About HatParty

How HatParty came to be.

I created HatParty with a look back at history.

My Glencoe boutique opened in 1996 but it wasn't until my customers showed a growing interest in my family's hat collection that I realized I was good at talking about hats and millinery history,

And so, HatParty, the event, was born.

Here is how I turned my little hat shop

into a fun, fashion event....

Once upon a chapeau, I opened a small hat shop in Glencoe, IL. on Tudor Court. I ran the store with my poodle named Metro. And with the help of my dear friend Cyndee who wore hats beautifully and also made a line of darling baseball caps trimmed with flowers. We opened on April Fool's Day, 1996.

But retailing is hard. I soon learned that talking about my vintage hats rather than selling new ones was the way to do it! I took HatParty on the road to entertain various organizations, clubs, women's groups.

HatParty is celebrating 20 years in 2016.

Cyndee of CK Designs and my beret-wearing French poodle, Metro both helped me start HatParty.