White Linen Night

Last night the Ladies of the Houston Hat Net attended "White Linen Night in the Heights". It was our second White Linen Night, but the first ever in Houston. "The Heights" being an old suburb of Houston established eons ago.

Now "White Linen Night" has a long history in New Orleans. The first weekend in August, when it just can't get any hotter or steamier, all the art galleries in New Orleans present new shows, and stay open for the public to come join in the fun. There is food, drinks, music, and socializing, and white linen is THE dress code. Anything else would just be too, too hot.

Of course this is actually just a suggestion, as you can see from this picture taken in New Orleans at my first White Linen Night, 2002. I'm the third from the right, behind the blue hat. My millinery guru Kate, she who is living oh-so-continental in Switzerland right now is second from the left.

More of us were on the trip, but some just didn't have energy to trudge through the stifling heat and crowd that evening. After all, we had "shopped till we dropped", touring ALL the fabulous millinery shops in New Orleans. Behind the scene tours! We bought hats, some bought many, many hats (one woman, not pictured, bought twelve, each hat between $200 and $400. I just bought one, a pistachio colored wide brim straw.)

New Orleans wasn't sure if they were ready to resume the tradition this year, so Houston picked up the slack. Later " 'Nawlins " decided they would have their night after all, but by then it was too late to stop the event from happening here.

It was a blast. I was the only "veteran" attending, and this time B. went too.
He is such a good sport, keeping a watchful eyes on us stylish ladies as we wandered through galleries and antique shops, trying on hats at vintage clothing stores and sampling all the finger foods and drinks at each shop.

I did mention that it was hot? I wore the same dress as my first trip, but with a different hat. It wasn't so great, just a white traveling hat and I made a leaf out of white ribbon and "stuff" for trim, to match my dress. DESTROYED my house in the process, I always decide to do a hat at the last minute and don't clean as I go. Part creative energy, part fun, part just stupid, really.

Fearless current leader Gayle arrived in a long white layered cotton skirt, hankerchief points hemmed, white crochet lace gloves, and a very large and wonderful black and white hat. She has such stage presence and natural aplomb and elegance. It's simply is no wonder at all that of all the hundreds of people attending White Linen Night in the Heights, she would get pulled over by the FASHION REPORTERS of the Houston Chronicle, and asked to pose on the spot for Fashion Street Scene, a regularly occuring section of the paper highlighting the cutting edge fashionistas at Houston events.

How fun is that?

And I got two hats, a straw visor, and a Panama Straw. Good enough for me!