When Can I Start Wearing That Red Hat?

There is a poem that I've heard of that talks about wearing purple and a red hat. It was written by English poet Jenny Joseph. The gist of the poem to me is that when you're old enough, you can pretty much do whatever you want and nobody can tell you otherwise. In other words, you have the freedom to be eccentric and not be judged as crazy.

My question is, when do I reach this "old age"? The other day I was contemplating the contents of my closet. I was dressing for a family Christmas gathering and trying to decide what to wear. Have you ever had a pair of shoes or earrings that you wanted to wear and so you planned your outfit around it? Well I wanted to wear my heather grey and purple shawl. I made this shawl from a pattern purchased by my daughter as my Christmas gift last year. I am very proud of this shawl and wanted to show it off.

Now the acceptable thing to wear as this was a casual gathering was jeans and a top. Since it is the middle of December, it would require a warm top. When I picked the colors for my shawl, I didn't take into account that I had very few tops that would "match". My mother raised me with clearly defined guidelines i.e. you don't wear plaids with flowers or polka dots; your colors must "match" by either being in the same hue or in appropriate contrasting colors. There is also acceptable attire for specific environments - business attire for work, etc. We all say we don't care what people think, but that's not true when it comes to our clothing - unless you shop at Walmart. (Inside joke for Candy.)

So I asked myself, "Am I old enough to wear purple and the red hat yet? Can I dress the way I feel and not care about what others deem appropriate?" I didn't want to wear jeans. I like loose and flowing, but I don't have much of that in my closet due to the aforementioned expectations. I ended up wearing a very flowy set of pants with a fine wool scarf tied around my hips, a white sleeveless shell covered with a thin grey sweater and my shawl. Very layered and flowy! No one said a word one way or another. Were they being polite? Or am I old enough to wear what I please and just be accepted that way?

Warning - When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple

By Jenny Joseph

When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple

with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

and satin candles, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired

and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

and run my stick along the public railings

and make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

and pick the flowers in other people's gardens

and learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

and eat three pounds of sausages at a go

or only bread and pickles for a week

and hoard pens and pencils and beer nuts and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

and pay our rent and not swear in the street

and set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Warning - When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple

By Jenny Joseph

When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple

with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

and satin candles, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired

and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

and run my stick along the public railings

and make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

and pick the flowers in other people's gardens

and learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

and eat three pounds of sausages at a go

or only bread and pickles for a week

and hoard pens and pencils and beer nuts and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

and pay our rent and not swear in the street

and set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.