Aretha's Fabulous Bow Hat
Saturday, January 24, 2009 at 5:33 PM 
Image use with kind permission from Roy
The other sartorial star of the Inauguration? Aretha Franklin and her embellished bow hat of course. Yes, it was unabashedly over the top, but it couldn't have been more perfect for The Queen of Soul. As Aretha sang "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" on Inauguration day, her all around fabulous hat was impossible to miss.
The work of Detroit-based milliner Luke Song, the hat was custom designed for Aretha, hand-molded from heather gray wool and adorned with Swarovski crystals. Similar hats are available through the designer's collection, Mr. Song Millinery. According to Booth Moore of the L.A. Times, "hats are back". And based on the buzz generated by Mr. Song's creation, that indeed may be the case. In an interview published on Friday, Mr. Hong told The New York Times that "order numbers exceed what we can physically make. Our vendors say the clients can’t wait three or four weeks, so some of them are just buying up our inventory ... I’m in disbelief of what’s going on.”
While this number is perhaps a bit loud for Mrs. O, might we see our First Lady don a hat or two? With so much talk of Mrs. O's "womanly" tastes, and her new take on the old-fashioned, one never knows. For the time being, we're content to celebrate this beauty.
Misc
Reader Comments (38)
I loved this hat too and there has been so much trash talk about it all over the web! I'm so glad you said something positive! I love a good crown and I'd love to see Michelle Obama wearing a great hat too!
Aretha is gorgeous in this hat!
I suppose it's not for everyone, but I loved it!
Aretha is a Goddess, and she can wear whatever she wants and it will befit her stature as an icon of womanhood.
Miss Franklin's hat is a testimony to the neautiful hats seem in African-American churches worn by the most beautiful women in the world. Also, check out the matching coat, which is also fabulous. The result was a regal look that supported her incredible voice and the real meaning of the anthem she sang,
This is a typical "Detroit Church Hat" and I LOVE it! It reminds me so much of being back home, and even more personally, I can remember playing dress-up in something similar from my grandmother's closet. Love it!
Aretha can wear things that mere mortals can't. Bow to the power of the hat!
Not having grown up seeing "church" hats my jaw dropped when I first saw it but it immediately grew on me. Would I wear it? No. But Aretha rocked it!
The hate is vintage Aretha. I was worried about what she'd wear since she's been known to push it to the limit and wear things that don't compliment her size, or wear too much makeup, but this outfit and hat was perfect.
She toned it down, but kept it real.
Like many Detroiters, we know that Sister Aretha has been known to demonstrate a less than impressive sense of fashion over the years. We usually hold our collective breaths waiting to see what she'll wear for some grand occasion. But this time she got it right. The hat was FABULOUS! Nothing for ordinary mortals, but absolutely fitting for the Queen of Soul on such a historic day. Applause, Aretha, applause!
I thought Aretha's hat was so HER. It was fabulous and perfect for a larger than life occasion.
i think Mrs Os fashion sensibility is too modern for hats.
When Carla Bruni wore that pillbox hat to a public event a few months ago, I thought it made her look pretentious, and self consciously retro.
At first glance I thought...what the heck is that! By the end of the song, I was sold. Memorable times call for memorable clothing items and Aretha scored big. Why not get the country talking?!
Initially I too was contra hat. But then I thought, "How fierce is this bedazzled Bow-Hat?" My answer? Mightily Fierce!
It was an important representation of the black church. Sartorially, It signified Faith & Hope as loudly as Dr. Lowery & Dr. Elizabeth Alexander.
only one who can pull it off is Aretha, yes it was fierce on her. Everyone else don't even go there.
Only woman that looked fabulous in hats was late Princess Diana.
I absolutely loved Ms. Franklin's hat! She is a beautiful person who is very confident and showed off her stuff with a very appropriate fashion ensemble for the occasion.
I love Aretha, and she rocked that hat, hard!!! Absolutely gorgeous.
The Queen of Soul certainly lived up to her name in this ensemble...BRAVA! I think women look like ladies on hats. I love to see pictures from events like Derby Days, Teas and Fashion Shows. (Well with the exception of a certain group on the Bravo Channel...LOL). It's exciting to see yet another designer/artist who will get some additional recognition.
I didn't look at the Flicker link until after I'd posted. Please take note that some of the pictures are both distasteful and downright racist. Ignorance lives :-(
I LOVE church hats. Aretha's is great! I would never try it, because I could not make it work. I am so excited for the day when I get older and can start wearing the nice hats to church.
My favorite version is when someone put the hat on hope itself:
http://moira-fae11.livejournal.com/
I loved Queen Aretha's hat and coat, I used to wear hats for important functions, weddings etc. I'm thinking of getting something pretty to wear, and hope that an occasion comes up where I'll be able to wear it! I do it with shoes so why not hats?
Hi Mrs. H.S. Thanks for your comment re: the Flickr pool - I immediately removed it from the post. I think it was intended to be a sweet, fun idea that unfortunately some ignorant people have ruined. How sad!
This is what is called a 'crown'. Get the book by the same name. NOBODY who grew up in the Black church was making fun of that hat. Ms. Franklin came in her Sunday best, as anyone who had sense knew she would.
Queen Aretha looked fierce - hat and all!
Mrs. T. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Thank you.
i LOVE your site. michelle obama is one of my idols; i adore her & her style!! this is perfect!
xoxo,
La C.
http://lacouturiernyc.wordpress.com
P.S. Aretha looked fierce!
For those on Facebook there is a fan page for 'Aretha Franklin's Inauguration Hat'...
www.mirrormirror.typepad.com
LOL oh good lord that hat.
Kristan
http://jbu.phuzzymath.net/
She looked iconic.Her hat was symbolic of pride and strength!
Our wearing of our crowns, as we call our hats is a large portion of our culture. I remember many Sundays when my mother and the other women of our church would be dressed to the tens in the most beautiful hats along with gloves. I've heard numerous comments about Aretha's hat and some people just don't get it. I was looking for a hat to wear to the inauguration myself but could not find one that would be stylish enough to protect me against the cold, choosing instead a wool wrap shawl. The women attending the inauguration were looking fabulous, my sister quoted if PETA had been there they would have had a field day with a lot of women wearing mink coats. We could not wait to see Mrs. Obama, she was beaming with pride and so were we. http://www.divalocity.blogspot.com/
When they were chatting on the CNN blogs about Aretha's hat during the inauguration, they were trying to guess where it came from..they were guessing Paris, Italy..she had it made in NYC blah, blah blah...I told them then...NOPE I got five dollars that it was bought right here in Detroit because its a Baptist Church Lady hat..you can't get those "abroad"-lol. Turns out I was right..Mr. Song is overwhelmed and excited about all the buzz. I hope his business just continues to bloom-Go MOTOWN ! People forget that Aretha is not just the Queen of Soul..but underneath that she is Pastor CL Franklin's daughter of New Bethel Baptist Church on Linwood..The "church" lady in you may be surpressed but it never goes away :-). It was classic, iconic and perfect for the occasion. Aretha was appropriate and I am just too proud of my hometown sister.
I LOVE Aretha's hat. She looked awesome!
there are going to be first ladies of churches all around the country in similar hats for the next year AND they'll get a matching coat, too. I love the summer hats at church but i can't wear the winter ones - this is such a classic!
I believe most of the smack talk about Aretha Franklin's hat is jealousy. Most people are not Diva-ish enough to pull it off.
i loved her hat and i'm so glad they are back. for amazing, avant-garde yet totally classic hats check out lisabattaglia.com
Of course the hat was fabulous and coming from the Queen of Soul at such an occasion, completely appropriate! Not to nitpick, but I was however, quite disappointed that LEATHER gloves in the same hue were not worn! The occasion called for elegance from head to toe (and hand to hand) and to me those fuzzy gloves caused the total presentation of the outfit to fall short. Nevertheless it was an "A" effort, rather an "A-"....
I thought it was awful.