Taking our hats off is an ancient tradition. When the king walked into a room, his subjects took off their hats and bowed their heads to show reverence. When our National Anthem plays at ball games, we remove our baseball hats during the song. We take off our hats for dinners, prayers and formal introductions. We may also take off our hats to celebrate a graduation or special event. Today the phrase “hats off” applies to more than just customs. It’s used in museum exhibit titles, movie titles and nonprofit organization names.
There is a “Hats Off: Salute to African Headwear” exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art in Washington DC. Adorning the body with creative crafts has been a longstanding tradition in African culture that expresses pride, individualism and cultural ideals. Some hats are meant to represent certain skills, as farmers and blacksmiths will wear different mens hats, for example. Different hats also indicate different status, as chiefs and royalty have their own special head-dresses. Materials used in hat-making are from the local landscape and additions like teeth, claws or hide are believed to give the wearer special powers. Imported shells, glass beads and buttons indicate wealth. At the exhibit, people can see Kongo hats dating back to the 15th century, 19th century Zulu tribe hats and a number of other special artifacts.
“Hats Off” is also a 2008 documentary about 93-year-old actress Mimi Weddell. According to filmmakers, Mimi has “the style and grace of Katharine Hepburn” and “the smoky wit and wisdom of Dorothy Parker.” At age 90, she was named one of New York Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People in New York.” Upon the passing of her husband, Mimi’s acting career started at age 65. This film follows the hat wearing icon throughout her quest to redefine America’s perception of aging. She’s appeared in several movies, like Across the Universe, Dracula – Last Rites, Hitch and The Purple Rose of Cairo; TV shows like Law & Order, as well as Sex & the City; photo spreads in Vogue and Vanity Fair; and fashion print ads for Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Juicy Couture. This inspiring story looks at relationships, dreams and motivation, filmmakers say. More information can be found at www.hatsoffthemovie.com.
Lastly, Hats Off For Cancer is an organization that collects and donates hats to children who have lost their hair due to cancer chemotherapy. The organization was started in 1996 by Tara Lawrence, who lost her grandfather to cancer and volunteered with the American Cancer Society. After talking to many children with cancer, she found that they were all concerned about the same thing; losing their hair. So she decided to begin this organization to put smiles back on their faces. Over the years, more than 690,000 winter hats, straw hats, fashion designer hats, baseball hats and others have been donated to hospitals, societies, camps and individuals in need. Barbara Walters, Britney Spears, Kathie Lee Gifford, Katie Couric, Michael Jordan, Montel Williams, Rosie O’Donnell, Sarah Jessica Parker and others have all joined this wonderful cause.
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