Why Act Your Age When You're Young at Heart?

The looks on the other shoppers’ faces first caught my attention. One family had stopped completely, their faces betraying degrees of shock and confusion. The children were laughing; their parents were slightly bewildered. Following their gaze, I turned around to see what had caused such a reaction.

Behind me was a large, laughing group of older ladies, all dressed in shades of purple, all wearing elaborate and, in some cases, ridiculous red hats. Not one of them was under 50, and not one was acting her age. No two were alike–lady or hat–but each was sparkling, feathered, lacy, or glittering. That’s what made them so intriguing.

We all stood aside to let them pass. Emanating undeniable energy, the red-hatted ladies strode through the mall, giggling like schoolgirls as they entered each shop. Some toyed with the merchandise while others shopped; some waited outside, talking, and always laughing. In short—having a grand old time.

I decided to follow them. I wanted to see how others would respond to this gaggle of strangely dressed, mischievous women. As they made their way through the mall, several people approached them. Luckily, I was close enough to overhear the conversation that began when a young Australian couple timidly approached and inquired if the fun-loving group’s mall invasion was a particularly “Canadian thing.”

Some of the purple-clad ladies explained that they belonged to the Red Hat Society, a social group whose main responsibility is to have fun. The red hats and purple outfits are inspired by the poem “Warning,” by Jenny Joseph, which begins:“When I am an old woman I shall wear purple/With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.” Their colourful costumes symbolize their belief that aging is full of “frivolous and freeing moments.”

They went on to explain that the group’s mission is to gain higher visibility for women aged 50 and older and to reshape the way they are viewed by today’s culture. They certainly couldn’t pick a better way to gain visibility than to dress all in purple and wear clashing, fanciful red hats. In a way, they reminded me of rebellious teenagers, thumbing their noses at society, dressing to provoke, and subverting everyone’s expectations.

These ladies might be onto something. When we think of retirement, we so often think of “old folks?seniors squabbling over who has the cutest grandkids, watching TV, playing cards, or making boring arts and crafts. I thought to myself, “These gals are aging the right way. They’re out acting crazy and having fun, in a supportive group of friends from all kinds of backgrounds.” And what a delicious thing that is.

Later, I did a bit of research on the Red Hat Society. On their website (redhatsociety.com), I discovered a delightful quote: “We are working to build a dis-organization within which we can all connect and eventually take over the world!”