Aretha Franklin was the perfect choice to sing at the inauguration of Barack Obama today, but we’re not sure if she made the perfect choice of hat.
Sure, the Queen is large and in charge and often bold with her fashion choices. But the large bow, by Mr. Song Millinery in Detroit, was a little showy. While people are sure to talk about incidentals despite the historic nature of the solemn occasion, you generally don’t want it to be your headgear.
What do you think of Aretha’s bow topper?
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In my opinion (and among my friends, family, and students I am known as fashionista), I thought Aretha’s hat was stunning. Maybe because it is gray, it doesn’t seem too outrageous, and I thought it framed her face beautifully. Also, it was very slimming. Wow! It was my favorite clothing item for the whole inauguration and the balls, too. Kat
Loved it.
A big hat for a big day. If anyone, anywhere can pull off a hat like that, Aretha can and she did. Slimming? I don’t think so, but great nonetheless.
The Queen has always been about personal choice, and she didn’t disappoint here. Aretha has always had a unique style, and this big woman with a big voice has been a big chunk of truly American music for over 40 years. Very few icons, and certainly very few ladies on the planet today, could possibly pull this off. Aretha did; she always has, and she always will. She is probably the only woman on Earth who has paid enough dues, entertained enough people, recorded enough tracks, and won enough honors, Grammys and accolades to put the rest of us to shame. This gal is what it’s all about. She’s earned her respect, and if she wanted to wear the Chrysler Building as a headpiece, she could do it! You go girl… you tell the rest of ‘em what fashionista is really about. When she arrives at the Pearly Gates, Heaven’s gonna be a whole lot bettah! Long live Queen Ree! The USA is back on the world map. Obama, you done good!
Jim in Tucson
Jim, that was best comment I’ve read on Aretha and her hat! And I agree – she COULD wear the Chrysler building and pull it off. Her singing of My Country, Tis of Thee was the high point of inauguration for me, not just because of her marvelous singing – and I know she didn’t hit all the high notes, but she SANG that song, like only she can – but because of all the history represented in her singing, and, frankly, in that glorious hat. The hat reminds us not only of the wonderful hats of the women of the black church, but also of the amazing headgear of women in Africa, particularly Nigeria. You can bet those women were cheering on the Queen. My only gripe? I wish Dianne Feinstein had had a little more guts, and introduced Ree as the Queen of Soul…