Philosophy

   The Red Hat Society is the result of the fortuitous melding of  an  imaginative poem and a lady with imagination. The poem is "Warning" by Jenny Joseph and the lady is Sue Ellen Cooper. Jenny Joseph's poem is about a woman approaching middle age and looking foreword to a more eccentric lifestyle.

                                     The Warning

                                        When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

                                                With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me

                                                And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

                                               And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

   Sue Ellen Cooper bought a red hat for a friend, then another and, after reading "Warning" decided that there must be other ladies out there that want to face the 50's with verve and elan. She was right and the ranks have swelled beyond anyone's imagination. Thousands of woman have joined The Red Hat Society which has no rules except to have fun and wear a purple outfit with a red hat.

   For more about "Warning" follow this link.