Red Hat Attire Guidelines
There have been a lot of questions as to what actually constitutes “Red Hat attire — What is “Red Hat casual”, “full regalia”, etc.? Each Queen sets the tone and “dress code” for her Chapter, so I like to clear up any questions you might have.
First, let me say that regardless of how casual or fancy we choose to dress for a gathering or event, “Red Hat Regalia” is an absolute must! That means red hats/fascinators/hair “foo-foo’s” and purple tops (pink and lavender for our Pink Hatters), and it must be adhered to on all occasions.
Colours may be reversed during a chapterette’s birthday month, the month the chapter was started and the birthday month of the Red Hat Society (April).
Red hats (headgear) are required at every gathering — no exceptions! Headgear must be big enough to identify you as a member of the Red Hat Society.
Purple tops, dresses, or outfits do not have to be solid purple. Florals, checks, stripes and other patterns or prints are completely acceptable — as long as it is primarily purple. Pants, capris, shorts or skirts should be purple or red.
Part of the fun of the Red Hat Society is playing “dress-up”, whether it is casual, semi-casual, dressy or formal. Boas, jewelry (“bling”), gloves, etc. (or any combination thereof) are always acceptable and encouraged. Have fun!!! Just because it’s a “Red Hat Casual” event doesn’t mean you can’t flaunt your “bling” or wear your favorite boa! Remember, all accessories like boas and gloves must be red or purple (shoes and purses not included, but you get extra points if they’re in THE COLOURS.) When our gatherings include holiday theme, those holiday colours may be added as accents, such as feathers in your hat, holiday-coloured jewelry, etc.
There are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to how casual or how dressy you choose to dress. No chapterette should miss out on our fun just because she may not be comfortable dressing “up” or “down” for a gathering or event. Some chapterettes are not as comfortable dressing “to the nines” as others and are more comfortable in nicer-casual attire for even the dressiest Red Hat events. As long as you are in Red Hat colours and you are within your “comfort zone”, then you are dressed properly! Just remember — get up, dress up, and show up! It’s all about us having fun together!
Is it Purple? Lavender? Violet? Lilac? Magenta? Eggplant? — It’s all confusing?!
The dress code for the Society is that women over 50 years of age wear “purple” and women under 50 year of age wear “lavender”
But what is “purple”? and where does “lavender” stop and “purple” begin … 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!
To help you out, here is an interpretation of colours that might be appropriate for Pink and Red Hatters. Remember 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 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 to dark. Others feel that it’s okay 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 encourage to wear lighter purples as a Pink Hatter, if you must wear darker shades, try to incorporate some lavender accessories (scarf or feather boa perhaps) and make sure your hat is definitely pink.
But most importantly – have fun with it!
