Red Hatters Gather at Tea Room

In a place where flamboyancy is required, more mature women are meeting age with fierce determination to keep fun in their lives. They are called the Red Hat Society and they are turning 14 years old this April. The old adage of ‘Time flies when you’re having fun’ fits on their head with plumes of purple and red.

Saturday, at least 60 members from around Sacramento and Dixon filled the extravagant with their purple garb and red hats of every size and shape—from fedoras to fascinators.

“We are all about fun,” said Carol Lewis, who is Queen of the Havin’ Fun Bunch in Sacramento and who emceed Saturday’s luncheon. She talked of how there were celebrations slated all over the nation for 'Red Hatters.’

The group of lively ladies was actually begun as a lark based on a poem by Jenny Joseph titled, ‘Warning’ where a woman says that she will dress in purple and wear a red hat that doesn’t match when she grows old.

The true story goes that Sue Ellen Cooper from Fullerton bought a red hat and gave it as a gift to her friend for her 55th birthday along with the poem. Other friends copied the act and soon they decided to get together as a group for fun activities while all wearing purple outfits and red hats. Soon the idea caught on and has now spread internationally with loosely organized societies everywhere. Having fun with friends remains the sole object.

Each group chooses its own Queen Mother and Dixon has two. One group of about 20 women meets in the days with Queen Barbara Lieb and the other group of about 15 meets in the evening with Queen Carol Parker.

But, this was a day when Sacramento-area members were invited to see Dixon at a place that offered just as much to see and browse as it did to eat and drink. Before the women were treated to tasty treats and delicious teas, Lewis made announcements about upcoming activities such as a Thrift Store Fashion Show and a ‘Royal Tea’ with a presentation on Princess Diana by a former member of the Buckingham Palace Accredited Press.

“It’s all about the activity,” explained Lewis who retired in 1998 and tried getting involved in other things to keep busy including a Republican Women’s group, the philharmonics, and a Bank of America retirees group.

“I didn’t want to eat my way through retirement and all the other groups were arranged around restaurants or meals,” she said. “Our event planning never starts with what restaurant we’ll eat at; it starts with ‘What can we do?’ “

She talked about she used to “drag” her husband to things and how they tried doing things as couples but singly, there usually was not a lot in common. Then, she was invited to a Red Hat Society, "loved the ladies, and got hooked."

“Sometimes my daughter would go with me somewhere but I was beginning to think I was weird. Now I go and have fun,” she said adding that she has so many friends now, they have to car pool.

Women younger than 50 are also welcome into the group, they just have to wear lavender with pink hats until they reach the magic numbered birthday.