Old Hats Made New In A Down Year For Ky. Derby

BRUCE SCHREINER

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Some of the brightly plumed hats at this year's Kentucky Derby will be covering up a secret brought on by the lame economy: They're retreads picked from closet shelves, not new finds from fancy boutiques.

Whether adorned with feathers or flowers, hats are as much a part of the Derby Day spectacle as fast horses, mint juleps and the twin spires at Churchill Downs. Derby-goers ranging from monarchs to middle-school teachers sport the hats that can cost hundreds of dollars. Two years ago, Queen Elizabeth II threatened to overshadow the horses in a lime green hat with fuchsia trim.

Ahead of this year's race May 2, though, some women are looking for bargains, borrowing from friends or redoing hats from their closets. The country's financial woes inspired the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft to enlist a local designer for a recent hat-makeover session.

The spruce-ups, costing as little as $70 or so, received rave reviews from customers used to the fashion-conscious crowds at Derby week events.

"Who's going to know? I think that's probably a secret kept with the ladies," said David McGuire, the director of gallery sales at the Louisville museum, where new Derby hats average $400 to $500.