Family honors mother's memory with hat auction

Hattie Paige was a hat lady.

Wherever she went, she donned a chapeau, especially when attending Mass or programs at her beloved Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Norfolk.

But Hattie died in December 2006, at age 88, leaving her children to figure out what to do with her 100-plus hat collection.

For a while, daughters Karen Womack and Harriet Brown tried to keep up the fashion statement. But they felt it was never the same as when mama wore the hats.

"Some of them were so her. When we put them on we say 'we can't do this justice'," said Brown, a Meadowbrook Woods resident who is the eldest of Hattie's eight children.

Then Womack had an idea. The family could honor their mother's memory - and her love for hats - by organizing a "Hattie's Hats" auction during a fashion show and luncheon at the church on Saturday and donate the money for ministry work.

"She raised us to be givers," Womack said.

There are hats with sequins and hats with feathers. There are straw ones with ribbons or embroidery. Some have rhinestones or gold studs.

Hattie had headgear "for every reason and every season," said Womack, who lives in Poplar Halls.

Straw was for late spring and summer. Knitted caps, for the winter.

"May she rest in peace if she knew I wore a straw hat after Labor Day," Womack joked.

Each hat made a statement.

"I think my mother's hats said, 'I am queen, I rule, I'm in control of the situation at hand,'" Womack said. "Nobody knew our mother didn't have anything because she dressed like the queen of England."

Hattie stored the hats in closets and specially made shelves in her Olde Huntersville home. She shopped for them at Dillard's, the old Leggett stores and from downtown Norfolk stores, such as Capin's and Blue Bonnet.

She bought designer hats, including B. Michaels and Sylvias. One still has a $94 price tag attached. She even had a custom-made mink hat to match a winter coat. All are stored in hat boxes.

Hattie had a knack for finding hats on sale, too.

"The hat may have been a $200 hat that my mother purchased when it was marked down," Womack said.

But the collection was about more than fashion and money spent. It was about confidence and knowing who you are. That's a legacy Hattie's children want to pass to others through her hats.

"My mother taught me that it didn't matter what you had, that did not determine your success in life," Womack said. "Your love and glorification of God is what determines your success."

Hats off to Hattie.

GO:

The Ladies of Peter Claver 279, Fall Fashion Show Extravaganza will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, 232 Chapel St., Norfolk. 313-6910.

Cherise M. Newsome, 446-2358,

cherise.newsome@pilotonline.com