazing creations!

[AsahinaKimi]

3. Um.. have you ever seen..

BEACH BLANKET BABYLON?

[Bluebear]

5. Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats

http://www.amazon.com/Crowns-Portraits-Black-Women-Church/dp/0385500866/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304122204&sr=8-1

:)

[blondeatlast]

12. That book is AMAZING. Photography and style to die for. nt

[Bunny]

6. I used to get a mail order catalog of church-style clothes for southern black ladies.

At least that was who I assumed was the target market. Those suits were great, complete with outstanding hats, matching shoes and bags, etc. (How I ended up on their mailing list I'll never know, but I always enjoyed looking at it.)

But more to your point, the hats in that catalog were big, but they were normal-looking hats. They did not look like someone slapped a squid, or a dinner plate, or a satellite dish onto the side of their head and then went out in public.

[hlthe2b]

9. LOL... One of my favorite episodes of the Wire (HBO)

had to do with the matriarchs of African American families and their "Crowns."

Yes, indeed, as anyone who recalls that of our treasured Aretha Franklin on innauguration day will attest.

[malaise]

13. Opening day at the races at Newmarket in England

and the Kentucky Derby bring out more than a few

[BillyJack]

17. One has to have a lot of "confidence" (or unrestricted sense of fun) to wear such hats

;-)

on edit: otherwise ppl might think you're crazy (i.e., the ppl of Walmart)

[BillyJack]

14. That was the FIRST thing I thought of when I read the OP :-) n/t

[blondeatlast]

10. Yup; Southern women do it right up top! nt

[HipChick]

15. Have you checked out the Royal Ascot hats?

[blondeatlast]

16. Love 'em...

http://www.maggiemae.com/holiday.htm

[Merlot]

20. Those are pretty cool hats at the link!

but with no royal weddings or horse races on my schedule, where to wear them?

[blondeatlast]

24. I swear, every city needs a "hat" occasion. I'm no longer in the midwest,

where my mom would wear goofily gorgeous hats to church. I never got the opportunity. :(

[blondeatlast]

19. Yep; my gramma always said the best complement is the gossip about one's hat. nt

[Horse with no Name]

23. Hey not just Atlanta!

http://churchsuitsunlimited.com/catalog.php?page=catalog&CategorySelected=SHOW&Category=Moshita%20Spring%20And%20Summer%20Suits%202011&Catid=448&Folder=moshits11

[applegrove]

27. I love hats. I wore a big one to a wedding one time and didn't need a facy dress at all. The hat

said it all.