When the Apostle Paul declared that women shall cover their heads during worship who knew a biblical commandment would have such a profound impact on fashion.  Our for-Sistas dating back to African American roots and beyond to the mother land, Africa, today's modern Afro-American women wears centuries of heritage on their heads.  "I think it's because it's rooted in the African tradition that says that when one presents oneself before God… that you should be at your best –- that you should present excellence before the Almighty," says Craig Marberry co-author of Crowns.  Well even if you have no intention of dressing to the Nines for the "Almighty" you can't deny that Church Ladies bring  majestic wisdom refined beauty to the fashion world.
As the early 20th century was finding it's footing Afro-Americans were beginning to enjoy some limited independence.  "Sunday church services provided African American women who worked as domestic servants or in other subservient roles the only real chance to break away from their drab, dreary workday uniforms. says Michael Cunningham of Time Magazine and co-author of Crowns.  The women typically went for textured fabrics, bright colors and of course the key ingredient flamboyancy, some of the hats I see today have it all over Liberacci in that department.  A matching ensemble is also important to the outfit; shoes, pocket book and gloves but I don't need to tell you ladies that right
Hats also served as status symbols. "Once you got up on your feet and started working, you bought some hats," said boutique owner Audrey Easter.  Easter and Mother's Day are the two biggies in black churches; many women purchase a new hat just for the occasion. Prices range from around $100 to over $1,000 for a custom-made design. Most women have more than one hat and it's not uncommon for the most devout crown-wearers to own more than 50. Back in the day even some predominantly black Colleges for Women required all young women to wear hats, gloves and heels to church and whenever they left campus. They did make exception though for students who protested during the civil rights movement, "It took a civil rights movement to get those hats off our heads," remembers Ollie McDowell. Tips for wearing your crown with style; never where a hat wider than your shoulders, make sure they're not darker than your shoes, no broken or bent feathers, be careful with sequins they usually don't look great in the daylight so put your bedazzeler away and remember Easter hats should be white, cream or pastel.  For a more demure look try a chapel veil.  I think veiled hats are very mysterious and sexy. When the 70's rolled around cultural heritage took a back seat to youthful rebellion when hair made more of a political statement.  Afro's, braids and hair weaves are not the most hat friendly styles.  I can still remember the Roberta Flack album where her fro was the whole front cover, lol, I can't ever imagine having that much hair.  In recent years though the idea and heritage of the Church Lady is beginning to make a come back.  We are all aware of the fashion orgasm that Aretha stirred up when the Queen adorned her crown.  The tales that Cunningham and Marberry collected for Crowns were eventually turned into a theater piece by playwright and director Regina Taylor, best known as the Golden Globe award-winning actress in the 90's NBC television series I'll Fly Away. She says she wanted the hats to tell the stories. Taylor says hats both reveal and conceal "in the course of this play, we're taking away all these layers, in terms of where these women come from, who their parents were and also beyond their memories to the subconscious memory that's been passed down, from generation to generation."
Crowns takes many of the stories in the book right off the page. From the more than 50 women in the book, Taylor created six composite characters. She tells their story over the course of a Sunday. The audience sees the women get ready for church, attend a morning service, a wedding, a funeral and a baptism. Five older women are joined by a visitor -- a younger woman from Brooklyn.
The young woman is a pivotal character. Taylor says she's "indoctrinated... baptized in this history. And she's changed by this experience of finding out about these women, through their hats."
Photographer Cunningham says the lone younger character is consistent with his experience in collecting images for the book. There are many photos of women in their 40s and older, but very few of women who are younger.
"I think if younger women really realize what these women had to go through, just to be able to wear a hat -- not being able to go into certain stores and buy hats that they wanted and not having… the money to afford a nice hat -- I think if they really realize it's more than just sitting a pretty hat on top of your head, that a lot of them would respect it more," Cunningham says.
When they were working on the book, photographer Cunningham and author Marberry learned that most women own more than one hat. On average, Mayberry says, the 50 women in the book owned 54 hats each.
My room mate works at a regionally recognized and celebrated hat shop.  Sometimes I work there on Saturdays when they need security for the sidewalk display.  I'm actually not a hat dude but it's cash under the table, haha.  When I do work I always see elderly black women come in and spend upwards of two hours picking out just the right crown.  When they finally emerge I can't deny the pride I see beaming from their faces and how their daughters and granddaughters will probably do the same just because momma did.
Hey even the President can't deny a little heritage, LOL, look out Aretha!

I take my hat off to all of the Church Ladies out there and oddly enough here is an Anime tribute.  Church Lady by Dennis Ferrer
They played this at the club last night and I swear every heathen in the place was singin glory hallelujah, LOL