Not On Your
Nightstand

I first saw this magazine a few years ago while I was taking a millinery class at the School of the Art Institute. I loved it from the moment I eyed the table of contents. Every page was filled with stories about hats! I was so excited I could barely pin a needle straight into my hat block. I wanted a subscription to this periodical. I envisioned it as my monthly ticket to happiness, or at least hours upon hours of reading pleasure, absorbing and memorizing every last chapeau on each page....until I saw the price - 45 pounds a year (sorry I don't have my the currency exchange converter mechanism on my supercomputer enabled tonight. But I know 45 pounds is a lot of U.S. dollars). Then I thought, "Oh. I think I can be happy reading this at the library!" Though to this day I have to find it at my local library. I think The Hat Magazine is out of their price range too. Besides, The Hat Magazine might look a little odd next to Happy Housekeeping and Homeowners' Digest (I made those titles up). But wouldn't a magazine like this be such fun to read 12 times a year? It beats the bell-bottomed pants off of Lucky and InStyle Magazines. Here's what I really like about this British import: the focus is all on what's your head (maybe a little bit on what it's inside too). If The Hat Magazine is a hoot to read, I can only imagine how hilarious it must be to work there. I can see it now: "Honore, I think we've a got a newshole on page 13. Think you can go out and shoot some photos of the ladies wearing hats at Thrumpleton's Ball?" Or "Holy batman! I think we need some copy next to that pic of what's- her-name wearing Philip Treacy's new cocktail hat. Think you could interview Philip ASAP?" Then I can picture all the editors and the staff writers atwitter in their doll hats, looking a bit like the behatted Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday or The Women. They don't even take their hats off to go to the bathroom or type up their stories. How cool is that?