Pre-Ramble:  So, the three lookers at right are me and a couple of my high school buddies spazzing out at our annual Holiday Cookie Baking Day last December. Why are we laughing?  Look at us - we’re wearing snugs!  The minute we put them on, we were laughing uncontrollably… it was Lucy and Ethel all the way. Let’s face it, THERE IS NO WAY TO KEEP A STRAIGHT FACE WHEN YOU’RE WEARING SOMETHING GOOFY ON YOUR HEAD.

This is what makes Aretha Franklin’s Inaugural performance such an impressive feat. Not once, in the entire time that she was standing up there… in front of several million people… for what will be remembered as one of the most historical events ever… wearing what will be remembered as one of the most iconic pieces of headgear ever…, did she reveal even the slightest hint of a snicker. That’s restraint. That’s a professional.

Aretha totally rocks that hat  – she’s a diva and she’s got style. Created by 36-year-old Detroit milliner, Luke Song, the grey wool hat features a large, crystal-studded bow positioned asymmetrically on the front brim (think a jaunty Hello Kitty).  Like the “Queen of Soul,” performers have long been known to pull off all kinds of show-stopping attire… pop-stars Rihanna, Britney and Madonna (not them above right) can get away with wearing basically nothing but their underpants on stage.

The snug, incidently, was created by my friend Pam, whose small Minneapolis company, BellaPamella, harkens back to a simpler time offering beautiful, hand-crafted aprons and accessories. Pam describes the snug this way:

You can just give bad hair days a big wet kiss goodbye when you’re wearing a BellaPamella Hair Snug. Keeps your hair out of your eyes in style. Even makes window washing fun. Tie it in a single or double knot, depending on your style. One size fits all. Kids too! 100% cotton.

The Take Away: I’m pretty sure that window washing could never be fun, but you can see that even for the baking-challenged (me) the hair snug is the way to go. Caution: Snug-plug ahead… If Rihanna, Britney, Madonna, Aretha, or any of you girlfriends out there would like to purchase a snug to wear in upcoming performances, you can preview the full line of BellaPamella wares at www.bellapamella.com.

PS: Great for dogs too!