The Hat Ladies of Hunterdon in The News
The Readington News
July/August 2006
Join The Hat Ladies of Hunterdon
Are you a lady who genuinely loves hats but isn't always comfortable being the only woman wearing one? And are you a lady with a kind heart who loves to volunteer but prefers doing so amidst the camaraderie of other women?
Enjoy the elegance, grace, and traditions of hat wearing by becoming a member of a stylish brigade of Ladies of all ages who make a difference in Hunterdon County through their community service.
The Hat Ladies of Hunterdon is a new "cHApTer" of the National Organization, The Hat Ladies LLC (www.hatladies.org) based out of Charleston, SC. Although a genuine love of hats is at the very "HeArT" of being a "Hat Lady," it is our volunteerism while wearing hats of all colors that sets us part from other hat-wearing, fun-loving groups.
For more information, please write The Hat Ladies of Hunterdon ~ U.S. Post Office Box # 107 ~ Stanton, NJ 08885 or email HatLadiesHunterdon@mac.com Throw your hats in the ring and join us! Not affiliated with The Red Hat Society.
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Today in Hunterdon
June 20 - July 5, 2006
Hat Ladies Use Headgear to Spur Volunteer Efforts
"You never have a bad hair day when you're wearing a hat," so proclaims Eva Lesniak of the Whitehouse Station section of Readington Township.
Lesniak is an enthusiastic missionary for the wearing of hats by women, both as a fashion statement and as a starting point for people to reach out to others. She has founded the fledgling Hunterdon County chapter of The Hat Ladies LLC, a national organization that organizes hat-loving women to war their chapeaux while volunteering in their communities.
Begun in Charleston, S.C., The Hat Ladies have chapters in six states. The Hunterdon County chapter is the first in New Jersey. They are not affiliated with the Red Hat Society, a group that is based on age. Hat Ladies are a diverse group, bringing together women of all ages, backgrounds, and life styles.
Nostalgic Lifestyle: Lesniak, who works as a manager at Johnson & Johnson, has a nostalgic affection for the grace and gentility of a time she is too young to remember. A woman who writes letters with a pen and paper and considers sending thank-you notes by email to be an unfortunate by-product of the electronic age, Lesniak admits she has not often had the nerve to wear her beloved hats in public places. "I'm not comfortable," she said, "when I'm the only one wearing a hat.
"We went to a Kentucky Derby party," she related. "I thought that would be a perfect place to wear a hat (since many women wear elaborate hats to the Derby itself). Well, I was the only one." Her daughter, Victoria, 11, had planned to wear a hat but gave up the idea when she saw the rest of the guests bare-headed.
The Hat Ladies as a group, though, will wear their hats while performing acts of volunteerism and public service. Some activities will be hat-related, while others will simply be enhanced by the attention drawn to them by their hats.
Hats As Decoration: One idea is having hat-wearing members go to the children's wards of area hospitals, bringing with them hats that the children can decorate and wear. The children will then be able to keep their creations. The volunteers may bring some of "the wonderful children's books about hats to provide an introduction to the activity of decorating the hats," Lesniak noted.
"Maybe the children will begin to say, 'Oh, The Hat Ladies are here!' and look forward to the visits," Lesniak said.
She said she had already been in touch with Hunterdon Hospice about an opportunity, during the Christmas season, to help staff a gift-wrapping table at the Borders Book Store in Flemington for the benefit of the hospice. The visibility of The Hat Ladies will doubtless attract attention to the table and hopefully add to the project's profitability.
Because a hat was once an essential part of every stylish woman's attire, The Hat Ladies are considering several volunteer activities involving older people. One is regular visits to the Briteside Adult Day Care Centers, which has facilities in Flemington and in Lebanon Borough.
Lesniak said that hats can serve as a stimulus, particularly to Alzheimer's patients. Citing something she learned from Archie Burkel, the Charleston, S.C. woman who founded The Hat Ladies organization, she explained, "For older adults who are struggling with Alzheimer's, looking in the mirror can be very disconcerting. Somehow, though, when someone is reminiscing about hats and maybe trying on a hat, the mirror becomes not such a frightening thing."
Monthly Meetings Planned: The Hat Ladies plan to hold monthly meetings at Teaberry's Tea Room on Main Street in Flemington. Lesniak mentioned that Teaberry's actually has a collection of hats for sale. At the meeting the ladies will enjoy a gracious and civilized opportunity to wear their hats while they discuss their future activities. Anyone interested can contact Lesniak by phone at 908-236-2419, by email at hatladieshunterdon@mac.com, or by regular mail at Post Office Box # 107 ~ Stanton, NJ 08885
At The Hat Site, an on-line resource for the hat and headwear industry worldwide, an essay on the history of hats as related the illustrious and intriguing rise of the simple head covering to a fashion hallmark and a symbol of status and rank. It notes that "hats continued to be popular until the 1960's, when they underwent a steady decline." Some experts date the decline in wearing hats to the youthful, bare-headed appearance of President John F. Kennedy on his inauguration in January 1961.
An optimistic assessment on the site says, "Millinery today has benefited from somewhat of a revival and the return of hat wearing is gradually becoming more common." If The Hat Ladies of Hunterdon have anything to say about it, that prediction will turn out to be accurate.
