The Red Hat Society.

Report on The Red Hat Society, something I’d never heard of. Sounds fun and a great idea:

There are no rules, but members usually turn out in red hats and purple
clothes for society gatherings which feature everything from tea
parties to tobogganing, via belly dancing classes and "Laser Tag," a
form of paintball.

In essence, girls day out for women of a certain age. One thing that puzzled me wasthe constant reference to what "red hat" means in English:

or the meaning that red hats apparently carry there: that you’re not wearing any knickers and so you’re a prostitute."

and

The problem is the ‘red hat, no drawers’ phrase.

I like to think I’m reasonably fluent in English, it is, after all, my native language, but I’d never heard of this phrase. As a nominal papist my immediate thought, on hearing of a red hat, is a Cardinal, and I was unaware that they insisted upon the kilt solution.

In

8 responses

  1. If it helps at all I have heard the expression “big hat,no drawers”.
    Doesn’t help much does it?

  2. The Red Hat Society was fashioned after a poem “Warning” by Jenny Joseph, which mentions wearing purple and a red hat. You can find the poem at http://www.wheniamanoldwoman.com/pages/348544/index.htm

  3. mike brookes Avatar
    mike brookes

    Red hat no drawers refers to prostitutes in London during the war,because prostitution was illegal they would wear a red hat,so punters would recognise them,i was told this by many returned soldiers after the war.

  4. witheld Avatar
    witheld

    Yes, “Red hat no drawers” was in use that I know of in the 1940’s, certainly in the south of England anyway, it’s meaning I’m sure will be obvious to most people, I think the modern equivalent is “Going commando”. However, let’s not associate it with that fine body of ladies in “The Red hat society”!

  5. Red Hat Society is a fantastic group of women who build friendship, fun and fabulousness.
    For some even more fabulous clothing and red hats check out http://www.redhatsandmore.com

  6. Hello,
    ‘Red hat now drawers’ has been a saying in U K for very many years.
    I’ve heard it from Aldershot to London , Essex, Sussex, Kent and Hants.
    I never knew the origin.
    John….now in Oz.

  7. ‘red hat, no drawers’ was a phrase My Mum used to say (discretely) sometimes, upon seeing a red-hatted person. and we live near Nottingham (UK).

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