Laine Berman

For the past month, I have been working two days a week in a little shop here in downtown Deland called Nancy’s Vintage and Retro. It’s not for the money that I took on this job. It’s for the love: the opportunity to finally wear my vast collection of true vintage clothing, something I rarely get to enjoy between gardening, bicycling and not really going out anywhere. The shop is adorable, the mid-century music keeps me singing aloud all day (rarely in tune), and I am honored and thrilled to be a part of its wonderful ambiance. Plus, I relish the opportunity to discuss vintage style with customers and sight seers to the area. Then, there is the rare opportunity to influence people in the right direction.

Yesterday just before closing, a young couple came into the shop. They were rather scruffily dressed in basic black punk style with numerous tats and too many facial piercings (for my taste – yes, I am old!). My first thought was, keep an eye on them. They don’t look like they have money, nor do they look like your average shopper. As I was strolling around the shop, straightening out the racks, I noticed them in the hat section. Nancy’s has a large collection of mainly 1950s era hats, fascinators, pillboxes, berets, and some elaborately flowered, furred, and veiled beauties of a long bygone era. (Actually, the very kind of hats I often wear myself thanks to my own even larger collection.)

I saw the woman holding a black velvet fascinator so I walked over smiling, “Hats! Aren’t they amazing? Do you know how to wear this?”

“No”, she replied a rather sadly.

“Well, let me show you”, I gushed.

Since her hair looked a bit greasy and was tied up in pigtails, I demonstrated on myself.

“This is no longer the 1950s so we do not have to match or follow protocol”, I exclaimed while demonstrating the traditional crown of head placement, showing how pins or elastic can hold it in place. “But, since you obviously aren’t afraid to make a radical fashion statement, you could also place it rather rakishly like so”, as I slipped the hat over to my right side.

“I personally think everyone should wear hats and I mourn the loss of the tradition in our culture. I almost never leave the house without a hat on my head. It’s a shame most people don’t dress for fun here. So, I thank you for having a style!”, I exclaimed smiling at the youngsters.

“Look at how you can enhance your statement!” as I reached for a far more outlandish hat and demonstrated various positions for that one too. I showed her how the placement of combs to upsweep our hair enhances the position of the hat and I showed her how stitching elastic into the underside ensures the hat stays in place. She clearly loved it all and had a good long look at a little pink satin number with lace flowers and beige netting. But she placed it gingerly back on the shelf.

She went back to her original classic black velvet number, saying, “I know I would wear this one. This will be the beginning of a long habit of hat-wearing”.

“Amen to that, sista! And let me add, when I walk down the street with a hat on, everyone I pass smiles, nods, or says hello. With no hat, I never get a word. People respond very favorably to hats. Hats make our world a better, kinder place!”

“Well, I will get used to wearing this one first. It will be my gateway hat, leading me to the harder stuff later on!” she stated.

We all laughed merrily as she paid and left the shop. I locked up to go home still wearing a big smile after such a fun encounter. I loved her “gateway hat” comment and truly hope she does keep wearing hats. A sweet, church-lady vintage hat is a perfect complement to her scruffy punk clothing and Doc Martins. My final comment was to her boyfriend: “Honey, go find yourself a secondhand Stetson or a fedora. Then come back and thank me.”

Most people who come into the shop say they wish they could wear hats but that they look silly in them. In truth, they look great. It’s spectacular to see how people stand a bit taller and straighter, they take on a jaunty grin, they look proud and pleased while wearing a hat. Then, they take it off and transform back into a shorter, less confident, less content person. It is such a shame that people are too vain or insecure to do something different, to take the plunge and wear what they easily admire on others. Everyone looks great in a hat if they only had the courage to wear one!

DeLand, 17 May 2024