The Red Hat Society

Dear Linda:

       I’ve noticed senior women decked-out in colorful garb (red hats and purple clothes) clearly having a great time! What organization do they belong to and how do I join?

Looking for a Fun Club


Dear Looking for a Fun Club:

       The women you refer to are members of the Red Hat Society, a national organization for women devoted to “sisterhood and silliness”. Intent on welcoming middle-age with enthusiasm, the members gather together for teas and luncheons, dinner and dancing, movie nights and theater, conventions and speakers, spa days and even sleepovers.

       The Red Hat Society was founded to give senior women a chance to share life experiences, maximize opportunities to enjoy life. Proudly referred to as a “disorganization”, the requirements are few. You must be over 50 and attend functions in “full regalia” - red hats and purple outfits. Accessories can be as lavish as feather boas, fancy gloves, and purple pumps and pantyhose.

       For those who just can’t wait to join, junior postulates (ladies-in-waiting called Pink Hatters) are allowed conditional membership, if they agree to wear pink hats and lavender clothing until the crucial milestone—50 years and what they call Reduation!

       Organized into chapters around the world (100 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area), meetings are generally held once a month by approximately 20 women (only because bigger groups have more trouble with reservations). If a chapter near you is full, you can begin your own. The $35 registration fee includes a Purple Perks card (automatic for the “Chapter Queens”) entitling members full access to the website, participation in official events, and discounts on Red Hat merchandise, Southern Lady Magazine, Amtrak fees to name a few.

       For more information or to join in the hilarity, visit www.redhatsociety.com or call their “Hatquarters” at 714-738-0001. Read Red Hat Society’s Laugh Lines by founder and “Exalted Queen Mother”, Sue Ellen Cooper, for funny anecdotes and inspirational stories that “reshape the way women in this age group are viewed and for a refreshing and liberating attitude toward aging.”