Red Hats Victoria

The 10 Red Hatter commandments:

1. Thou shalt use thy Red Hat powers for good deeds (bring joy and laughter to all you meet).
2. Thou shalt eat thy favorite foods, including chocolate. After all, diet is just a four letter word.
3. Thou shalt be a kindred spirit in your sisterhood. Keep your confidences and friendships strong.
4. Thou shalt put on the glitz! Wear purple glory, big red hats, flashy jewellry, and feathers: be a Dame!
5. Thou shalt play. Be young in heart and mind and your body will follow – -at least most of the time!
6. Thou shalt welcome the curious and explain the wonders of Red Hat to all who ask, especially small children and handsome men.
7. Thou shalt accept the things you cannot change, big or small. We’re good at rolling with the punches.
8. Thou shalt aspire to anything in life at any age. It’s never too late to skydive.
9. Thou shalt honour thy age and the need to be a little bad.
10. Thou shalt repeat the first nine commandments, over and over and over.

Author Unknown

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Red Hatter creed:

I will not walk softly, but I will carry a big stick.
I will laugh hard, loud, and often I will have fun, and play hard.
I will put all work and responsibilities off until tomorrow.
I will take time to smell the flowers.
I will never use the following words: “diet”, “exercise”, “fat”, “guilt”, “careful”, “slow”, “quiet”, “rules”, “laws”, “boundaries”, or “limits”.
I will never say “Shhhhhhhh”.
I will flaunt my red hat and purple dress.
I will not always endure the restraints of underwear.
I will eat chocolate excessively and unyieldingly.
I will learn to indulge myself in both familiar and unfamiliar ways
And will encourage Red Hat behavior.

by Lil’ Mz.Chevious (Carole Mebane, RHS Moll)

Ode to a Red Hatter

Isn’t it lovely and simply divine?
To finally be fifty and not forty-nine?
Fifty has substance, fifty has style;
Now you can do things that make folks smile.

None of this nonsense talk of “over the hill”
Relax and have fun, just do what you will.
You can wear purple outfits and a silly red chapeau;
Trimmed in feathers and flowers, be always on the go.

None of that “old talk” for this active bunch;
It’s off to bingo, or a tea shop lunch.
We may have some aches; wrinkles may dot the skin;
But we’re in glorious shape, for the shape that we’re in.

We giggle and simper, gossip and tease;
Say what we feel, it’s us that we please.
You may find us silly; you may roll your eyes;
You may think purple, a strange disguise.

But purple is royal, it makes a grand show;
We have a Queen Mother; she is wise we all know.
So dust off the cobwebs and let’s have some fun.
Join The Red Hats, where new life has begun.

You can be an old fogey and sit on the side;
Or join all of us, wear our colors with pride.
That is our story; we hope you’ll agree;
Belonging to The Red Hats, is the best place to be……

(Author Unknown)

The following are some common customs of the RHS

• Bling – The more the merrier!  Any kind of shiny, sparkly accessory you can add is great.    Many Hatters like to collect brooches as well as wearing pearls and rhinestone jewellery.
• “Dessert first” – We’re about having fun and not having to “act your age” – so why not have dessert first!
• “Hoots” – A hoot is a get-together of Hatters.  Generally an informal and unstructured event, some people use the term for all gatherings and events.
• Feathers & Feather Boas – Boas add some fun, but the feathers themselves represent the freedom to come out and play as well as being love (red) and hugs (purple).  If feathers fall off your boas, save them to give away as little gifts – they are “boa-seeds” or “baby boas”, and if nurtured they could grow into a full feather boa one day :)
• Reversed Colours – The regular dresscode is a red hat with purple clothing (or a pink hat with lavender clothing).  However you can “reverse your colours” (wear a purple hat with red clothing), on your birth month and the birth month of the RHS (April)
• Sashes & Stoles – A great way to display your brooches – which saves poking holes in your clothing and means you don’t have to move them from outfit to outfit.

The dress code for the Society is that women over 50 wear “purple” and women under 50 wear “lavender”

But what is “purple”?  and where does “lavender” stop and “purple” begins….. is magenta a “purple” or is it pink?

If you look at photos of Hatter groups, you will see a vast array of different shades of purples, and different ways to wear the colours – and that is great!

(Also remember that during your birth month, and the birth month of the RHS [April] you can reverse your colours – so you would wear red clothing with a purple hat)

To help you out, here is an interpretation of colours that might be appropriate for Pink and Red Hatters.

(Remembering that different monitors/screens may display colours differently)

Basically if you are a Pink Hatter, choose the lighter shades of purple (lavender, lilac, mauve etc.), however you don’t need to go pale for the pink – you can go for hot pink and fuchsia tones.  If you are a Red Hatter, choose the darker and more vibrant purples and violets, and your “red” hats can be anything from a burgundy to a bright red.

The important thing to remember is that a Red Hatter should look like a “Red Hatter”, and a Pink Hatter should look like a “Pink Hatter”.  So if you think that you could be mistaken for a different age group, you may like to make sure you have enough correct colour clothing or accessories to make sure you look right.

Some Hatters are very strict with the colour difference between a “Lavender” and a “Purple”, and don’t like to see Pink Hatters wearing anything too dark.  Others feel that it’s ok for a Pinkie to wear something that could be considered “purple”, so long as they have an obviously pink hat and look like a Pink Hatter.  So while you are strongly encouraged to wear lighter purples as a Pink Hatter, if you must wear darker shades, try to incorporate some lavender accessories (a scarf or feather boa perhaps), and make sure your hat is definitely pink.

But most importantly – have fun with it!

This talk of having specific clothing and hats may seem a little daunting.  You probably don’t happen to have a red/pink hat just lying around, and you might want to get fancy but don’t have the budget to go out and buy everything straight away.

That’s ok – Go slowly and add to your collection of goodies as the budget permits.  Here’s some tips to some more cost effective ways to looking fabulous.

• Check out op shops and second hand shops for cheap gear.  You may find hats, shoes and clothing in the appropriate RHS colours for a lot cheaper than you can buy it new.

• Ask other Hatters if they have anything lying around they aren’t using – perhaps organise a swap at your next gathering, so people can get rid of things they no longer need, and others can grab some new things they do need.

• Try painting shoes in the colour you would like if you can’t find any of the right colour.  Use glitter or ribbon etc. to add some extra touches to boring shoes.
  • DIY Glitter tutorials – http://somethingturquoise.com/2013/10/04/diy-glitter-high-heels/ & http://www.simplywhisked.com/diy-glitter-shoes/

• If you find a hat in the wrong colour, you can try dying it (fabric hats) or using a florists spray to make it pink or red.  Regular spray paint can rub off, so that isn’t recommended, if you do try spray paint, don’t do the inside where it can rub off on your skin.

• Dye clothing – Lavender clothing in particular seems to be difficult to find, so look for white clothing that you can dye lavender.  Just remember to use the right type of dye for the type of material you are wanting to dye – and remember that you may get unpredictable results with blends of polyester/cotton fabrics.  But it can be fun, and gives you a greater variety of clothing to wear.

• Check ebay for cheap hats, fascinators as well as clothing and accessories.  There’s heaps of great stuff there!

• Make a hat!  – see the Millinery tutorials page for some hat & fascinator tutorials.  Or if you don’t want to make it from scratch, take a plain hat and add some decorations.  A feather boa can instantly give a plain hat some pizzazz.  Tie a lightweight scarf around the base of the hat and clip on some hair flowers for a removable decoration you can transfer to other hats as needed.

• Your hat doesn’t have to be solely red or pink – You can use a white or straw hat and add flowers and ribbons in the appropriate colours.

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Remember that at a minimum you can wear “Red on the Head, Purple on the Shoulder”.  So that would be a purple/lavender scarf or shawl  around your shoulders with a red/pink hat while you are waiting to find for your full regalia.  You don’t need to be completely dressed in purple/lavender from head to toe either, a top/cardigan over another coloured jeans/skirt would suffice.  Although “dressing up to the nines” is fun!

It is customary for Hatters to take on a fanciful or whimsical Hatter Name to be known as while they are Hatting, these are usually worn on  a name badge to show them proudly (and to help others remember who you are!)

It’s a bit of fun and a chance to give yourself a Royal Title – because we’re all special and deserving of a bit of a royalty.

Often the names consist of a Royal Title plus a name starting with the same letter that has some sort of meaning to you.  It might include your actual name or might not.

For example: Dianne the Dancing Diva, Princess Purple Pants, Lady Ramona of the Overflowing Washing Basket, Countess of Cheesecakes, Contessa Craftystuff.

If you are having trouble coming up with your Red Hatting name, here are some suggestions.

~ Coming up with a name

You shouldn’t use the “Queen” or “Vice Queen” title unless you are the leader or co-leader of a chapter.

The “Queen” title is reserved for the leader of a chapter, or in the case of “Queen Mother”, a former leader of a chapter.  A “Vice Queen” is the 2nd in command to the Queen, so this title is also reserved for that role.

Other royal titles are fine to use though.

So think about what sort of title you would like, and then what words would describe you, or what words you would like to have as your name.  Add them together and you get your Red Hatter name!

If you’re stuck and can’t think of anything (or just for a bit of random fun) check out this online random Red Hatter name generator.  Click here to go to the generator page, click the “generate name” button and see what it comes up with!
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~ Example Titles

While only a Chapter leader should use the title “Queen” , other royal titles can be used.

Archbishopress, Babette, Baroness, Chairwoman, Consort, Contessa, Countess, Chatelaine, Crone, Czarina, Dame, Diva, Duchess,  Earless, Eminence, Empress, Enchantress, Fair Maiden, Goddess, Governess, Her Royal, Highness, High Priestess, Jester, Judgette, Lady, Madam, Madame, Magess, Majesty, Mamzelle, Marchioness, Majesty, Marquissa, Matriarch, Mayoress, Mistress, Peeress, Pinkie, President, Priestess, Prime Ministress, Princess, Purveyor, Ranee, Regent, Sultana, Sultaness, Tsarina,  Viscountess.
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Example Hatter Names
Some of these are actual Red Hatter names, some are just suggestions.

~ Baroness

• Baroness Bargain Hunter
• Baroness Belle Chapeau
• Baroness Bookworm
• Baroness Bossy Boots
• Baroness Bownty-Full
• Baroness de Rouge
• Baroness of Boobs
• Baroness of Bulge
• Baroness Von Blab A Lot
• Baroness Von Krapponalott
• Baroness Von Hooters
• Bodacious Baroness

~ Contessa & Countess

• Countess Court Jest-Her
• Contessa Cabernet
• Contessa Coffee Bean
• Contessa d’Champers
• Contessa of Cosmos
• Contessa of Glitz
• Contessa of Sparkle & Sass
• Countess Champers
• Countess of Cats
• Countess of Cleavage
• Countess of Creativity
• Countess of Good Cheer
• Countess of Libations
• Countess of the Old Bat’s Mobile

~ Dame, Diva & Dutchess

• Dame Depends
• Dame of Hotsey Totsey
• Dame of Whine and Roses
• Grand Dame of Desserts
• Delightful Diva of Red Feathers
• Divine Diva of Disorder
• Grand Diva of Pizzazz
• Duchess Ding-a-Ling
• Duchess Does Little
• Duchess of Do Little
• Duchess of Double, Double, Toil and Trouble
• Duchess of Vices
• Dutchess of Yarn
• Duchess Shop A Lot
• Duchess Short Stuff
• Grand Duchess of CATerwauling

~ Empress

• Empress of E-Bay
• Empress of Eccentricity
• Empress of Elegance
• Empress of Ha-Ha
• Empress Mystique
• Empress Wine-o-Lot

~ Goddess

• Goddess Gad About
• Goddess Get it Done
• Goddess of Frivality
• Goddess of Garage Sales
• Goddess of Glitz
• Goddess of the Green Thumb
• Governess of Celebration
• Governess of Nonsense

~ Her Highness & Her Royal

• Her Highness Handler of History
• Her Highness Hot Lips
• Her Highness Hysterical Historian
• Her Royal Hotsy Totsy

~ Lady

• Lady Adventure
• Lady Catherine of the Chocolates
• Lady Centerpiece
• Lady Crimson
• Lady Dragonfly
• Lady Flamingo
• Lady Hoity Toity
• Lady Lives It Up To The Last
• Lady LaDeeDa
• Lady Late-a-lot
• Lady Laughs-A-Lott
• Lady Lock-up
• Lady Munchkin
• Lady Tartan-It-Up
• Lady of Camping
• Lady of Laughter
• Lady of Leisure
• Lady of the Loo
• Lady Tulips
• Lady Twinkle Toes
• Lady of Walking

~ Madam & Mistress

• Madam de Plonk
• Madame LaMuncherie
• Madam Work in Progress
• Mistress of Anxiety
• Mistress of Ineptitude
• Mistress of Manners
• Mistress of Merriment
• Mistress of Merriment and Mischief
• Mistress of the Vast Waistland

~ Princess

• Periwinkle Princess
• Pretty Princess
• Amethyst Princess
• Princess Delight
• Princess Procrastination
• Princess Peoney
• Princess Picture Perfect
• Princess Cind-a-lot of Spend-a-lot

~ Queen

• Queen a da Ritz
• Queen of Hearts
• Queen of Pithy Quips
• Queen Sassypants
• Queen of Vices
• Queen of Quilting
• Quirky Queen of Quizzes

~ Viscountess

• Viscountess of Vast Waistland
• Viscountess of Visiting
• Viscountess Von Foo Foo

~ Other Names

• Court Jester
• Crone-in-Command
• Crone Joan
• Exalted Keeper of the Mindatorium
• Grand Belle of Flooze and Feathers
• Guardian of Geekdom
• Healer of Heart and Soul
• Her Hot Flushingness
• Her Serene Silliness
• Her Undeniable Naughtiness
• High Priestess of Poetry
• Instigator of Impetuousness
• La Condessa Loca
• La Femme Fatale
• La Femme Royale
• Luscious Lady of the Lake
• Magical Maestro
• Miss Chevious
• Prime Ministress of Rulelessness
• Purple Passion Majesty
• Royal Court Damsel
• Ruler of Secrecy, Mystery and Clever Antics
• The Chairman Of The Board
• The Mad Hatter
• Your Grace Lady Ruby Red