Lady Linda Crawford of Secret Beauty Hats: Fine Millinery

“I’ve been selling hats my whole life” she told me. “At first I sold hats from all the national suppliers. But when I saw the styles they offered , and looked closely at the way they were constructed, I decided I could make better hats myself.”

” When I reached retirement age I closed my hat shop and took it easy. But I got bored at home and

“Lately I’ve been letting nonprofits use my shop for fundraisers. They sell tickets to a VIP Boutique Girl Time event at my shop. The nonprofit supplies the food and I make sure everyone has fun trying different hats and outfits.”

As we talked, Linda was unpacking a box filled with head manikins. “I’ll be taking these to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. I arrive the First of May and stay until the race on May 4. It’s a lot of fun. I’ve been selling my hats there for the last 22 years.