Easter Bonnet Memories…When Hats Were A Fashion Necessity

Hats and Easter went hand in hand when I was a child. And wearing my new, carefully coordinated Easter outfit almost always meant a photo op with my big brother. 

Here we are, heading to Mass on Easter morning. (My big brother Tommy even has his prayer book in hand.) My little purse most definitely contained my small white prayer book and probably a rosary too. And a “hanky” just in case of the sniffles. I guess our kitten wasn’t too impressed with our attire since she seemed to be ignoring the photographer who was probably Mom.

At that time in my life Dad wasn’t Catholic, but he always made sure the rest of us made it safely to Mass. And looking at our old Chevy Bel Aire reminds me of our many trips to church. 

When it came to shopping for our yearly Easter bonnets, Mom and I would always make a pilgrimage to Iowa City where we would make a beeline to Dottie Dunn Hats. (I found this photo online and I tried to track down and credit the person who snapped this photo all those years ago, but no such luck.)

As a little girl I was fascinated by that store. The walls were lined with nothing but hats. And each hat was displayed on a metal “hook” that looked something like the bottom part of a  treble clef in music. Each hat sat perfectly straight, as if it was already perched on someone’s head. (If you look closely you can even see them lining the walls in this photo.)

I guess nobody ever thought about head lice in those days, since the only way to decide which hats to buy meant trying on LOTS of them. It was so much fun to spend time with Mom in that store. We tried on so many different styles and colors. And sometimes we would double over with laughter when we looked into one of the many mirrors scattered around the shop. It was truly a precious Mom and Daughter annual event.

I love to look at old photos of Mom. I think she was beautiful, with her fair skin, red hair and freckles. Hat or no hat!

It seems hats played a big part in the lives of women back then. Just check out the styles in this photo taken outside the church after my cousin’s wedding more than half a century ago. (Peepaw and I were also married in that same country church!)

Women weren’t the only ones to wear hats back then. Men wore them too. But that’s my hatless dad in the front row, and the littlest boy in front of him is my big brother Tommy. So don’t bother trying to find me in that photo since I was no more than a twinkle in my parent’s eyes way back then!

Yes…those trips with Mom to that “big city” hat store will stay with me forever.

I’ll be far from Iowa on this Easter Sunday.

I’ll be heading off to Mass without a hat this year, but my precious childhood Easter memories are never far away.